Because you don’t just want to hide inside your apartment for four days straight…
Well, or perhaps you do (we won’t judge, we’re Netflix’s biggest customers) but still, with a long weekend looming you probably should get out of the house at least once.
However with temperatures nudging the 40+ degrees Celsius mark in the UAE (yikes), your options for activities are rather limited.
A stroll in the park? No, thanks. A leisurely bike ride? Cripes, no. A sunbathe on the beach? Absolutely not.
Read:
There Are Heaps Of Free Yoga Classes Happening In Dubai This Week
Five Last-Minute Staycations To Spoil Yourself With Over Eid
But there are a few things you can do that’ll keep you entertained without inducing heatstroke (spoiler: several of these involve being submerged in water).
So, with no further ado, here are six ideas for keeping cool over the Eid weekend…
Hit the pool
No, you shouldn’t spend too much time in the sun, with its harmful rays and skin-frying abilities – but you also need to keep those vitamin D levels topped up (so many Emirates residents have a real deficiency). The heat becomes manageable – for safe 30-minute or so sessions – when you’re up to your shoulders in cool water, which is what you’ll find at Zero Gravity this weekend. The Dubai beach club beloved by Justin Bieber is opening up its beach and swimming pool for day-to-night celebrations, featuring live DJs and plenty of food and drinks.
Zero Gravity, Dubai Marina, Skydive Dubai Drop Zone, Al Sufouh Road. Sunday 25 and Monday 26, 10am to 3am. Entry is Dhs200 per person (Dhs150 is redeemable against food and drink). Tel: (04) 399 0009. 0-gravity.ae.
Get a cooling treatment
If venturing outdoors is too much for you (we definitely feel your pain), this soothing full-body treatment should help take the sting out of the summer’s heat. Fairmont The Palm’s Willow Stream spa has just introduced the Summer Refresher package, a Dhs400 offer that includes a cooling aloe and lavender body wrap followed by an express facial. If a treatment isn’t your thing, you can also get day access to the hotel’s pool, spa and beach facilities for Dhs250 per person over the Eid weekend.
Willow Stream Spa, Fairmont The Palm, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, open 9am to 10pm daily. Tel: (04) 457 3545. fairmont.com.
Splash on the slides
Sure, it’s bordering on too hot for the theme parks – but at least at a water-based one, you’re guaranteed some cool-off time. The capital’s Yas Waterworld is putting on a week of Eid-themed activities from June 25 to July 1, with live music and competitions on throughout the period. The mega waterpark’s 40+ rides and attractions will also be open, with tickets going for Dhs185 per person if you book online.
Yas Waterworld, Leisure Drive, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, open 10am to 8pm. Tel: (02) 496 8008. yaswaterworld.com.
Take it sub-zero
Outside might be hovering around the 45C mark, so why not take it to the other extreme? Chillout, which became the first ice lounge in the Middle East when it opened in 2007, definitely won’t leave you sweating with its ice sculptures and ice seating. Customers are given thermal clothes on arrival to help them brave the -6C temperature inside, and can then warm up with a hearty soup or hot chocolate (as well as other food and drink options) as they take in the fairytale scenes.
Chillout Ice Lounge, Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, open 10am to 10pm Sat to Wed, 10am to 12am Thur to Fri. Entry is Dhs75 for adults and Dhs35 for children, includes one welcome drinkTel: (04) 341 8121. chilloutindubai.com.
And then some…
Does -6C sound too tame for you? How about -140C? Yes, that’s what you could be blasted with at a cryotherapy session, a new-age treatment that exposes the face and/or body to freezing temperatures to add muscle recovery, boost collagen and speeding up your metabolism. It only lasts for a few minutes (though the effects will last a lot longer), but stepping out into the humid Dubai heat might even feel like a treat after one of these…
CRYO Health, Locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. cryo.com.
A luxe lounge around the pool
If you want to treat yourself to a full day of relaxing, the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray on the Palm Jumeirah has a special summer package that might just fit the bill. For Dhs590 per person, you’ll get beach, spa and pool access (and the above picture does look rather tempting indeed) as well as a 45-minute hammam or massage, plus a set-menu lunch at Sultan’s Lounge Private Dining Room. So grab your book and sunnies and laze the day away.
Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, from 9am daily. Dhs590 per person, offer valid until August 31. Tel: (04) 453 0456. jumeirah.com.
