Everything is superlative in Dubai. The tallest building in the world, the biggest mall in the world, one of the most luxurious hotels in the world, etc. Indeed, the city seems to be made to impress, with its grandiose architecturally designed buildings, skyscrapers lit from top to bottom, and gigantic billboards.
It is possible to have a good dimension of all this from the panoramic floor of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world that is located inside the largest mall in the world, the Dubai Mall.
At 828 meters high, the skyscraper is almost twice the size of the Empire State Building (443 m), in New York, and more than five times the height of the Altino Arantes building (161 m), the Banespão, in Sao Paulo.
Even the skyscrapers of Balneário Camboriú, on the coast of Santa Catarina, seem tiny when compared to the giant in the Emirates. One Tower (still in the final stages of construction) is expected to become the tallest building in Brazil, with around 290 meters, something like a third of the height of the Burj Khalifa.
The panoramic terrace to which the tourist has access, however, is “only” 555 meters from the ground, a one-minute elevator ride. The cheapest tickets cost the equivalent of R$200 (children pay a little less).
Access to the building is via the Dubai Mall. With over 500,000 square meters, around 1,200 stores and 160 restaurants and eateries, it opened in 2008 as the world’s largest mall by total area, according to Guinness World Records — a mall that opened in 2018 in Tehran, Iran, says surpassed the Dubai Mall, a title not yet recognized in the record books.
This is where the famous fountain is located, where a water show takes place every 30 minutes, between 6pm and 11pm. We’re in Dubai, so obviously it couldn’t be just any source. Organizers say it is the largest choreographed fountain in the world – the spectacle, in the face of such expectations, can disappoint the most excited visitors.
According to the record books, however, the biggest fountain in the world is not the one at the Dubai Mall, but one that opened in October 2020 in… Dubai, of course. The Palm Fountain is situated on the Palm Jumeirah, the famous man-made palm-shaped island filled with luxury resorts and properties.
Cosmopolitan, Dubai harmonizes Islamic tradition with Western habits. On the streets and in the malls, men in traditional clothes (the “thawb”) and women in niqabs coexist with fashionistas in clothes from the most famous European brands, such as Gucci, Balenciaga and Hermès — all of which, by the way, have grandiose stores in the main shopping centers. of the city.
On the beaches, western habits are even more evident. Young men tan in bikinis while boys in bathing suits play racquetball and Frisbee. Sometimes, it is possible to see women in “burkini”, a kind of clothing that covers the whole body and is made to enter the water.
At Kite Beach, one of the most popular in Dubai, you can see, on one side, the beautiful Al Manara mosque, and, on the other, restaurants and fast food kiosks.
The gastronomy is also a strong point. In addition to more traditional Arab foods – such as hummus, babaganuche, kafta, etc. – and international restaurant chains, easily found in the city’s many malls, Dubai is now trying to enter the haute cuisine map.
The World’s 50 Best award, which annually elects the best restaurants in the world, made in 2022, for the first time, an exclusive list for the Middle East and North Africa region. Of the top 20, 11 are in Dubai, including the two best: 3 Fils, which serves Japanese food in a casual setting, and Zuma, also dedicated to contemporary Japanese cuisine.
Drinking alcohol, on the other hand, although not an entirely prohibited practice, becomes a difficult program. First, not all establishments are authorized to sell it (bars in tourist areas and hotel restaurants usually do).
And, when you find a place to drink, it’s good to prepare your pocket. A long neck of Heineken, for example, costs the equivalent of R$40. A cocktail, such as a negroni or gin and tonic, easily exceeds R$100.
To stay, there are affordable options such as budget hotels from international chains. But it is for the establishments full of luxury and ostentation that the city gained fame. Rooms with spectacular views, soaring infinity pools and spas from renowned beauty brands.
The main hotel chains have hotels of their most sophisticated lines in Dubai. But, if you research well, you can find quite comfortable options at not-so-exorbitant prices.
For those who are willing to spend more, there is also the famous Burj Al Arab, whose cheapest rates start at more than R$10,000 — important to know that the price can drop by half in the summer.
With Hermès amenities, own butler, extensive pillow menu, airport transfer aboard a Rolls-Royce and many other amenities, it has been named by several expert guides as the most luxurious hotel in the world. It had to be in the most superlative city in the world, of course.
