Sunday 15 January 2012

Dubai

Just as Abu Dhabi, Dubai doesn’t have many historical sights to offer. Instead the Sheikh (was it Maktoum?) is trying to make history now. Tall hotels, office towers and the conductorless metro (sometimes more expensive than a taxi) – that is all stunning. But hey, how’s that different from other wealthy metropolis?

The competition is tough, but Dubai is still winning it by having the tallest building in the world – Burj Khalifa. You can live there, have your office there or simply go to (almost) the top for the sake of being able to say that you stood on top of the tallest building in the world. For financial reasons I chose for the latter. Burj Khalifa is breathtakingly beautiful. It makes you speechless. It makes your heart beat faster. It gives you a lump in your throat. Of course this all happens to you provided you’re passionate about modern cities and things big. If you are a nature lover and like silence you should avoid Dubai at all costs.

The other thing Dubai invented to keep people in the city for days are shopping malls. There are several huge shopping malls in Dubai, but two of them really stand out. Emirates Mall has a large ski slope. Inside. Tourists watch skiers from the mall windows and make pictures. Then they shop in the mall for hours. Dubai Mall has a waterfall fountain, large ice skating ring and a huge aquarium. Inside. Tourists watch sharks swim past. Then they shop for hours. If you are not a shopping freak, you might want to visit the Dubai Mall anyway. Its interior design and logistics are fascinating.

5 comments:

  1. Planologisch / stedenbouwkundig zou het misschien wel interessant zijn ja, zo'n 'larger than life experience'. Maar in Japan hadden ze op die manier ook al hele toffe winkelcentra, zoek eens naar het centraal station van Kyoto.

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  2. En behalve shopping?
    Wat nog meer?
    L.

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  3. @Maarten Japan moet ik nog ontdekken. Daar is vermoedelijk meer te zien dan alleen maar hoge torens en grote winkelcentra. :)

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  4. Going in Abu Dhabi and Dubai won't disappoint you in terms of the things that you would like to see. Buildings are abound almost every corner in the city. Magnificent buildings at that.

    property shop abu dhabi

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