Top 10 daycations in Dubai

The early bird catches the worm. Cliché? Maybe, but it’s true. Head to Riva Beach Club, Palm Jumeirah by 7am and indulge in watersports including kayaking and paddleboarding (Dh125 for an hour’s session). Take a stroll by the beach and enjoy the cool morning breeze to work up your appetite, then grab a bite at Sophie’s, a gastro-café serving healthy organic options. It opens at 7.30am and offers amazing fresh coffee, squeezed juices and organic tea blends.

Have your cuppa with smoked salmon and cream cheese on toasted granary bread, freshly cooked pancakes topped with syrup or hot French toast. Then reappear into the midmorning sun and take refuge on a lounger where you can relax by the shore, read or enjoy the stunning views of the Burj Al Arab, while your kids take a dip in the children’s pool.

For lunch, check out Riva Ristorante, Bar & Beach’s delicious new menu – a wide selection of treats including salads, tartares, risottos, pastas and pizzas (from Dh300 for a three-course à la carte meal) on offer. Top up the tan or splash in the sea for the ultimate family fun day. Dh175 (weekends) and Dh100 (weekdays) for a personal sun lounger and access to all the facilities, including newly renovated pool and steam rooms. Call 04 4309466 or visit www.riva-beach.com.

Get your dose of culture at the Ritz Carlton, the chic hotel for arty as well as party types. It has an incredible 130 pieces of artwork from international artists. To make it more interesting, turn it into a competition among your friends or family members and see who will be the first one to locate the 25 sculptures on display around the hotel.

After, head to the rooftop – you can spend the whole day lounging by the infinity pool for Dh100 (weekdays) and Dh150 (weekends). When hunger strikes, try the Café Belge brunch (from Dh295 including soft drinks every Friday from 12.30-4.30pm). Enjoy your Belgian hors d’oeuvres and yummy desserts while listening to jazz.

Then treat yourself to a relaxing spa treatment. We recommend the Autumn Bliss, a 90-minute journey that begins with a rose hydrating cocoon, which uses rose essence serum, oil and cream. This is followed by a customised aroma facial, using personalised Aromatherapy Associates products for soft, radiant skin. (Dh695 for 90 minutes throughout October, the regular price is Dh990). Call 04 372 2222 or visit www.ritzcarlton.com.

Why spend your daycation in one gorgeous hotel when you can visit three? Sleep late on a Saturday then make your way to Al Badia Golf Club Dubai Festival City for a picnic brunch (Dh275 per person including soft drinks), which starts at 11.30am.

Lounge on the lawn overlooking the golf course and enjoy cold cuts, breads and cheese. Later, perfect your putting and try to get nine or 18 holes.

It’s Dh495 per person from morning until 15.20pm (call 04 601 0101). After all that fresh air, fuel up at Belgian Café, Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival City (restaurantreservation.dfc@ihg.com).

Every Saturday its King of Prawns night, where you can feast on 1kg grilled king tiger prawns, garlic bread, mixed salad and Belgian fries for Dh220 per person. Next enjoy a pampering session at Spa InterContinental at InterContinental Dubai Festival City. Try the Cooling splash, a 60-minute Signature Espa massage that uses infusions of peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils to relive stress and a 15-minute head massage (Dh420 for 75 minutes, email spa.icdfc@ihg.com).

Make the most of your day at this luxurious Arabian resort on the coast by starting with a climbing challenge at the 6.4m rock climbing wall (Dh70 per person for one hour). With your adrenaline pumping, next try watersports like windsurfing, sailing or waterskiing along 2km of pristine private beach.

Kempinski Mall of the Emirates

Afterwards you can indulge in some serious retail therapy at the mall’s fashion dome, which houses coveted brands such as Dior, Gucci and Giorgio Armani, before heading back to the luxurious Kempinski to rest your tired feet over afternoon tea (Dh150 per person) at Aspen by Kempinski café.

Experience the wonders of the Dead Sea, the lowest and saltiest spot on earth, without leaving Dubai. Treat yourself to a Saray Signature Dead Sea Journey (Dh995 for 135 minutes) at Saray Spa. Located in the world’s tallest hotel, the JW Marriot Marquis, the spa has a floatation pool that’s filled with nutrient-rich earth and salts from the Dead Sea.

As the weather is getting cooler why not plan a lazy weekend barbecue lunch at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina? Get there early and take your children to the complimentary Penguin Club, where they will be entertained with art and crafts activities as well as beach games including basketball.

You’re then free to hire a speedboat and zoom around the spectacular coastline. Head to the barbecue, get a table on the terrace and enjoy stunning views of the Arabian Gulf while devouring a succulent steak. The ribs are also good; smokey and natural or flavoured with a sweet or tangy sauce. They’re served with rice and steamed vegetables. After lunch kick back and unwind on the beach.

Or you could enjoy a relaxing foot soak at Heavenly Spa. The treat begins by exfoliating skin with an almond oil and olive grain scrub. A moisturiser is then gently massaged on to the skin, leaving it supple and smooth (Dh155 for 30 minutes). Lunch is served from 1pm to 4pm every Friday and Saturday. Beach access on weekends plus barbecue lunch Dh425 (adults) and Dh225 (children aged between four and 12). Call 04 399 3333, email service.01895@lemeridien.com or visit www.westinminaseyahi.com/en/dubai-resort-jumeirah-beach.

Round up your family for an exciting day at Anantara Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa. Leave your little ones aged between three and 12 at the Tuk Tuk Kids’ Club for arts and craft sessions, painting and sand castle building. Teenagers are well catered for, too, at the Chill Teens Club, where they can play a game of table football, air hockey or pool. Alternatively they can indulge in virtual gaming on a PlayStation.

Grown-ups can engage in healthy activities like a round of tennis (Dh100 per hour, per court) before regrouping for a family brunch at Crescendo (Dh300 per person including soft drinks). After feasting on treats from the buffet, you can savour the Mexican version of shawarma with the Tacos Al Pastor.

After that adrenaline-pumping start to the day, top up your tan then enjoy a picnic lunch. Feast on freshly baked breads, buns and brioche; cheeses and chutneys; smoked salmon and cold cuts, and fruit from the Zero Gravity hamper.

The cabana (Dh500 on weekdays, Dh750 weekends), which can accommodate two adults and two children, comes with a fruit platter and two bottles of Acqua Panna water. With your day pass you also get access to the outdoor infinity swimming pool, outdoor jacuzzi, kids’ pool and the gym.

For lunch, enjoy a delicious three-course meal (from Dh300 per person) at Sur Mer, a Mediterranean restaurant that serves amazing seafood including zucchini salad, toasted almonds and Parmesan cheese fritter for starters, plus monk fish, smoked salmon and grilled tiger prawns, and a smattering of meat dishes using duck, lamb and veal.