Arrgghhh, 8 hours left to book. Dubai too hot or not ?!

Hi there

We had decided on a trip to Dubai last week of May/ early June 2015 taking advantage of current reward seat sale in PE.
But I noticed a comment last week about temperatures in Dubai at that time of year and am now wondering if it would be wise to visit then ?
I had gone off the idea but then had a chat this morning with a work colleague who used to live there who said it was hot but OK ?
Now I have 8 hours (less really) to decide what to do.
Has anyone been at that time of year ? Is it really unpleasant, or OK. Based on fact we will stay at Atlantis and spend most of your time in the pools, water park, beach (?). With the odd trip into the city for shopping, burj khalifa, wadi bashing even

Thoughts appreciated, the clock is ticking !!

I spent 10 days in the Emirates last month (first visit for a holiday) with my family. Yes it was hot as you would expect, and the sand and pool surround would burn your feet without footware, but to be honest it was not as bad as I expected for August. The hotels are excellent and as that is pretty much most of what the country offers the tourist. I am sure you will have a great time.

Watch out for the Burj Khalifa though... the "at the top" experience really is no where near the top. Pretty high, but trade descriptions in this country would have something to say were it in London.

Go for it I say

Ok, thats 1 - 0 to Dubai
Thank you !

I'd make sure you visit before 18th June, as that's when Ramadan starts. Whilst Ramadan is a special time; the limitations on eating/drinking outside of resorts can be oppressive for those visiting for the first time.

I find May/June temps perfectly acceptable, especially on vacation with regular dipping in the pool or at the waterpark. This year the summer came later, so mid June was when the real heat introduced itself. By early September is when you can start to feel it drop, although not much yet.

Have you booked Atlantis already?

I've never been there so can't comment on the temp but I say go for it L2H !!!

I have visited for the past two years at the very end of June. I shall go back in November this year.

Loved it all, the fab over the top opulent hotels, the Burj Al Khalifa, the fountains at the mall, the beach, the pools, the UC VS flights.

If you've never been, do it, you don't have to visit again do you?

I'm voting yes.

Good luck

Roxy-popsy

Oh great, thank you all. Gonna go for it.

We plan to return on the 7th June as our son goes back to school next day, so will avoid Ramadan.
Not booked Atlantis yet, the rates are pretty good at the moment, but I will book a cancellable rate and then keep an eye out for offers paticularly those that include breakfast, as I hear its quite pricey !
Thanks again, am off to call FC )))
Be nice to go east for a change, always find the jet lag more bearable than heading back from the west !

I've been to Dubai 3 times now. Last November the weather was perfect - hot, but not excessively so.

Mid-August - this was too hot for my liking (45C each day in the shade). You could not even sit outside sitting still for very long before you were dripping in sweat.

Returned to Dubai just under 2 weeks ago and the temperature was around 37C each day - this drop was enough to make all the difference. You could sit outside in comfort both in the daytime & evening.

I second MrDoobs' advice about how hot the sand / walkways can get. Do not go to the beach / a waterpark without flip flops / crocs / some footwear you can get wet, as without footwear you will burn your feet.

Ramadan is probably best avoided for a first time visit. Whilst the hotels that cater for international visitors may bend the rules slightly (e.g. possibly one restaurant screened off during the day where you can eat / or room service available during the day) you will not be able to get alcohol during daylight hours in the hotels. Break the rules outside the hotels and you face pretty fast arrest during Ramadan, (I know of someone who left his apartment during Ramadan, took the lift down to the underground car park and got in his car - whilst still eating a slice of toast... he was reported by someone and got a day in jail for his trouble).

That said, if you have never been to Dubai before - GO. Aquaventure waterpark at Atlantis is brilliant - we spent two days there on both of our last visits.

Oh great, thank you all. Gonna go for it.

We plan to return on the 7th June as our son goes back to school next day, so will avoid Ramadan.
Not booked Atlantis yet, the rates are pretty good at the moment, but I will book a cancellable rate and then keep an eye out for offers paticularly those that include breakfast, as I hear its quite pricey !
Thanks again, am off to call FC )))
Be nice to go east for a change, always find the jet lag more bearable than heading back from the west !

I'm really not a fan of Atlantis, it's got a different vibe to most of the other hotels. It's always busy and the service levels without Imperial Club aren't up to Dubai standards. It's also on the end of the palm man made island, so a 15minute taxi ride just to get to 'dry land'. That means additional costs if you want to have a casual meal, visit a mall or any other activity outside of the resort; that said taxis are cheap and plentiful - apart from out of Atlantis on a Friday night.

Take a look at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Al Qasr, Dar Al Masyaf or Mina A'Salam for brilliant family hotels; with access to Wild Wadi waterpark. If you want to be on the palm then take a look at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray (you get a voucher for Wild Wadi when staying here) or Fairmont the Palm. All have kids clubs that are free, whilst you have to pay for the one in Atlantis.

