The Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing organised a trip for journalists from Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya to visit attractions in Dubai that opened late last year, tailored for adults and children.

On the first day, we visited Dubai Park and Resorts, similar to Disneyland in California. The park has Hollywood-inspired theme parks and American film production labels like DreamWorks Production House and Columbia Pictures.

There were adrenaline-filled rollercoaster rides. I  went on three, and by the time I was done, my fear of heights and motion had been conquered.

We then visited a theme park dedicated to Bollywood, where we watched Indian dances, and a virtual rollercoaster. The virtual roller coaster is in a movie theatre with moving seats and 3D glasses that give the feeling of being on a real rollercoaster. It was very popular with parents and children.

The rest of the day was spent at Dubai Mall, which is built next to the world’s tallest building — the Burj Khalifa. We bought jewellery and perfumes, and enjoyed the Dubai Mall underwater zoo, which is an immense aquarium.

We had dinner at The Palace Hotel, at the foot of Burj Khalifa. The restaurant has a great view of a dancing fountain.

The following day, we went to the indoor modern park, which Dubai prides itself on being the world’s largest. The park receives visitors all year round, as opposed to other outdoor attractions that close during the summer as temperatures reach highs of 40 degrees Celsius.

Opened last year, the park has sections with cartoon characters, superhero rides, rollercoaster rides and a number of food joints. We completed our trip with a visit to the Global Village, a leisure complex and cultural extravaganza with “landmarks” of major cities of the world.

African cities had been grouped in one complex, but it is located far away from the main entrance. Inside the complex, I met traders from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

I wound up the day at Deira City Centre Shopping Mall to hunt for bargains, but found that the most favourable prices are found in areas like Baniyas Square, located in the heart of Dubai’s historic district.