Dubai
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Finally!
Dubai, United Arab Emirates is the place to be. This didn’t seem so just a decade ago but the oil-rich country has transformed the desert into a modern paradise of business, technology and luxury. Despite the millions of tourists who have already visited and enjoyed this refreshing oasis, millions more doubt the attraction that is Dubai. What good could come out from the desert? Here are just three points to silence the naysayers.
Dubai stands tallest in the world, literally. It doesn’t have mountains or mountain ranges to boast, so Dubai built its own “peak” – Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. This architectural wonder is 829.8 m (2,722 ft) tall, almost double the height of Malaysia’s Petronas Towers! You can just imagine the view from the top floor, not to mention the shops and sites to be found on the lower floors. And by the way, this building is spectacular not just for its height but also for the fact that it is the first seven-star hotel in the world. Construction costs amounted to a mind-boggling amount of US$1,500.000. That means top-class luxury all the way to the skies.
Burj Khalifa should not be confused with Burj Al Arab, another engineering feat in Dubai. It is almost as tall and as elegant, but the design is more distinct. But what’s really special about this skyscraper, the third tallest in the world, is that it was built on a man-made island.
Next to Burj Khalifa (and its almost-twin Burj Al Arab), people should have Dubai at the top of their must-visit countries in the world if only to see the Dubai Fountains. (Think Bellagio Fountains, Las Vegas in the Middle East.) This must be more than just a fountain since it’s been consistently voted by tourists as the #1 tourist attraction in the country. The dancing water shoots as high as a 50-storey building and drops to the man-made 30-acre Burj Khalifa Lake. Spectacular. Just to think that there is even a lake in the desert is amazing in itself.
Finally, come to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to be immersed in a new, refreshing and interesting culture, not to mention the many other attractions such as Dolphin Bay, Abra Dock and Wild Wadi Water Park. Tourists know about the allure of the West and the beaches of Asia already; now it’s time to hit the desert paradise of Dubai.