Thanks Dubaiification (that name is a mouthful!)
Appreciate your feedback, we have a 7 year old that would love the Atlantis, he loves fish and wants to see the Dolphins. I appreciate you can do all that by just visiting the hotel.
I have had a look at the other hotels, also good. We stayed in the JBH last time we were in Dubai (pre child) and went over to Wild Wadi.. loved it.
Need to weigh it all up and discuss with my husband.
Thanks again !

I hope the UAE's involvement in last night's air strikes against IS in Syria doesn't lead to any ramifications for Dubai.

Just to add that I (plus family) have been to Atlantis in the end-May half term week for 3 out of the last 4 years and enjoyed it hugely. I fully take on board the comments of more experienced posters that there are probably better places out there and may well try them (got to have a big water park so eye is on Jumeirah Beach for next time perhaps). Temperature is definitely bearable and I'm not slightly built! The prospect of a pool or aircon never being far away also helps...

Plus I've always managed to get a very good price for the week, through haggling with different TAs...

Diving in the shark tank was the highlight this year!

Just to add on the "Aquaventure vs Wild Wadi" front... we have done both waterparks and will not be returning to Wild Wadi.

If you are familiar with Aquatica & Wet'n'Wild in Orlando, then Aquaventure = Aquatica [newer, bigger, cleaner etc] whilst Wild Wadi = Wet'n'Wild [older, smaller, showing it's age in places]. Don't get me wrong, we did not dislike our day at Wild Wadi, but both said we wish we had done Aquaventure again - which we have on each subsequent trip to Dubai.

That said, we did get a really good laugh at Wild Wadi - they have a couple of rides which generate a surf wave that you can body-board on. Female guests are made to wear a surf top to ensure the power of the wave does not result in unintended topless-ness. There was a bloke on the surf wave who let his body get just a bit too far off the board and the wave relieved him of his swimming shorts in a flash (no pun intended there!) There was quite a bit of laughter & also some horrified looks too.

I also agree that if you are not at staying at Atlantis, getting back to your hotel from Aquaventure can be hard - as not many taxis are dropping off there at say 5pm when you may want to leave. NB: Beware, the Atlantis staff are only too happy to offer you "hotel cars" when they see you waiting for an official taxi. These cars are Lexus's and I don't know what they charge, but it will be more than the cheap local taxis. As a guide, Aquaventure to our hotel on The Walk, Jumeirah Beach was AED30 in an official taxi. The outbound journey was about AED5 more due to traffic / construction work in the Marina area that slows down your exit from the Marina area at the moment.

Good info re Wild Wadi, thanks Kraken. To be honest the kids are already getting set into their Atlantis 'routine' (crepes after swimming from the stand outside Rostang, insisting on the 'grown up' truffled mac'n'cheese from Seafire, planning negotiations over what they have to eat that's healthy before they can hit the chocolate fountain in Saffron - at breakfast... And so on), so it would take something special to wrest them away from the place. Sounds like Wild Wadi won't cut it. Plus Aquaventure has had the second ziggurat built recently, which has definitely reduced overall queues. That poseidon's revenge ride is quite something...

There are things that have changed for the worse since we started going - e.g. they have opened a couple of the bars for use with the imperial club cocktail hour (specifically Bar Azura and the one by Levantine) so they are now mobbed when we want a pre-dinner drink, but it's not that big a deal.

So other suggestions always welcome but I suspect I know where we will be next May!

RC

Oh wow, more feedback. Thanks all.
Just on hold to FC now, didn't have time earlier and now I am guessing it's peak time :-/

Oh wow, more feedback. Thanks all.
Just on hold to FC now, didn't have time earlier and now I am guessing it's peak time :-/

Worth getting some comparative prices with TAs like bestattravel, tropicalsky, letsgo2 etc... They are the ones I usually book through, although does limit your subsequent upgrade opportunities...

Well, I was on hold for 30 mins, got through to someone and then he put me on hold and I got cut off :-( Very annoyed.
So I called again, after 20 mins the hold music went quiet and after a few mins I got a dial tone... fuming by this point.
So now trying again, 3rd time lucky ?
I have in the meantime booked our reward seats online - 2xEC and 1XPE. Just need to speak to someone to apply the vouchers to get 2 into PE also. There is availability at the moment, just hope it remains til I speak to someone.
Hubby tells me that if there is an issue he will sit with our son in EC and I can go in PE... that would be a treat

If I hear Phil Collins on more time I am going to scream.....# you can't hurry love# apparently

Well, I was on hold for 30 mins, got through to someone and then he put me on hold and I got cut off :-( Very annoyed.
So I called again, after 20 mins the hold music went quiet and after a few mins I got a dial tone... fuming by this point.
So now trying again, 3rd time lucky ?
I have in the meantime booked our reward seats online - 2xEC and 1XPE. Just need to speak to someone to apply the vouchers to get 2 into PE also. There is availability at the moment, just hope it remains til I speak to someone.
Hubby tells me that if there is an issue he will sit with our son in EC and I can go in PE... that would be a treat

If I hear Phil Collins on more time I am going to scream.....# you can't hurry love# apparently

Good luck

Phew, finally got through and sorted. They really need more staff on busy sale days.
The countdown can begin to t-60 seat selection :-)