(Aged 16 Months, 26 & 30)

After raising three children and travelling extensively over the years, I confidently thought:

How hard can it possibly be to take away a 16-month-old, a 26-year-old and a 30-year-old?

Easy, right?

Wrong.

The Flight

The eight-hour overnight flight was organised with military precision. The plan was simple: keep the baby awake all afternoon so she would sleep as normal on the plane, taking off at 10pm.

Instead, we created an overtired toddler.

And an overtired toddler on a night flight is… memorable to say the least.

There were moments of sleep. Fleeting, hopeful moments. But mostly there was protesting. Loud protesting. For hours and hours and hours.

Meanwhile, the 26-year-old had his own strategy: no sleep whatsoever. His plan was to play his portable PlayStation for eight uninterrupted hours.

And he executed it flawlessly.

The only thing was, the majority of people who saw us probably thought he was the father of the baby, and not a very good one at that!!

Arrival: Surviving the First Day

After a short 15-minute taxi ride from the airport, we arrived at Fairmont Bab Al Bahr looking like we’d crossed several time zones on foot.

Nonna and baby immediately took a two-hour nap — a decision that quite possibly saved the entire holiday. Somehow, my children, both of them then powered through the next ten hours until bedtime.

With only a four-hour time difference from the UK, adjusting wasn’t too difficult. Breakfast gently shifts into lunch, lunch edges towards dinner, and dinner occasionally becomes a midnight snack. Within a day or two, everyone was functioning again.

The Fairmont Bab Al Bahr is ideal for families, couples and groups alike. You have the choice of pool or private man-made beach, beautifully comfortable sunbeds, a children’s splash pool and playground, and multiple restaurants to choose from.

The service could occasionally be a little slow — but the staff were exceptional. Warm, attentive and genuinely eager to help. When they discovered the baby was dairy-free, the chef personally came to meet us to ask what he could prepare. That level of care makes travelling with little ones infinitely easier.

We went for the Gold package rather than all inclusive.  For us it was much more cost effective as the kids don’t eat that much generally.  On the 7th floor, is a separate check in area, concierge on duty all the time for any questions we had. Larger bedrooms with floor to ceiling windows and amazing views.

Breakfast, when we woke up early enough, was whatever we wanted on the executive floor.   Lunch became a daily ritual either upstairs for complimentary sandwiches, scones, soft drinks, or poolside for club sandwiches, mac & cheese, vibrant green salads, fresh juices — relaxed, easy and exactly what sunshine demands.

And the view across to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque at sunset is something rather special.

What we did?

The theme parks.

All I can say is… wow.

Yas Island is an adrenaline playground. From Ferrari World Abu Dhabi to Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, to Sea World and Yas Waterworld and it’s immersive, ambitious and brilliantly done.  Something for everyone. All indoors, think Vegas hotel style.

My one personal stipulation for the trip was that I wanted to take the baby on the equivalent of Disney’s It’s a Small World — something colourful, nostalgic and gently whimsical.

There was just one problem.

The baby was too small.

So I took my other baby.

The 26-year-old.

I loved it. I’m less certain he did — although he seemed particularly animated when we got unexpectedly soaked at the end.

There was also the National Aquarium and Butterfly House which, although I wasn’t keen on going, was actually a little different to ones I’ve experienced before. Different species and its own little fish hospital too! Unfortunately, towards the end of the trip both mother and baby came down with stinking colds.  This meant there was much less energy between us, so we couldn’t visit the Grand Mosque.

The Honest Reflection

I won’t pretend it was easy.

An eight-hour flight with a 16-month-old is demanding. Five days in warm sunshine with a toddler who has decided to start the “terrible twos” slightly ahead of schedule is… character building.

Keeping her happy wasn’t always straightforward. Both her Mum and Uncle did a sterling job in their attempts to keep her entertained. Much of the trip involved reminding her who was in charge.

Spoiler: it wasn’t the grown-ups.

It was exhausting.

But it was also five whole days with two of my adult children and my granddaughter — uninterrupted, present, fully immersed.

Was there a happy ending?

Absolutely.

On the flight home she was an angel. Slept for two hours and then charmed everyone around her for the remaining six. We left the flight exhausted but relieved.

And it became the only holiday I’ve ever taken where I didn’t open my kindle or puzzle book.

Which perhaps says more about the trip than anything else.