Of Laughter and Satire- Arun’s Heartwarming Family trip to Dubai
As winter crept in, the Kumar household buzzed with excitement. It was that time of the year again—annual vacation planning. Armed with a jar and slips of paper, each family member scribbled down their dream destination, pretending they weren’t trying to rig the vote.
A week later, Mrs Kumar dramatically pulled a chit from the jar. “Dubai!” she announced, grinning like she had just won the lottery.
The kids erupted in cheers. “We’re going to see the Burj Khalifa and ride camels!” Meanwhile, the elder sibling smugly whispered, “I wrote Dubai on all the chits.” To this, Arun quickly got busy booking a surprise-packed itinerary, quietly muttering, “This better be worth it”
A timeline of laughs
Three weeks later, the Kumars landed in Dubai, their excitement rivalling a Bollywood movie climax. They kicked things off with a Dhow Cruise along Dubai Marina. The kids were more interested in the dessert table than the skyline, but Mrs Kumar managed to keep them seated long enough for a photo with the glittering Burj Khalifa in the background.
Dinner was a buffet of authentic dishes, which the kids described as “weird but tasty.” Arun, however, was too busy swaying to the live music to care. The evening ended with everyone attempting to dance, some succeeding with graceful moves while some ended up looking like cartoons.
The next day, it was time for the much-anticipated Desert Safari. As the 4x4 jeep roared over the dunes, the kids screamed, “This is better than Disneyland!”
The evening brought quad biking, sandboarding, and live performances. The family admired the belly dance and Tanoura fire performances, and the BBQ dinner under the stars was interrupted by the kids arguing over who saw the most shooting stars.
Their exploration of the Miracles Garden and the Dubai Global Village was a relaxing cakewalk. Soaking in the sunshine and licking on ice cream, the family admired the beautiful flowers of the gardens and brought way too many Middle Eastern spices from the Global Village. The spices knew their fate would be to get stuffed in the corner of a kitchen shelf forever, and the ice cream showed its charm by offering the family with itchy throats and rough coughs.
Iconic Missteps in Iconic Locations
The following day, they visited the Burj Khalifa. As the elevator zoomed up, the kids debated whether the buildings below looked like Legos or chocolates.
“Can you both stop leaning on the glass before we get banned from here?” Mrs. Kumar snapped.
Meanwhile, Arun was busy capturing a sunset timelapse, which he later realised featured his thumb prominently in the frame.
At the Dubai Frame, the family marvelled at the contrast between old and new Dubai. The kids bombarded the guide with questions like, “How much would it cost to buy the whole city?” while Arun whispered to the guide, “How do you stay sane answering these questions every day?”
Next up, they headed out for the Atlantis Aquaventure Waterpark & Lost Chamber Aquarium, which was their best bid to watch some unique marine life in the heart of the Arabian desert. As they reached there, they were proven wrong. Little did they know that the Arabian Sea was as significant for world ecology as the Arabian desert.
The kids pressed their faces against the glass walls of the water tanks, watching the sharks and rays gliding side by like friends. The sight shocked them to the core, and they went to their mother to ask why the shark was not eating the ray. Clueless as to what to answer them, she simply said, “They are the same as Tom and Jerry, now go off into the tunnel you can see whales and turtles there.”
Ferrari Frenzy and Shenanigans
At Ferrari World, the family’s competitive streak came out.
Mr. Kumar’s face on the Formula Rossa roller coaster photo was pure meme material, and the kids wouldn’t stop laughing about it. The stunt show left everyone awestruck, though she kept saying how dangerous it looked.
As the family boarded their flight home, their suitcases were bursting with souvenirs and their hearts with laughter. They had gone over to the old city to walk the souks and collect some good souvenirs for their relatives back home. Although it was a thoughtful gesture, the luggage weight limit had perhaps skipped their minds.
After checking in to the airport, the harsh reality hit them as they had to pay extra for boarding the luggage. Mr. Sharma, in a rare moment of reflection, said, “This trip was worth every penny.”
Their feedback to Thrillophilia was glowing, ending with a heartfelt note: “You made our trip unforgettable, and yes, we’ll be back…and this time, we will stay for a longer time.
The Kumars returned home with stories that would keep their friends entertained for months—and a new family rule: “No rigging the vacation jar!”
Read More: Thrillophilia Dubai Reviews