Dubai is often described as a playground for adults – with the great restaurants, pretty beaches, and nightclubs – but it is actually surprisingly kid-friendly, too. A desert city that builds an indoor ski slope has to be pretty attractive to children, right? Add a few days in the more cultural destination of Oman to the end and you have a family trip that will be both fun and enriching for all. Start at the Park Hyatt in Dubai, where highlights include a dinner aboard a traditional boat (called a dhow), a city tour, a visit to the famed horse stables, and an afternoon at the wet and wonderful Wild Wadi Water Park. From Dubai, head into the desert for two nights at the magical Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa, where your time if free except for one evening, when you are treated to dinner in the sand dunes. Head back into Dubai and catch a flight to Muscat – though only an hour on the plane, Oman is a world away from bustling Dubai. Take a tour of this charming city and sail into the Gulf of Oman to look for dolphins; the rest of the time, your days are free to enjoy the clear blue-green water and craggy cliffs that surround the lovely new Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort.