Next to Aquaventure water park at the vast Atlantis Resort, Dolphin Bay offers the chance to spend some time in the water with the resort’s resident bottle-nose dolphins. Shallow-water “Dolphin Encounters” (30min; from 695dh) are open to all ages, including non-swimmers. Alternatively, there are also deep-water “Dolphin Adventure” and “Royal Swim” packages (30min; ages 8 and above only) – the latter includes the...

Next to Gate #1 at Creek Park, Dubai’s state-of-the-art new dolphinarium hosts twice-daily shows in its spacious modern auditorium. Starring the centre’s three resident bottlenose dolphins accompanied by four seals, shows feature all the usual watery wildlife antics and acrobatics, with the obligatory jumping through hoops and flipping of balls. Cheesy, but a guaranteed hit amongst younger kids (and perhaps...

Nature enthusiasts have pretty slim pickings in Dubai – which makes Ras al Khor (“Head of the Creek”) Wildlife Sanctuary as welcome as it is unexpected. Ras al Khor protects an extensive inland lagoon dotted with mangroves and surrounded by intertidal salt- and mud-flats – the one and only area of completely unspoilt nature this close to the city centre....

One of Dubai’s kookiest attractions, The Lost Chambers occupy part of the vast underground aquarium at the Atlantis resort, a sequence halls and tunnels, dotted with assorted “ruins” and looking like something out of a Lara Croft movie. According to hotel publicity, these are no less that original ruins of the legendary city of Atlantis – last seen (according to...