United Arab Emirates


I visited Dubai twice. The hi-tech city is a very interesting destination and features a number of interesting sites and attractions.

Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world at 830 metres, is stunning. It stands out from the other skyscrapers and looks like an alien embassy on Earth with its impressive height and unique architecture. The downtown area where the tower is located is also nice and looks like an architecture model from Burj Khalifa's viewing platform (don't miss the fountain show at night). I also enjoyed the views of Burj Khalifa and Dubai downtown from the 52nd floor of the tallest hotel in the world, Gevora - a bit of a scifi experience to wake up to that view.

The aptly-named Museum of the Future is another impressive attraction. The building is spectacular and it lights up at night for an even more impressive view. The museum inside features a number of hi-tech and interesting displays on various themes including the future of space exploration, nature & ecology and current hi-tech technology, as well as a cool relaxation level.

Other impressive sites include Dubai Miracle Garden, Dubai Frame, Burj Al Arab hotel and the palm-shaped artificial Jumeirah archipelago.

Dubai is a shopping paradise. The Mall of Emirates has 220 thousand sqm of shops and includes Dubai's very own indoor ski course. The Dubai Mall is the world's largest shopping mall with 350 thousand sqm of retail area and over 1,000 shops; it includes the largest suspended aquarium in the world. At Dubai Mall I got to see a cool multimedia show called Destination Cosmos by Infinity des Lumieres. Dubai Outlet Mall is also worth checking out.

One of the main goals of my second trip to the city was visiting Expo 2020 Dubai, another fascinating experience. I visited a number of pavilions for countries large and small featuring a wide range of hi-tech and traditional exhibits. I looked for pavilions of countries I had visited in the past which was pretty fun. The architecture of many pavilions was also cool, as were a number of autonomous robots wandering around the Expo grounds.

Shopping, dining and entertainment opportunities are also available in a number of nice areas in Dubai including Al Seef, Souk Madinat Jumeirah and the relaxing La Mer Beach. A desert safari was a touristy but fun experience.

Food is excellent in Dubai. Don't miss saj and shawarma, spicy Karak tea and the wide range of delicious dates and sweets.

Additional info:
- country entry on Wikipedia
- country profile on Wikivoyage

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Dubai

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