The weather in Dubai at this time of the year begs for everyone to explore the great outdoors. It’s almost criminal to not make the most of this cool breeze and breath taking sunsets. In a city occupied largely by malls and indoor venues, thanks to the long summer months, having the opportunity to explore the beauty of nature, even if on a small scale is such a blessing. One such beautiful outdoor venue that has popped up this year and is definitely worth visiting is the Love Lake in Dubai.

We’ve all seen the pictures while scrolling through social media and decided it really was time to explore this new place ourselves. And so, a couple of weeks ago, one fine Friday after lunch, we made our long drive to Love Lake located near Qudra.

We were there for just a couple of hours and had a fabulous time, and so here are my top five reasons why you too need to visit Love Lake ASAP

1. The drive

Last time we visited Qudra lakes was probably three years ago and so much has changed since then. There are many more stunning villas lining up the main roads and also a new Last Exit has opened up in case you need to fuel on coffee and drinks. (There isn’t any café after the Last Exit, as of now, so better to get your drinks and water from here) With all these changes, it is best to stick to the coordinates on your Google Map just to make sure you don’t get lost. Once you arrive at the Qudra lakes, there are clear signs posted to take you to the exact location of Love Lake. You will pass by beautiful mini lakes, many trees, spot a few swans maybe and also lots of campers. Enjoy the drive and before you know it, you’ll see the dense trees clearing up and the orange desert coming in view. You will spot hearts and signs mentioning Love lake carved out of wood and that should lead you to the parking spots. There are two to choose from, and we parked at P2.

2. Instagrammable

You can’t come to Love Lake and not take a single photo. The hearts all around are just too cute. There are hearts on trees, heart shaped stones on water fall features, on tree stumps, on fences, on the sand, even heart shaped benches, and so much more.

And if hearts is not your thing, there are various other pretty spots too, with log swings, benches and hanging lanterns.

3. New Picnic Spot

This place is huge! We were there for about an hour and just about managed to explore a quarter of Love Lake. The grass lining the lakes, makes an excellent spot to lay down your picnic basket and enjoy the sunset, or even do some people watching. There is also a designated corner for you BBQ enthusiasts. The road from the parking to the entrance may be a bit bumpy, but the track lining the lake is buggy friendly and wonderful for long walks. Although, it didn’t look like there were many (or any) lamp posts in the area, so may not be suitable for evenings.

4. Nature all around

There’s something for everyone. If you love greenery, there are a variety of trees and flowering plants dotted throughout the place. We loved spotting the bright sunflowers. If you love the sandy desert, you can find spots overlooking the sanddunes for some epic desert pictures. If you are a water baby, dip your feet into the lake or find the water crossing to get to the island in the middle of the lake. It would be best to get suitable foot wear if deciding to cross over to the island, again with lots of photo opportunities. None of us did, and therefore were not able to cross over.

5. Birds

Okay, not much of a reason, but the kids really are going to enjoy the birds. We spotted some beautiful swans swimming close to the fountain by the lake, and also a family of ducks. Apart from these water birds, we could spot lots of bird nests on the trees and bird grain trays dotted around the place, for the little sparrows and similar small birds that you can constantly hear chirping.

Those are my top five reasons for why you should make your way to Love Lake with your loved ones. If you’ve already been, do you agree with my points above? If not, are you tempted to visit?

In other notes: Clean toilet facilities are available near the parking facilities. No food outlets are available in the area as of now, so better to bring your own snacks and drinks. Wear comfortable shoes.

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to share it on social media. Also, to read similar travel posts, have a look at the following posts that I have written:

5 reasons to visit The Louvre, Abu Dhabi

Reasons to visit ‘We Rock the Spectrum- Kids Gym’

Disclaimer: The views and opinions mentioned in this post are those of my own. All pictures belong to me, with a couple borrowed from family members. The contents of this post, including pictures, cannot be duplicated or copied without permission.