tour dubai: part 2 - the mall of the emirates

There are a few sites that I always take my visitors to see. This post is the second in a series that covers those locations. And while my Nikon D5000 provides stunning images of the environs, you really have to see all of the glitz and sand to fully appreciate where we are. So come visit! (Or at least read the blog.)

Stop. Before you start making remarks that my tour destinations consists solely of malls, let's stop to consider what other tourist destinations Dubai has to offer?  ... Can't think of any? Right. This emirate is based on a commitment to become a shopping mecca.

Eh... word choice. I'll glaze over that by introducing you to the Mall of the Emirates.

The Mall of the Emirates

While the Dubai Mall may tempt deep-pocketed travelers with superlatives like "world's largest mall," "world's largest acrylic viewing panel for an aquarium," "world's tallest fountain," "world's tallest building," and "world's largest candy shop," the slightly smaller, slightly older Mall of the Emirates doesn't bring shame to the royal family. The Mall of the Emirates boasts the Middle East's first indoor ski slope, Ski Dubai, and in typical fashion, the slope is the largest indoor ski slope in the world. (Take that, Dubai Mall!)

Get excited!

Now, I didn't give much credit to Ski Dubai the first two trips out here. Sure, I've peered into the climate controlled frosty wonderland's windows from inside the mall on many occasions, but I haven't considered actually skiing. Be it the fact that everyone asks if I have ridden the slopes in Dubai or be it the fact that I had an accomplice, I can now claim that I have skied Dubai.

For $41 your kids can romp around the Snow Park, featuring attractions like the one shown here. Based on this ride and the bubble experience at the Dubai Mall, I'm beginning to doubt how these kids are raised.

The chair lift to the top of the 80-meter slope moves slowly, allowing Tophi to capture these pictures.

Ski Dubai and the Mall of the Emirates require the energy of 3500 barrels of oil each day for air conditioning and electricity. That averages to 1 barrel of oil for each daily visitor.

So I'm not exactly graceful on skis.

Our two hours on the slope went by like two hours. It was entertaining, and I was able to practice my skiing. But. more. than. two. hours. would have been too. much. We hopped back in the car and glided towards the Burj Al Arab, the glitzy seven star hotel that didn't make the 7 Modern Architectural Wonders List.

That's not the Burj Al Arab -- that's the hotel Atlantis!

One wrong turn later, I narrowly escaped the long road to Abu Dhabi by taking the slightly shorter road to the Palm Jumeirah. I conceded to defeat, stopped for some pictures, and headed back to Sharjah. The Burj Al Arab wasn't brightly lit that night anyway.

The Atlantis hotel is the top of this photo on the "crescent." How apropos for the Atlantis to be on the first bit of land that will likely descend into the Arabian Gulf. It's beautiful in the mean time.

Posted in: atlantis,dubai,leisure photos,ski dubai,tour series