An adventure at Atlantis, The Palm Dubai

The iconic Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai has a long-forged reputation as a must-visit destination to take your children to enjoy the best water park in the UAE – if not the world. Their record-breaking adventure park – Aquaventure – is a thrill for all ages seeking adventure from 9-90! Boasting record-breaking attractions and slides it is a Bucket List item that has to be ticked off – and so it was last autumn as I finally took my two children – Serena 11 and Theo 8 to enjoy a few glorious days of sunshine and an incredible but safe adrenaline rush.

Despite its amazing reputation and our anticipation, we were not disappointed – the park is everything their renown claims and more. What I wasn’t expecting is how amazing the resort as a whole is and especially the culinary adventure we were about to embark upon.

The majestic building which has become an icon of the Dubai skyline is located at the end of the Palm Island with endless views out to the Arabian Gulf and boasts a pristine private beach.

Our adventure begins the minute we exit the airport as our ‘Atlantis Chauffeur’ awaits to drive us to the resort. From the minute the iconic building comes into view as you drive up the long boulevard to the hotel you know this place is extraordinary. The lobby is vast and pristine and features Moorish archways, Arabian-inspired lamps and palm-shaped pillars tied together with accents of traditional Middle Eastern vernacular architecture such as hand-wrought iron columns of flowers, leaves and buds. And wall-to-wall glistening marble. Sounds of water encapsulate the vast 19m high atrium where a Dale Chihuly sculpture takes centre stage.

We are taken to our superior room which is fabulous and overlooks the beach and pool. The TV screen in the room greets me and on the bed is an itinerary of all the activities that have been arranged for us – it’s comprehensive and daunting at the same time – but we’re all in and the kids are super excited.

The first order of the day is to head to the pool and relax while we plan – my wife and I sit in a reserved cabana, enjoying a pina colada, as the children soak up the 34 degree heat and splash around the pool.

It was time to embark on the first stage of our epicurean journey and lunch had been booked at En Fuego – a Mexican themed restaurant which looks like a huge carnival complete with live music. Despite being quite particular about Mexican food – I lived in California for five years where they arguably have the best – En Fuego doesn’t disappoint. Traditional dishes are flavourful and have just the right amount of either spice or tang as needed. The kids loved their Burritos and especially enjoyed the dessert and candy station!

Stomachs full and definitely in need of an afternoon siesta – it’s de riguer to fully embrace the Mexican culture – we head back to our fabulous room for a power nap much to the kids annoyance.

The undoubted showpiece of the Atlantis is their aquarium. The majestic installation houses some of the world’s rarest fish and even turtles, and sharks! We were very fortunate to be offered a behind-the scenes tour of the aquarium and its working and all the effort that goes into managing this masterpiece. The kids loved our super-friendly guide Rheymarie and learned so much (as did both my wife and I!).

Dinner was at Ayamna a Lebanese restaurant that is a feast for the senses. The marble dining room is elegant and the aromatic and flavourful cuisine showcases the best in authentic flavours of Lebanon. We share traditional mezze platters with local breads and succulent meats with hints of spice that were grilled to perfection. Dinner is finished by 9:30pm and we retire to our room as we have a huge day ahead of waterslides and fun.

Aquaventure is everything it is hyped up to be – endless fun and endless laughter – however, I thoroughly recommend buying the skip-the-queue wristband so you can literally have 5x more rides and fun. Despite all the amazing waterslides our favourite ride ended up being the river rafting which weaves throughout the waterpark.

Our breakfasts were always taken at the Kaleidoscope restaurants which offer a huge buffet and where their pancake/waffle station was a must – a leisurely breakfast enjoyed on the terrace in the early morning sun. 

The kids were naturally keen to return to Aquaventure and we had a lovely day of sun, frolicking and lots of out-of-control childlike screaming down their twisting slides – maybe I’m getting older than I think!

I was much calmer as we entered Hakkasan for dinner. The legendary Mayfair original is one of my favourite haunts in London where I have been going for almost twenty years. This Dubai outpost is just as slick and packed with the cognoscenti not just guests of the hotel. Hakkasan classics dominate the menu, and this is as amazing a culinary experience you will enjoy anywhere. The dim-sum were to die for as were the grilled prawns and the house special Peking Duck.

After a day spent at the pool the next day my kids and I headed for lunch to Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen. My wife took this as her cue to escape for some ‘me-time’ and she pampered herself at the award-winning spa. This was my first experience of his famous burgers and of course the kids loved them, but to my surprise I equally devoured them as eagerly and was surprised how flavoursome they were. Maybe he knows a thing or two about recipe creation this Gordon chap!

When I was sixteen and living in NY a friend’s father offered me a summer job as a cashier at his typewriter shop and in exchange he would give me his old car. This was a very old and very beat-up and rusty 1969 VW Bus. It was a mess but to a sixteen-year-old it was a dream and thus I toiled away until the end of summer when I collected my prize (my first car!). Naturally I have an affinity for VWs (my second car was a Beetle) and especially the bus and was thrilled to see one being used as a cabin/private-table at their Wavehouse restaurant. The restaurant is a casual dining affair, and we enjoyed a delicious pizza, chicken wings and mozzarella sticks in this vibey beach-semi-American themed restaurant.

More beachside fun and was followed by dinner at Seafire Steakhouse where my wife joined us looking relaxed and refreshed after her spa visit. Another fabulous dinner of steaks from prime cuts of meat grilled beautifully.

Our few days here flew by and the resort is so much more than just a fabulous beach hotel, that boasts an incredible array of award-winning and celebrity chef restaurants that take you on the most tantalising epicurean journey. There is so much to do and experience and we only managed to sample a little of what is on offer.

The Atlantis, the Palm has it all and is fun for all ages and I truly think there is no better place in the world for a family holiday. Plato’s Atlantis may have fallen into the Atlantic but, Atlantis, the Palm well and truly rises from the Arabian Gulf and is ready to conquer. 

Atlantis, The Palm

The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

T: +971 4426 0000  

www.atlantis.com