Around Middle East: Part Three

In which I was "At the Top" of Dubai

Day One continues...

Situated in Downtown, the Dubai Mall is the largest mall with a plethora of shops and food outlets and attractions including the Burj Khalifa, Aquarium and Zoo, Ice rink, SEGA and KidZania. We reached the mall at 1:30pm and had a photo stop at the aquarium.

Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo

A massive aquarium featuring thousands of marine animals, including sharks. This was not a part of our itinerary. We walked further to the open area near the fountain, traversing through the Christmas theme applied shops. 

We clicked a few photos here and then queued up for the Burj Khalifa at 2:15pm. The tickets were scanned and we walked till the lift area through passage describing the making of this iconic building. We reached the 125th floor at 2:40pm. 

The Burj Khalifa

It is a skyscraper in Dubai with a total height of 829.8 meters (2,722 feet) and a roof height of 828 meters (2,717 feet). This measurement includes the spire. The building has 163 floors. It was developed by Emaar Properties. The design of the tower is inspired by the Hymenocallis flower (also known as the Spider Lily) and incorporates elements of Islamic architecture. Besides being the tallest building, the Burj Khalifa also holds records for the highest occupied floor, the highest outdoor observation deck, and the elevator with the longest travel distance. It also has one of the fastest elevators in the world. It has two main observation decks: "At the Top" on the 124th and 125th floors, and another on the 148th floor, which is one of the highest outdoor observation decks in the world.

At The Top

It offers stunning 360-degree views of Dubai, including the Dubai Fountain, the Palm Jumeirah, and the Arabian Gulf. It includes interactive exhibits about the Burj Khalifa's construction and souvenirs shops. 

Done with admiring the views and clicking photos, we were back to the mall by 3:45pm and relished icecream at Cafe Barbara at 4pm. 

We were back to the bus by 4:30pm and drove to the Dubai Marina for a sun downer. More on this in next post.