Travelling with Kids: being ill isn't the end of a Fujairah holiday


Alice Haine
  • English
  • Arabic

As we drove towards our hotel in Fujairah, it was clear that all was not well on the back seat. I could see the luggage, scooters, beach bag and everything else you could possibly need for a weekend away with children, piled high in the boot. But rather than being forced to listen to my offspring's constant calls of "Are we there yet?" all I could hear was the gentle rumble of snoring.

My five-year-old daughter, who sadly gave up afternoon napping some time ago, was comatose on the back seat, having passed out within seconds of driving off. My two-year-old, son, who still indulges in a nap every so often, was also in a deep slumber and so, for once, we drove in blissful silence. But we knew what was to come.

Because, for some unknown reason, every time my family goes away for a weekend, it magically ties in with the children picking up the latest virus circling the UAE. This time, as we were to discover later, they were suffering from "silent tonsillitis", a nasty illness with high temperatures, vomiting and an endless desire for sleep.

But rather than turn the car around and head straight home, we drove on, safe in the knowledge that the Calpol and anti-sickness medication were already packed in preparation for such an occurrence.

Although being away from home with a sick child might panic some parents, we find it easier. We discovered this four years ago when, during a weekend break, our daughter picked up a stomach bug and we called out a doctor. Rather than tell us to head home, the doctor encouraged us to stay on at the hotel. "It will be easier for you," she said.

And she was right. When the vomiting stopped, we headed out for a revitalising walk along the beach. My husband and I took it in turns to swim in the pool while the other rested inside with the poorly one and we ordered room service for dinner and went to bed early. By the end of the trip we were incredibly well rested; the hotel kitchen cooked all our meals and the room attendant cleaned the room. With the domestic duties taken care of, we had nothing to do apart from relax and nurse our sickly daughter, who delighted in having both her parents doting on her every need.

Back in Fujairah last month, we followed the same routine. The children picked at their food, ran around on the beach when they felt up to it and slept for hours on end. Once again, with everything done for us, all we had to worry about was looking after them and indulging in some much-needed rest ourselves. As any permanently exhausted parent will appreciate, it doesn't take much to encourage us to indulge in a daytime nap. That's something I would pay for over and over again.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

Name: Brendalle Belaza

From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines

Arrived in the UAE: 2007

Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus

Favourite photography style: Street photography

Favourite book: Harry Potter

Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

England Test squad

Ben Stokes (captain), Joe Root, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts

 
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile

Started: 2016

Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel 

Based: Ramallah, Palestine

Sector: Technology, Security

# of staff: 13

Investment: $745,000

Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

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Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

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