Dubai

Awful place. If you want to visit that region Oman is a beautiful friendly country. A hotel being 'posh 'would not be on my list.

Posh hotels not their bag either. theirs either. It was just the desert bit that looked interesting. Plus it seems like quite a safe place to go to as they don’t want to go to Egypt. New Zealand/ Australia is too far for a week.

No because it seems overpriced. Used to live in Kuwait with my parents and later married an Arab and lived there together. He wasn’t Kuwaiti and it didn’t suit us. Married 41 years now. He’s never ridden on a camel but I have.

Wouldn’t be my choice of holiday venue due to their laws and poor attitude to women’s rights. Just my opinion.

So where would anyone suggest going to in February for a week that’s not too far but not too close either that would include activities for teenagers and is safe. It’s such a turbulent world at the moment and even places like Finland are rather close to Russia. Iceland is wonderful but they’ve done that.

I went to Morocco for a week in February a few years ago and enjoyed it. You could have a desert experience and various other outings like Marrakech. It was a package to Agadir. Not sure what the current situation is there but safer than some other places, I think. Not expensive.

Just checked and package trips to Morocco are available currently, so it must be safe. Essaouira seems a nice place to stay - we stopped there for a few hours on our trip.

MayBee70

So where would anyone suggest going to in February for a week that’s not too far but not too close either that would include activities for teenagers and is safe. It’s such a turbulent world at the moment and even places like Finland are rather close to Russia. Iceland is wonderful but they’ve done that.

We’re going to Florida, end of Feb, we had cancelled airline tickets to use. Cost will be a concern because of the exchange rate, it won’t stop us enjoying the trip and it will be warm.

I have been to Dubai.

Hotels and service are both excellent.

There are lots of trips to go on into the desert, either by camel or jeep with or without overnight stays.

There is a massive indoor snow dome where you can ski, there is a water park in one of the shopping malls, both great fun for teens.

If you can get over the appalling human rights and are willing to adhere to their customs and laws it’s a good place for a holiday with teens.

I’ve been to Dubai, and really enjoyed it - there is loads to see, the cable route is great, the Burj Khalifa is awe inspiring, and there’s an interesting old town too. I agree with GrannyGravy that teens love it, mine did - just make sure the hotel has a good swimming pool complex as you definitely need wind down time too.

I’ve been to Dubai very recently to break a long journey from Australia. For us, it was fine as we stayed less than a week, the hotels are very upmarket with everything you need. The infrastructure runs like clockwork too. The airport was huge but well run with staff everywhere willing to help. Our hotel was on the palm and it was lovely. We would go back.

Just wanted to add, we’ve stayed in several Caribbean countries too for winter sun. Dubai is much better value for money with modern hotels and excellent service in them. We won’t return to the Caribbean again, just head for Dubai.

I quite liked it. We spent a week there and in the evening went on a boat round the harbour. During the day we used the hop on hop off buses. We wanted to go up the burj Khalifa but it cost a fortune so we just gazed at it. You can go on trips to the desert etc. We came across an American from the Deep South who worked there, fascinating man not like anyone we had met before. The only thing I wasn’t keen on was you couldn’t really walk in the open, too hot but I expect we went at the wrong time of the year.

Thanks everyone. They did consider Morocco but it’s the safety aspect that’s paramount. And they’ve got a teenager that found the Caribbean boring. There seems to be so much to do in Dubai given that they’ll only have a few days there.

Dubai is pretty soulless. A totally artificial place just constructed for and by money. Human rights situation is awful. I'd not want them to have a pound of mine.

I wouldn't go there, if you paid me! I am in total agreement with Aveline

It might be soulless, artificial and constructed by money although how else they’d do it isn’t that clear to me.
However, for lux hotels, lots to do if you want it or not, excellent service, clean, good infrastructure where things actually run on time and, last but not least, it’s sunny!

For us it suited our needs and it seems to suit thousands of other people from various nationalities there at the same time.

Funnily enough, the only other person who said similar negative comments to me on the phone had never been there and couldn’t afford to anyway.

I've never been there but also agree with Aveline sounds unbelievably souless, from what I read it's hard to think there would be anything redeeming about such a place. I suppose if you don't give a damn about how the migrant workers are treated you love wall to wall shopping malls selling designer paraphernalia, intense heat and don't want to see anything cultural, it must be ideal. Although I believe I've read about people being arrested for kissing someone in public they aren't married to.

We are a very socially aware family and I’m a bit taken aback by some of the comments to be honest. It’s just that they that there aren’t many places you can go to for a week in February that would keep two teenage boys amused and I thought a trip to the desert would be quite an experience. And, as I’ve pointed out it has to be somewhere safe and, in the current climate that rules out a lot of places.

Ignore it MayBee70, I don’t understand why people who haven’t been there feel it’s necessary to moralise and pass judgement on what it’s like.

I guess it depends on how long a flight you want. I think Costa Rica sounds very appealing, loads of eco tours,some on zip wires, through the tree tops which I imagine teenagers would love. Amazing flora and fauna. It's the one safe place in central America, Although I haven't been there, we were thinking about it then Covid took off, so shelved the idea. The people I know who have been there loved it. We did go to Mexico in December though and the temperature was very nice then.

I do not think we have passed judgment on what Dubai is like, but it needs to be remembered that almost all the gulf states, including, especially, Saudi Arabia have oppressive rules governing women's lives and are even more hostile to anyone who is not heterosexual.

They all have records of the arbitary arrest and torture, of trials without due process of law and a total contempt for anyone who is not a fellow arab. this is why immigrant labour is treated so badly and so many Europeans find themselves charged with crimes that are never properly defined and then left for months and years unable to leave the country or do anything else.

These states know that their wealth, as oil nations, is going to die over the next 30 years. That is why they they are investing massively in the tourism industry. They need your money.

If you are happy to condone these regimes and contribute to the total lack of human rights, just to give 2 teenage boys a holiday in the un, then go ahead.

We went to Jordan a few years ago and had a wonderful time, going out in the desert, visiting Petra and having a holiday by - and in the sea at Aqaba. The Foreign Office consider it a safe place to go. It will be a shorter air journey, so lower emissions.

Casdon

Ignore it MayBee70, I don’t understand why people who haven’t been there feel it’s necessary to moralise and pass judgement on what it’s like.

The question was asked- so why should people not give their opinion. Like Aveline and others, I wouldn't go there if you paid me. You don't have to have visited to know how soulless and artificial it is and about human rights. And what an ecological disaster it is too.

Sorry Maybe- it is a 100% no from me.

Monica I second Jordan, we went there with a teenager who thoroughly enjoyed it.

Petra is absolutely spectacular, even more so if the teenagers are Indiana Jones fans.