10 super fun things to add to your summer wishlist in the UAE
Sun’s out, fun’s out…
As much as we’d like to live in denial, the temperatures are most definitely rising. Summer is almost here, folks, right at our doorstep, nearly knocking and making a sweaty, sweltering arrival. So, if we’re to tango with summer anyways, might as well embrace it. Here is your summer wishlist of all the mad fun things you can do during the warmer months.
Splash out at a pool day
Nothing better than a fully-redeemable pool pass to welcome the warmer weather. Swim, eat, drink and frolic to celebrate perhaps the only way one would want to be in the outdoors in the summer. There are some pretty great pool passes to choose from, like the one at BCH:CLB. Opening rates for sun beds are Dhs300 on weekdays and Dhs350 on weekends, both fully redeemable. Take in Mediterranean eats, global beats, and stunning all-white decor. For our full list of fully-redeemable pool passes, read here.
BCH:CLB, W Dubai – Palm Jumeirah, West Crescent, 11am to 7pm Sun to Weds, 11am to 12am Thurs to Sat. Tel: (0)58 575 0805. @bchclbdxb
Ladies night with more than just drinks
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Sometimes, one craves something different, something unique. For those moments, head over to Lucky Voice, where you can crack on some amazing indoor fun. Who doesn’t love a bit of karaoke? Moving the stage from your shower to Lucky Voice, this ladies’ night at the fan favourite karaoke spot is offering free drinks to the girls from 8pm to midnight, 25 per cent off the food menu and of course, the opportunity to live out your concert dreams. On Wednesdays.
Lucky Voice, Grand Millennium Hotel, Barsha Heights, Dubai, Wed, 8pm to 12am, Tel: (800) 58259, @luckyvoicedubai
Take over an adult playground
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This entertainment bar is more than just an arcade – some intense sports such as axe throwing, darts, beer pong – the works. Boom Battle Bar is for all those fun-lovers who want to do something a little different from the usual arcade games. This is the first international outpost of the much-loved entertainment bar. All this fun with delicious cocktails at hand and you can challenge your mates for a test of the friendship. This is a big kid’s dream.
Boom Battle Bar Dubai, DoubleTree by Hilton JBR, The Walk, open Sun to Thu 4pm to 1am and Fri and Sat 4pm to 2am. @boom.dxb
Read a book
The eye-catching Mohammed Bin Rashid Library is the biggest library in the Arab world and summer is the perfect time to explore it, because you’re looking for things to do in indoors. Spanning seven floors, you will find a general library space, a young adults library, a colourful children’s library, a library dedicated to maps and atlases, a media and art library, a business library, an Emirates library, a periodicals library, and the ‘Treasure of the Library’ which features rare items and special collections. Entry to the library is free but you must book a time slot in advance: tiqets.com
Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, Al Jaddaf, Dubai. Monday to Saturday 9am to 9pm. Friday 2pm to 9pm. Sundays closed. 5 years and above. Tel: (0)4 222 2025. @mbrlae
Go on holiday
We mean, this is sort of a given. Summer is the season of holidays, and there’s some pretty great deals that you can bag now to fly with a bang for your buck. If you’re looking to grab a flight and jet away to picturesque locations very soon, this guide to some of the cheapest flights you can book this season may be helpful. Some of the destinations on the list include Bishkek, Ankara, Baku and Sohag, so there’s something for everyone.
Brunch in the twilight hours
This indoor evening brunch is a party and half, with great food, drinks and loads of entertainment to keep you, well, entertained. Northern Chinese haunt Hutong is doing a Dark Brunch to impress every Thursday, and it’s a party and a half. Starting 9pm, indulge in a set menu of starters, dim sum, mains, drinks and a massive dessert platter to share. A resident DJ, performers and drummers, fire-bending stunts and cocktails galore, all starting at Dhs288.
Hutong, DIFC, Dubai, Thursdays, from 9.30pm, Tel: (0) 4 220 0868, @hutongdubai
Race it out with some indoor go-karting
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Chaos Karts, now open in an old warehouse opposite Alserkal Avenue in Al Quoz, is an on-track racing concept that looks and feels very much like Mario Kart IRL. It features industry-leading projection technology to fuse the worlds of go-karting and augmented reality to create a real-life video game that goes beyond 4D and 4K. Go-karting is all the rage, but when the sun is raging down, doing it outdoors might be bit tough. Enter: this indoor track where you can have double the fun.
Al Quoz, next to Al Serkal Avenue, Mon to Wed and Sun 10 am to 10 pm, Fri to Sat 10am to midnight, from Dhs179. chaoskarts.ae
Enjoy the sands and the sea
The first thing everyone thinks of when one says the word ‘summer’ is the beach. Without a doubt, the popularity of beaches increases exponentially during the warmer months, with everyone flocking to the sands to relax, kick back and take a refreshing dip. There are plenty of free beaches in Dubai where you can spend the day chillin’ out, maxin’, relaxin’ all cool and take full advantage of the beach season. Find our full guide to the best free beaches in Dubai here.
Go wakeboarding
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Early risers can take full advantage of the glassy waters by Dubai Marina and get a lesson in wakeboarding from the team at Sea Riders. They’ll take you out by The Palm and crank up the Bob Marley tunes while you take it in turns to cross the wake behind a Master Craft wakeboard boat. This is the perfect by-the-sea on-the-water activity for you and your group, and it’ll be perfect to make use of those early hours when the temperatures are more merciful. Book here.
Marina Mall, Dubai Marina, Dubai, daily 6am to 6pm, starts at Dhs600 per hour. Tel: (0) 52 840 3587, searidersuae.com
Cool off with an ice plunge
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Spots like Contrast Wellness are offering this alternative therapy. The newly opened Contrast, for the very first time, is offering the ice plunge experience, accompanied by a number of other alternative therapies for overall wellness. A first-of-its-kind sauna and ice studio, this is the brainchild of Layla Kardan and Hamdan Al Khafaji, the creative husband-and-wife duo is set to impress us once again, this time with the second stunning wellness concept, from the Palm to City Walk and beyond.
Contrast, C2,City Walk, open 7am to 10pm daily. @contrastwellness
Images: Supplied/Unsplash