If I told you you could experience a carnival atmosphere, food and culture of nations all over the world (covering all continents), shop till you drop for unique gems and yet for it to remain family friendly, you’d think I’d be making it up. Well, I’m not. This is the description for Global Village in Dubai. For me, truly the aspect of it being super fun, interesting, so much to see, do and try and it being in Dubai and still for it to be suitable for all ages and for all family members impressed me the most. And clearly I wasn’t the only one, we mainly saw families walk around and really enjoy a good family day out.
They are only open during the “colder months” in Dubai, from October to May – so if you do want to visit, plan your travel around that. Tickets are cheap – AED15 – especially considering it is in Dubai. It is a bit far out of the main parts of the city, so you’ll probably need to get a taxi to get you there – unfortunately this is the expensive part (as taxis are expensive in Dubai). But I would definitely put this on the must do list when in Dubai.
The most family friendly activity in dubai?
What can you do there? There is literally so much to do, no matter your age or your taste, you’ll find something to do. There is something to do for everyone. The whole place is divided into different sections according to their nationalities. So, you’ll find an Indian section and a Japanese section and an African section and a Yemeni section. A lot of countries are represented. So you’ll be spoilt for choice. And then what can you find in each section? Colourful shops and stalls selling authentic items, clothing, spices and all sorts. All of which are from their respective countries. Of course they won’t be exactly like it is in the home countries, but it’s still a good way to sample and get a taste of that culture. Some sections are better than others – e.g. Indian, Yemeni and Japanese. Regardless of which section you go into, you’ll get an insight into that culture.
Then we have the food. In each section you’ll be able to taste some authentic dishes. Again, the quality will differ, but you can really find some good gems. The Indian food there was really delicious and so authentic tasting especially considering it was in a place like this. You can also find a section that only has food places sat beside each other. There is even a floating market that does Thai and other goodies.
…Now, that's something you can't do in Thorpe Park or Alton Towers.
Another wonderful feature of this place is that there is a big mosque bang in the middle. So, if it is time for the prayer, you can easily and without any inconvenience at all, you can pray… and in congregation! Now, that’s something you can’t do in Thorpe Park or Alton Towers. See what I mean about it being family friendly?
As mentioned earlier, it is only open during the colder months. Also, they only open at 4pm. So, they are open during the time of the year and time of the day when the weather is pleasant (relatively speaking). This makes the experience bearable too as not many outdoor activities are in the Middle East heat. Also, Mondays are only for families and women, making this day even more family friendly than it already is.
