Dubai is thought of as a modern metropolis...but a very very hot one...would it be suitable for taking a baby? Would our little one be ok in that stifling heat when he isn't used to it?
This was our first overseas trip with a baby and we were a little bit nervous about how it would go. Master H was 6 months old at the time. We were en route to Scotland and it seemed like a good place to stop and give it a go. We were traveling in July so one of the hottest months in Dubai.
What we took to Dubai for our baby:
- A Portacot and a Safe T Sleep - We took our portacot and had a safeTsleep just in case we needed it. The safe t sleep was so Master H could be put in a single bed if necessary somewhere on our travels. It turns out taking the safe t sleep was a great idea as as on our first stop in Brisbane, the porta cot had gotten lost in the luggage! Thumbs up to me for remembering the safe t sleep! However neither were actually needed in Dubai as our hotel provided a cot.
- Baby Food - We took some organic baby food pouches, although there is no problem in getting baby food in Dubai.
- Water Sterilizing tabs - We took water sterilizing tablets to clean bottles, we only drank bottled water in Dubai.
- Baby Formula - We took enough formula to last the trip although there was no problem buying formula in Dubai. Master H was still mainly breastfed at this time although he had just started on one top up formula bottle a day.
- Stroller - We took our Baby Jogger stroller which has a great hood for shade and ventilation at the back of the stroller for air flow.
- Baby sunglasses - These came in handy as it so very bright and sunny in Dubai.
Carseats in Dubai
I was very nervous about whether to take a carseat, and we debated for a long while over this and in the end decided not to take one. After doing some research it looked like The Dubai Taxi Company provide car seats on request which made me feel more at ease. We had also arranged for the hotel to pick us up from the airport in the hotel mini van with a car seat for our baby. I would love to say this all went to plan but it didn’t... the hotel pick up came without a car seat, so I had to hold Master H in the back of the car which I was a little nervous about. We tried a couple of times to arrange a taxi with a carseat, but unfortunately it just didn't happen. They would always arrive without a car seat. This was quite frustrating, we always arranged taxi's via the hotel so it shouldn't of been due to any language barrier. On our final day when we were leaving for the airport we had arranged and confirmed twice that we had a taxi with a car seat coming, the taxi pulled up and it had a car seat! Hurrah! Success! But as he pulled the car seat out we were disappointed to see that it was a booster seat for an older child. Not quite suitable for a 6 month old baby..... So that was our experience with car seats folks, I’m sure other tourists may have of been able to get of hold of one, but for some reason a car seat was not to be for us on our Dubai trip. But hey we survived and all was well....
Breastfeeding in Dubai
Breastfeeding in public in Dubai is not a problem as long as it is done discreetly. I generally tried to time it so that Master H was mainly fed in the hotel but I did breastfeed discreetly in a cafe when I had to and did not feel uncomfortable. The main malls and airport all have very comfortable private baby changing areas where you can comfortably breastfeed in an armchair.
What to wear in Dubai
Dubai is part of the United Arab Emirates where Islam is the one state religion. To respect their muslim culture I tended to wear light loose fitting clothes that were cool in the heat but were modest and always had my shoulders covered. However we did see plenty of westerners in strappy dress and singlets and I’m sure they were fine I personally feel more comfortable dressing to respect the customs of the country I’m visiting. There are signs up in the mall’s saying please dress modestly.
I hope you find these tips helpful for traveling to Dubai with your little ones. Yes that's Master H (covered in pram and asleep) and me in the picture above hiding in a small piece of shade, it was hot!
Note: This trip was done in 2015