On waking up it was eerily quiet, as non-school days always are. I lay in bed and thought about what to do for Eid. DH was in Australia; the teenagers were still sleeping. It would probably be hours before they woke up.
The dog raised her sleepy head, stretched then scampered over. “Hello Bella,” I greeted her, stroking her silly ears. “Fancy the beach today?”
I gave the boys until 10.30am then roused them. My unenthusiastic teenagers lay in their beds like bags of potatoes, looking about as excited about my beach idea as a snail on a salt shaker. You could offer them free tickets to a concert with their favourite band, and they’d probably just shrug and mumble something about it being “fine”. It’s like they’ve already reached their peak enthusiasm in life and it was during the brief period of time they were obsessed with Minecraft or Fortnite.
Urging myself not to feel hurt or rejected, as I must admit I commonly do, I told the dog we were off! She jumped into the car with glee and rode shotgun.
Dubai beaches are not known for being dog-friendly so we drove to another emirate, to the Kite Beach Centre, where it’s all much more relaxed and your furry best friend can join in on the fun and live their best beach life.
Visualise a picturesque beach where the surf is incredible, swings made of tree trunks are a stone’s throw away from the water, canoes are lined up on the sand, and two-story thatched beach huts offer a cozy place to relax while sipping fresh coconut water.
But this beach is not in Bali; it’s located in Umm Al Quwain, a small emirate that’s famous for its family resort, Barracuda. Kite Beach Centre is an ideal weekend retreat for beach lovers, where natural and rustic-style features, typically associated with Indonesian beaches, can be found.
The centre, primarily a kitesurfing school, has been a hit among UAE residents for providing mismatched sun loungers made from sturdy wood planks, which sit beneath traditional thatched beach umbrellas. Visitors can also rent a beach hut for the day, relax on up-cycled doors placed in the sand, or hire kayaks starting from Dhs75 per hour.
A variety of watersports lessons are also available, with kitesurfing and hydrofoiling classes priced at Dhs350 and surf lessons at Dhs100 per person in a group, Dhs150 each for two people, or Dhs200 for a private one-to-one class.
Fitness enthusiasts can enjoy an outdoor ‘Tarzan Gym’ made of wooden machinery while exercising on the sand, with personal training packages available for purchase.
Where else can you find a gym that makes you feel like a monkey while working out on the sand? It’s like Planet of the Apes meets Baywatch, but with less David Hasselhoff and more coconuts.
Beach huts can be rented for eight hours, priced at Dhs250 on weekdays and Dhs350 on weekends. You can also arrange a kayak tour through the mangroves, starting at Dhs160.
Kite Beach Centre Umm Al Quwain, open daily from 6 am to 10 pm, offers access to the beach for Dhs45 for adults and Dhs35 for children on weekdays, and Dhs75 for adults and Dhs45 for children on weekends and holidays (kids under five are always free). Pets are welcome for a fee of Dhs75 per pet.
Visit Kite Beach Centre website here