Overview
Take a trip to Burj Khalifa on your United Arab Emirates Vacation
At over 2,716 ft (827 m) high and more than 160 stories, the Burj Khalifa is the world's tallest building. Dubai's historic landmark is twice the height of New York's Empire State Building and thrice as tall as the Eiffel Tower. Its design was inspired by a desert flower commonly known as a spider lily to maximize views of the Arabian Gulf and afford visitors panoramic views of the city and sea. Its facade is made of 26,000 glass panels, each painstakingly hand-cut to create a glass fortress spanning 17 football fields.
The Burj Khalifa is home to luxury apartments, upscale restaurants, corporate suites, gyms, swimming pools, and entertainment areas. It has two observatory decks, levels 124 and 125, and on level 148 the world's highest lounge, At the Top, which offers breathtaking views of the city skyline. After a heady experience on the decks, feast your eyes on the incredible works of contemporary art, sculptures, and installations in the tower's interiors and boulevards. For a lavish fine dining experience, head to At.Mosphere on Level 122 for a meal in the skies. The main entrance to the observatories is through the lower ground floor of the Dubai Mall. The best time to visit is just before sunset.
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For me, the best months are November to April. Anything in between that is too unbearably hot. Temperatures commonly reaching 50 degrees and higher are so unpleasant and even in Dubai, the little bit of humidity can make them dangerous. This is why even bus shelters on the streets are air conditioned, and very few people are actually outside during the daylight hours.
Directly opposite of Dubai, on the eastern Golf of Oman, in the Emirate of Sharjah, lies Khor Fakkan. This beautiful little gem has mountains, clear blue water with white sand beaches and coral reefs. Shark Island, right off the Coast of Khor Fakkan, has some of the best snorkeling in the UAE
For that Instagram shot, nothing beats the symbol for the Emirates that is the Burj al Arab hotel in Dubai. This is generally one of the most asked after spots, and where people can get the best photos. In reality, from the ground it is lovely, however, photos from the air on a helicopter pass show just how amazing this structure is and the effort that went into the world's only 7 Star hotel.
I always recommend that people go to the Camel races on Fridays, at Al Mormoon Race Track. Over the start line, there is a overhead walkway where you can watch the camels line up for their heats. As there is no gambling in the UAE, here the winners are the camels rather than the owners, and the camels are awarded the gifts.
Eid Al-Fitr or Eid Al-Adha are celebrated with large gatherings and public events. These are always accompanied by smiling, happy people with loads of new foods to try and sample. As the UAE has over 150 varieties of dates, and it seems that every single kind is brought out to celebrations and they are delicious!!
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