EVERYTHING is awesome in Dubai, according to my kids – and I can’t disagree.
The lift in the world’s tallest building rocketed us to what felt like touching distance of the sky in just 60 seconds.
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We learned to pilot a plane, race boats,ride a dragon and dive under the sea to see sharks.
And we sang the Lego Movie tune as we looked up at Legoland’s version of the tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, created out of more than 400,000 plastic bricks.
This United Arab Emirates hotspot really is the ultimate playcation for all the family.
Along with my wife Joanne, kids George, ten, and Sadie, eight, I headed for some much-needed desert heat.
Our base was Legoland Dubai, so the children’s excitement levels were already higher than the Burj’s pinnacle as we soaked up the futuristic skyline in our taxi there.
Through palm trees, the colourful exterior of the hotel came into view. George and Sadie raced under the dragon-themed entrance into the air-chilled lobby and immediately spotted the Lego pit.
And they climbed in among thousands of bricks to make the first of many imaginative creations during our mini-break.
The hotel floors have different Lego themes — Ninjago, Friends, Adventure, Pirate and the medieval-style Kingdom where we were based.
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The kids’ jaws dropped as they entered our room to see royal bunting and shields. Our prince and princess also enjoyed bunk beds in their own separate “chamber”.
Even in the room there was loads of Duplo to play with, and a treasure hunt was a nice touch.
Sadie and George had to solve clues hidden round the room, then stick a code into a chest to reveal their prize — little Lego sets, of course.
One huge advantage of staying in the hotel is the exclusive early access to the Legoland theme park before it officially opens.
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Only steps away from the hotel, it has more than 40 rides and attractions across six themed lands — Factory, Lego City, Kingdoms, Adventure, Imagination and Miniland.
A highlight for us was the Wave Racers, where the kids hopped on their own yellow jet skis and hurtled round trying to avoid water blasts.
Another gem was aboard the Submarine Adventure’s underwater experience.
The kids pressed screens and buttons when commanded to and looked out the portholes as sharks, rays and fish glided past.
Then we rode a dragon rollercoaster around the enchanted king’s castle. I almost expected the creature to breathe fire as we shot through smoke and strobe lighting.
Record-breaking
The kids also took to the air to fly their own Duplo plane before we let them loose on the fantastic Driving School road track in their electric motors to gain their driver’s licence.
After an exhilarating morning we needed a cool down as the temperature nudged 35C, so it was swimming trunks and cossies for the water park next door. It has 20 slides and attractions and we tried them all — some more than once.
One imaginative joyride let us build our own raft using Lego-style inflatables and float on them round the lazy river.
The flumes have epic names, such as Wave Rider, Splash ’n’ Swirl, Twin Chasers, Tidal Tube and Twist ’n’ Spin. My favourite was Slide Racers, where I lay head-first on a mat through a dark and twisty tunnel then hurtled down the final open descent while racing five others. It was terrifying and exhilarating.
But no trip to any Legoland is complete without visiting the iconic Miniland.
There’s a mind-boggling 20million bricks used to create sights such as the Dubai futuristic skyline and historic creek neighbour-hood as well as Egypt’s Pyramids and India’s Taj Mahal.
But all eyes eventually focus on the centre-piece, the replica of the Burj Khalifa. The model is a record-breaking 55ft tall and has 439,000 Lego bricks.
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Once a day Miniland transforms with a spectacular light show.
My top tip? Enjoy the best view from the cafe terrace, with a nice cool drink and a much-deserved seat. Impressive as the Lego Burj Khalifa was, it was time to visit the real one.
Ever-growing skyline
Its stats are simply incredible — 2,716ft high with 160 storeys. The lift, the world’s fastest, cruises up ten metres per second.
For around £39pp, you can go to the indoor and outdoor observation decks on the 124th and 125th floors.
George and Sadie raced to lean against the windows and stare straight down half a mile to the 30-acre, man-made lake and ever-growing skyline out towards the Arabian Sea.
If you’ve got more cash to splash, from £87pp you can also gain access to the Sky Lounge and observation deck on the 148th floor as well as the two lower floors.
Back on the ground, we hit Dubai’s luxury shops and world-class restaurants and gawped at the modern architecture fused with Middle Eastern culture.
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With so much inspiration around them, it wasn’t a surprise when, after dinner, the kids immersed themselves in the hotel lobby Lego zone to try to build their own wonderful creations.
And along with their plastic structures at this “awesome” hotel, there’s no doubt George and Sadie built memories of an even more “awesome” holiday.
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GO: Dubai
GETTING THERE: Emirates flies from Heathrow to Dubai daily, from £549pp.
See emirates.com.
STAYING THERE: Rooms at Legoland Hotel start from £250 a night B&B, based on two adults and two children sharing, with access to the theme park or water park.
Get both for free with a two-night stay.
Three-night-plus stays also get access to Motiongate.
See legoland.com/dubai.
MORE INFO: Tickets for the Burj Khalifa start from approx £38pp.
See burjkhalifa.ae/en.
For more on visiting Dubai, see visitdubai.com.
