The Beach at JBR – Things To Do In Dubai

It’s quiet on the white sandy beach except for the soft lapping sound of gentle waves and the laughter of our children playing in the warm water of the Persian Gulf. B and I sat near the water’s edge, toes dug deep into the softest soft sand, completely relaxed, as we watched a rainbow of bright lights come to life on yachts, bridges and buildings all around us at sunset. Dubai bliss!

Floating Obstacle Course at JBR Beach

We arrived at The Beach early morning so that the kids could slip, slide, splash, gain a few cuts (yip, but they didn’t complain too much) and provide me with my daily dose of belly laughs before the sun got too hot.

This twenty-two-meter long floating obstacle course is only a very short swim from the beach. Once you’ve paid about £25 per child and £30 per adult for a day pass and grabbed a life jacket, you’re free to enjoy the ‘wipe-out’ zone all day.

It was Brendan’s turn to join our older kids, Matt and Megs, on the floating island while I relaxed in the gentle child-friendly waves of the warm gulf sea with little Milly. She’s too young to go on it and besides, I had my turn trying to keep up on a floating obstacle course on the lake at Cotswold Country Park Lake & Beach earlier this year. For me, it was seriously fun, but exhausting.

As long as your children are good confident swimmers, they will be able to enjoy it and you won’t have to worry about them. Vigilant lifeguards are stationed all over the platform at strategic points. They use loud sharp whistles to keep things under control and communicate with swimmers.

According to the Aquafun website, JBR Dubai boasts the largest floating waterpark in the world with over seventy-two obstacles!

During the warmest part of the day, we went to another of Dubai’s top attractions, The Frame, and still had enough time to return to JBR at about five pm. This allowed us to enjoy a spectacular sunset and another hour of floating island fun before it closed at 6 pm. Once you’ve returned the life jackets jump back in the warm waves for more of our favourite thing to do in Dubai; night swimming!

Night swimming

The perfect way to end a day in Dubai; watching the sunset over the silhouettes of our happy kids, swimming with them until it’s almost too dark to see and it’s way past their bedtime. Late nights are not a big problem on holiday in Dubai, because mornings can be slow and lazy unless you have early-morning plans or tours booked for the next day.

Night swimming became a highlight of each day and it’s the thing we miss the most about Dubai now that we’re back in England. It’s not something I’ve ever done. Not even in South Africa, where we originally come from, where we grew up near the beach and probably learned to swim in the sea before we could walk! But at night, the beach at JBR Dubai calms down. It goes quiet, peaceful even, and you don’t want to stop relaxing in the warm sea.

On the first day back in England, just as it got dark after 4 pm, little Milly casually announced, “I’m ready to go to the beach now Mommy”. Well, a lot of explaining followed as you can imagine, her three-year-old mind unable to comprehend why, after only one sleep back in her own bed, we couldn’t just stroll down to the beach like we did all week for our nightly swim.

Slow mornings, a serviced aparthotel, delicious food options and entertainment on our doorstep. A perfect beach with warm water a big variety of activities and facilities on offer with world-class malls a short train ride away. All that is topped off with bright sunny days.

We all agreed that we could live like that.

Much More To Do At JBR Dubai

Adventurous souls can skydive over the iconic Palm Jumeirah or dine in The Flying Cup 40 meters high with your feet dangling free while you get a 360 degree view of JBR. We did not do these ourselves, but we enjoyed watching the skydivers swoop overhead and the colourfully lit Flying Cup going up and down behind us while we sat on the beach or waded in the water. You can enjoy a sunset camel ride on the beach or take a banana boat ride or let the kids ride in a choo-choo.

You can find a list of things to do on The Beach and prices for everything from hiring daybeds and sunbeds to adrenaline-fueled water activities HERE.

Safe, Clean and Good Facilities

Yes, it’s safe and clean. We actually saw someone scrubbing the grout between the plaza tiles one morning!

Apart from a few bits of rubbish that the kids fished out of the sea, the rest of the area is spotless. Recycling bins are clearly displayed and visible all around JBR Dubai, but it’s unfortunately up to people to use them.

We were happy to find well-maintained restrooms, baby changing facilities, showers, etc., at The Beach.

Final Thoughts

There were no crowds during our stay in late October, but we found ut was quieter in the evening than early morning. If you forget your towel, you can always rent one for the day, but don’t forget hats and sunscreen.

We suggest that you stay at one of the hotels in the Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) area to make the most of what’s on offer. Everything you need or want is on your doorstep.

You can stay and play at JBR Dubai for weeks without having to or wanting to go anywhere. It’s great for all types of visitors from solo travellers to groups, for couples, professionals and especially for families and we just loved it.

We will be back JBR Dubai!

Check here to find accommodation.

VIDEO – YOUTUBE VLOG JBR BEACH

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This is not a sponsored post. We paid for the trip and all excursions in full and all opinions are 100% my own. Prices and general info are correct at time of publishing, but please check relevant websites for updated information.

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