A Timeless Journey of Joy: Amit's Family Trip to Dubai with Thrillophilia

"Dubai, A Whole New You…" said Saif and Sara Ali Khan as the commercial for Dubai Tourism concluded. This was after a really long time that I watched an entire ad willingly. We live in times when ads have become a huge part of our entertainment and most of us choose to skip them.

Well, I'm glad I didn't skip this one when it showed up on my laptop.

Riding roller coasters, enjoying lunch along the coastline facing Burj Al Arab, watching Palm Island from a sky deck - all of it felt so fascinating. I was particularly amazed by the scene where the duo visits 'The View at The Palm' and admires the view of Palm Jumeirah.

I had been planning a vacation with my family for a couple of weeks.

Looking at my little one, I announced “We’re going to Dubai for a vacation!”, his eyes sparked with joy. He immediately ran to my wife and elder son, to share the news. Our living room burst into cheers and giggles. My wife started thinking about the breathtaking attractions we'd see, while my elder son started listing all the activities we could try.

While at work last month, I came across a LinkedIn post about Thrillophilia, a travel agency that holds an official partnership with the Dubai Tourism Board. That made me think, why not book our trip with an agency that works with the official tourism board of the nation? So I checked a few packages on their website, following which Pankaj & Kaushlendra, destination experts from Thrillophilia, connected with me for the trip.

From there onwards, everything was a piece of cake, as they took care of all aspects. From our specific preferences related to attractions, and popular activities, to transfers - they crafted the perfect itinerary. They even delivered all the vouchers for activities in advance, which I found to be super convenient.

At the Crossroads of Modern Grace and Historic Beauty

We kickstarted our journey with a half-day tour of Dubai where we got a chance to see several places. To be honest, it's difficult to say which attractions impressed me the most. My little one was particularly fascinated by Jumeirah Beach, as it was his first time at a beach. My wife, being a shopping enthusiast, loved the Mall of Emirates and the Dubai Mall.

"I really wish we never left the mall...ever," she said.

We also enjoyed a delicious brunch at the coast, from where we could also admire the Burj Al Arab Hotel. Following this, our expert guide took us to Jumeirah Mosque. According to him, the mosque could host around 1,200 worshippers at a time. Its historic architecture looked so fabulous that we couldn't help but click many selfies.

This was just the beginning, the next on our list was the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo. The excitement of the kids went through the roof when they saw creatures like sharks and rays in the aquarium. To add to our amazement, there were several exhibits throughout the site that offered unique information about aquatic life.

Right after we completed the aquarium tour, our guide approached us and asked, "Are you ready for it?"

"One Hundred Percent," I said, realizing that we were now headed for the iconic Burj Khalifa.

My family looked at me all confused, hoping for me to reveal the next stop. But I didn't, I wanted to see their delightful faces when we would stand in front of the stunning tower. I was so engrossed in that thought that I didn't realize that my jaw dropped too when we saw it for the first time. That was a hilarious moment for all of us, including the guide who couldn't stop laughing.

In the evening, we were taken for the Marina Dhow Cruise, one of the activities that we were the most excited about. Our guide told us many unique facts related to the Dhow, which was a traditional Arabic boat. As we sailed around in it, enjoying a delicious dinner buffet, we got a chance to look at Dubai's skyline under the starry skies.

My kids went head over heels as they watched the professional dancers perform live during the Tanoura Show.

The 'D' in Dubai stands for a 'Delightfully Diverse Destination'

After visiting places like an underwater zoo, and the tallest building in the world, it was time for some thrilling fun.

Thanks to my elder son, we also had Desert Safari included in our package. We had a great time surfing the dunes as we tried sandboarding, dune-bashing, and even enjoyed a BBQ dinner accompanied by live performances.

Then came the turn for what I'd been waiting for the most since the beginning of the tour - View at the Palm. I never thought the actual view would be even more breathtaking than what I saw in the commercial back home.

"The level of innovation that humans have achieved is commendable," I thought to myself, as I noticed everyone around just couldn't take their eyes off the views. As I gave my phone to the older one to capture some pictures of me with my better half, I heard the little one say:

"Papa hum Ferrari World kab chalenge?"

Not making him wait anymore, we summed up our photo session quickly and headed for a visit to the amusement park. It was during our visit to the Ferrari World that I realized that our little one was an adventure enthusiast. We tried many thrilling rides and also watched the 'Ferrari World Show', which was an amazing live performance by a group of artists.

D.U.B.A.I. (Destination Uniting Beauty, Art, and Innovation)

Overall, our family trip to Dubai was unforgettable, and even after a week-long vacation, we were left wanting for more. All thanks to Pankaj & Kaushlendra from Thrillophilia, who crafted an outstanding itinerary. I believe we'll be soon planning another trip to Dubai, as there is still so much left to explore!

Thank you, Dubai…

For you, a thousand times over!