Lounging around in comfortable couches snacking on candy, each staring into tiny screens will not make the family holiday memorable. What will make it one of the best memories for both you and your kid is spending some family time together. Add an element of thrill to the mixture by opting for a family cycle ride, and your kids will be jumping up and down with eagerness. Dubai, a country that has a bit of everything, is one of the best places to have this experience.
If you staying at a luxury hotel in Dubai, such as Desert Palm PER AQUUM, they often have their own vast gardens and rent out cycles for the day. If not, you can try one of the many places dedicated to cycling: for the beginners, Dubai Autodrome opens up their 2km long loop for joggers and cyclists every Wednesday night; if you seek a picturesque view to motivate your pedalling, Al Quadra-Cycle Path is available, which winds itself through sand dunes and hillocks; add a bit of quirk to the ride by taking Nad AL Sheba Cycle Park, which used be a camel racing track; or breathe in the passion of fellow cyclists and joggers at Al Barsha Pond Park, where cyclists and joggers are assigned separate lanes – so there is no chance of your over-enthusiastic pre-teen knocking a walker down.
While cycling does indeed provide freedom, while improving fitness, it could be difficult for the parents to simply look on as their young ones fall, scrape, get cuts and dejected. But as with other things in life, cycling is a good place to start to let them stand on their own. After the first few falls, they would find their balance, and you – as a family – can stroll along the safe and picturesque tracks of Dubai, enjoying the feeling of being a family.
Fritzjames Stephen is a travel writer, who writes content based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life.