JANIS BUCKLAND finds there’s plenty of opportunity for adventure at the wonderfully pink and very civilised Palm Dubai resort

MY  SON Brady and I looked at each other and then looked up. And up. We were standing in front of the Leap of Faith waterslide, all near-vertical 90ft of it, which then shot you down a clear acrylic tunnel through a tank full of sharks into a plunge pool. Sometimes a mother and son don’t have to speak and the silent look of fear said it all!

There were numerous other adventures, though, including nearly one-and-a-half miles of non-stop winding river action, for my eight-year-old and I to enjoy at Aquaventure, the 42-acre water park attached to our hotel Atlantis The Palm, Dubai.

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Seeking to lay the foundations for a life after oil, Dubai, one of the seven states that make up the United Arab Emirates, has embraced tourism in a big way, building at an almost giddy rate in height as well as pace.

The country isn’t pretty or quaint, it’s not abundant with plant life and there are few historic sights to see.

Its beauty is in its newness, its futuristic architecture, grandeur and opulence.

What the country lacked was coastline so it started building man-made islands that will eventually add more than 320 miles of beaches. The fi rst is Palm Jumeirah and nestled at the top, is the magnificent pink hotel Atlantis; a destination in itself.

It consists of 1,539 bedrooms in two towers linked by the ultra-luxurious Bridge Suite (£22,000 per night!). This was the place Dannii Minogue chose to hold the auditions in September last year for her selection of X Factor finalists, where she was joined by her sister Kylie who, incidentally, sang at the hotel’s opening party in November 2008.

Although our room was modest by comparison (anything would be) it was still remarkably spacious and decorated in traditional Moorish style, using creams, golds and warm terracottas. It had two king-size beds, a flat-screen TV and a balcony that looked down into the Ambassador Lagoon.

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“Morning Sammy,” Brady would call down to the 11million-litre marine world below.

Depicting the mythical lost city of Atlantis, this amazing aquarium is home to 65,000 fish, including Sammy the rescued whale shark (who we were assured is due to be released this year as he’s fast outgrowing his surroundings).

We wondered how many other children had stood on their balconies calling to him: apparently Tess Daly and Vernon Kay went recently with their little ones.

One afternoon, intrigued by the story of the original Atlantis, we visited the Lost Chambers. The hotel has tried to recapture the myth in a maze of passageways filled with examples of Atlantean miner’s suits, the blue crystals they used as currency and the mighty Hero’s Axe used in battle. It’s also full of giant aquariums and touch pools.

That evening we had a choice of 17 restaurants, enabling you to eat your way around the world from Seafire, a modern New York steakhouse, through Asian-inspired dining in Saffron to the two star Michelin chef Michel Rostang’s French Brasserie.  

As tempted as we were by the renowned Nobu sushi restaurant, co-owned by Robert De Niro, it seemed somehow inappropriate. So we chose Nasimi. Sitting by the beach, watching the sun go down, I enjoyed the most amazing Malaysian chicken curry while Brady had a dish of linguine with freshwater clams, a perfect ending to the day.

In need of a retail fix you’re spoilt for choice with the numerous shopping malls. We visited the Mall of the Emirates, one of the largest, but not to go shopping; we were going skiing.

Ski Dubai is an indoor ski resort with real snow covering an area equivalent to three football pitches. The mountain-themed attraction has five runs varying in difficulty, height and gradient from snow school (where Brady and I enrolled) to a black run. After a very short time my son was skiing quite happily down the beginners’ slopes, while I seemed to spend most of my time on my
bottom! All ski clothing and equipment is supplied although if you’re like me you might want to take some extra cushioning.

Needing to recover from my embarrassment (and impending bruises), I treated myself to a pampering session at the hotel’s spa.  

I opted for a Jet Lag Recovery full-body massage. Using lime blossom and avocado oils, Gina, my therapist, worked miracles.

While I was taking a little “me” time, Brady tried the Kids’ Club. It had two challenging climbing walls and a fun shipwreck but he enjoyed the Command Centre most with its Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles.

Our only disappointment came when we get to interact with the hotel’s bottlenose dolphins; it was fully booked. As consolation we decided to dig out our swimsuits and wade into the shallow waters with the cownose rays instead. Aware it was feeding time, they were waiting impatiently. Flapping their 3ft wings and with their “smiling faces”, they created quite a comical sight. With no teeth, they sort of “Hoover” the shrimps from your hand.

Brady had a fit of the giggles when one of the rays insisted he was trying to hide shrimps and tried Hoovering his tummy!

One of the highlights of Dubai had to be the desert safari. Sitting in the back of a four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser, our driver Raoul played guide pointing out the Burj Dubai (now known as the Burj Khalifa), the tallest building in the world at 2,684ft, and the magnificent Burj Al Arab, a magnificent sail-shaped hotel.

Twenty minutes outside the city we pulled into the desert and joined 30 other vehicles to race across the dunes on the most thrilling off-road 4x4 rollercoaster ride. I so want Raoul’s job.

When we came to a Bedouin campsite, camels took over as transport. We also tried sand surfing (basically snowboarding down the dunes, great fun). We were then more than ready to flop on to the huge Persian cushions and try some local cuisine: mansaf (stewed lamb), served with rice and flat bread. For dessert there were baklava-type honey cakes, all accompanied by a gyrating belly-dancer. All too soon it was time to leave the sand behind.

Brady, Dannii and I agreed though, Dubai definitely has The X Factor.

GETTING THERE:  

Best At Dubai Holidays (0207 849 4179/www.bestatdubaiholidays.co.uk) offers four nights at the Atlantis The Palm from £799 adult, £249 child (two sharing), room only.

Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing 0207 321 6110/ www.dubaitourism.ae