Holiday Velvet suggests Self-Catering Family Holidays in Dubai this summer

With accommodation availability and the 'Summer of Surprises' taking place, Holiday Velvet says that Dubai is a good place to take the family this summer. They recommend choosing an apartment in Dubai to rent for your family travel for ease of use and value. Holiday Velvet has over a hundred self-catering apartments in Dubai in their portfolio, the majority clustered around the prestigious Palm and Marina districts and many with family-friendly facilities such as communal pools and gardens. As of mid-June, a four-person holiday apartment in Dubai Marina with a pool could be booked for less than 90 euros per night.

The annual 'Summer of Surprises' event in Dubai (June 17th- August 7th) takes places in various venues across the city. This year 60 million AED has been allocated to this event, which endeavours to present "a spectacular combination of attractions that create a comprehensive holiday package for all visitors and residents in Dubai, " according to Laila Suhail, Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment.

As well as massive discounts and promotions in Dubai's renowned shopping malls and spas, 'Summer of Surprises' 2010 has an excellent programme of family-focussed events.
By far the biggest of these is Modhesh World (until August 7th) held in the Airport Expo building. Modhesh consists of 40 themed areas, including a Magical Forest, a 4D cinema display, an inflatable zone, magic planet zone, and a mini zoo. According to Yousif Mubarak, Chief Operating Officer of the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment, Modhesh World "is synonymous with family entertainment and over the years, it has grown to become a destination in itself, given the fact that it attracted around 500,000 visitors over a span of 65 days in 2009."

Musicals for children are also on the 'Summer of Surprises' agenda. The hugely popular Dora the Explorer will have her own interactive show (in both Spanish and English) at the Mirdiff City Centre July 6 – 21). Stories of Sponge Bob (Dubai Festival City, July 22 – Aug 7) is a play that will re-enact classic scenes from the animation series. For teenagers the West-End productions of Fame, the Musical (Madinat Jumeirah, July 13 – July 17) and Hairspray (DUCTAC, July 13 – July 17) are bound to enthral.

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