ADVENTURE
A Guide To Dubai For Adventure Seekers
Start In The Water
The warm waters of the Arabian Gulf are perfect for an array of watersports. Along with conventional pursuits such as scuba diving and windsurfing, Dubai offers more adrenaline-fuelled excursions, such as flyboarding. Essentially a water-powered jetpack strapped to the feet, a flyboard lets the brave soar into the air and – with a bit more practice – perform impressive acrobatics. Book your flyboarding session through Hydro Water Sports, next to the Ritz-Carlton Dubai hotel at Jumeirah Beach Residences (JBR), among other locations.
If you prefer your high-pressure water adventures to stay nearer to the shore, jet-skiing is both easy to do and enormously fun. You'll find plenty of places to hire one in Dubai Marina, or at the city's leading seafront hotels
For those in pursuit of a challenge, wakeboarding offers a combination of high speeds, a bit of a learning curve and some of the biggest thrills available. Being pulled on a board behind a boat sounds straightforward, but once you master staying upright, you can ace fancy moves. Parasailing also involves being pulled by a boat, but with a large parachute-like sail attached to you. Here, physics does all the work, lifting you into the sky for stunning views of Dubai’s coastline. Both wakeboarding and parasailing sessions can be booked via Sky & Sea Adventures.
You can find more controlled water-based entertainment at Dubai's waterparks. Laguna Waterpark at La Mer, a lifestyle destination in Jumeirah, has five high-speed water slides, as well as plenty of other fun activities suitable for all ages. The city is also home to other popular waterparks, where you can slip and dip on record-breaking rides.
Take the plunge further to 60m underwater at the city’s famed adventure attraction – Deep Dive Dubai. A ‘sunken’ world is ensconced in its record-breaking depths, waiting for you to chance upon its fascinating finds, from an abandoned streetscape to two submerged yet dry habitats.
Enjoy Indoor Thrills
When the weather isn’t suitable for outdoor pursuits, Dubai has you covered: how many cities can offer skydiving, skiing and swimming with sharks, all indoors?
Ski Dubai, at Mall of the Emirates, is the city's famous indoor ski slope. With five different ski tracks, as well as snowboarding and zorbing experiences, and the chance to play with penguins, you'll find it easy to spend an entire day here
iFly in City Centre Mirdif is the answer for anyone who’s wanted to try skydiving, but without jumping out of a plane. Walk into a vertical wind tunnel, complete with protective gear, and let the power of a giant fan lift you up and give you the experience of freefall, just a few feet from the floor.
And if that's not enough, the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo at The Dubai Mall offers visitors the experience of getting face-to-face with sharks. During a 30-minute dive – safely enclosed in a shark-proof cage – you can get up close with these fascinating creatures, see what a feeding frenzy really looks like, and learn more about sharks and their place in the ocean’s ecosystem
Dubai's Deserts And Mountains
A desert safari into Dubai’s rolling sand dunes is always a dramatic expedition, but for those looking for something more, Platinum Heritage runs several unforgettable desert experiences. From a tour through the exclusive Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, to falconry lessons, overnight astronomy sessions, or a hot air balloon ride at dawn, the desert offers endless adventures.
While the main part of the emirate of Dubai is flat, the Hatta region by the nearby Hajar mountains boasts rugged beauty and impressive views. Enjoy an organised tour for the day with Arabian Adventures or other tour operators – or go further and try your hand at hiking or mountain biking through the peaks. Hatta Wadi Hub is also a centre for exciting activities, including waterslides, zorbing and mountain biking.