Highlights

• Over the top and unique once in a lifetime experiences
• • Camel Rides! Dune Bashing! Desert! Bike Riding!

• Long flights were more manageable than expected
• Feeling of personal safety was exceptionally good
• Global Village. Well worth the trip slightly outside the city.

Lowlights

• Ritz Carlton beach resort was a disappointment
• Bike situation never got sorted out

Wins

• Dubai city hotel was great location, “room” was HUGHE and the view was awesome
• Desert resort was safe and relaxing beyond expectations
• • Choosing the full board package made a huge difference in the experience we had. We didn’t have to worry about food costs and we did activities we wouldn’t have paid for otherwise (and we saved money!)
• Old city tour guide was an excellent choice
• Desert safari from Dubai was inexpensive and convenient due to amazing driver
• Emirates flight was unexpectedly comfortable with awesome movie selection
• Booked desert resort at a reduced number of points

Takeaway

This vacation has jaded us for all future vacations. We had an indescribably fantastic time that our next vacations will almost definitely disappoint. This trip was relaxing, unique, interesting and active. The boys behaved and matured in ways that we hope last long after getting home. They felt independent and self confident. They worked and played together in ways that made me proud. At the airport my youngest told me that when he grows up he wants to move to Dubai. It just showed how great of a time they had.

As far as planning the trip everything went smoothly according to plan. Getting around using taxis was the correct decision. Using a taxi to get from Dubai to the desert resort was also the right decision. I don’t regret paying the extra to get the private car back to the airport on our last day. To make sure that part went smoothly so early in the morning was worth the extra cost.

February was the perfect time to visit as well. The temperature was borderline shorts and t shirt weather during the days and slightly cooler at night. The locals said that a couple month later the weather would be scorching making it really difficult to get outside during most of the day.

Adjusting to the time zone took longer than we had hoped, but we mostly got into it. Once we got back home it was 4 or 5 days of waking up at 3am before we were able to properly adjust back.

The desert resort was the right vacation at the right time for us. We needed to no-stress yet active vacation. The room was fantastic even though we didn’t get the hoped for upgrade to the larger villa. The bikes were… disappointing but we mostly managed with what we had. Just seeing the boys behave, be engaged, and have so much fun was fulfilling in itself. That we got a couple hours to ourselves during the vacation was also nice.

The full board package was a game changer for us. I’m too cheap to have paid for the activities separately, and I would have spend the entire time there trying to eat what was cheaper rather than what I really wanted. The package “forced” use to try different activities and allowed us to not worry about the food. That we got the room for “free” on points made the trip even better and made paying for the full board package that much easier to stomach.

We would go back to Dubai in a second. This once-in-a-lifetime trip has a high likelihood of becoming a twice-or-more-in-a-lifetime trip. Now as I’m looking at and planning other trips, it’s expanded my horizons in a very positive way. I’m eager to find and try new places and experiences and areas of the world that we wouldn’t have though about before. It’s great. It’s why we love travel so much! The things that used to be edgy don’t seem as edgy anymore.

We also got some great candidates for holiday card pictures 🙂