In photos, videos: 10 unique experiences to try in Dubai
DUBAI — Whether it is kissing your ex in a fabulous ball gown like Carrie Bradshaw did in “Sex & The City 2,” or feasting over a pile of gold along with belly dancers like in “Arabian Nights,” the mystical charm of the Middle East never ceases to tickle the fantasy.
Although there are exactly no flying carpets and PDA (public display of affection) is outlawed here, Dubai is the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) most popular tourism emirate that like in “Alladin,” offers “a whole new world” to anyone looking for new adventures.
1. Walk on Burj Khalifa’s glass ceiling simulator
You might not be as brave as Tom Cruise when he scaled the 2,722-foot Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building and structure, for 2011 film “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.” But you can experience a very safe, indoor simulation of one of Cruise’s deadly stunts – and even prank your friends as if you’re in danger of falling off from the world’s highest skyscraper.
That is thanks to a very high-tech walk-through video simulator at the Burj’s 125th floor observation deck. You can video yourself trudging the glass-ceiling simulator with realistic footage of the clouds, traffic and other buildings below — until the simulator seems to crack.
Likewise, you can observe what the Burj’s surroundings look like from day to night through telescopes that also flash realistic images.
At the 124th floor is At the Top, the world’s highest outdoor observation deck, where you can feel the arid desert breeze sweeping across the Burj, while perhaps, trying your luck in taking a selfie with its topmost spire.
If you want to experience the real glass walk, then head to Dubai Frame. It is advisable to book one’s entrance tickets to both Burj Khalifa and Dubai Frame via travel apps like Klook since these tourist spots only accept a limited number of visitors per day, and so tickets cannot be guaranteed for walk-ins. Alternatively, there is also an observation deck that one can visit to take pictures of Dubai’s artificial archipelago, The Palm Jumeirah.
2. Hug a penguin in Ski Dubai
While many attractions around the world offer personal interactions and petting with penguins, Ski Dubai is among the rare ones that allow you to not only take pictures but even hug these “Happy Feet” from Antarctica!
Ski Dubai is one of the world’s biggest indoor ski resorts located inside one of Earth’s largest malls, Mall of the Emirates. Under its care are the world’s second and third biggest penguins — King and Gentoo penguins. There are time slots, usually only in the morning, that allow one to reserve an audience with the penguins, who are well under the care of their proud Filipino trainers!
To save time and to avoid queues, it is advisable to book tickets to Ski Dubai alone or as discounted bundle with other attractions through travel app Klook.
Besides penguin interaction and shows, there are many things to do in Ski Dubai — including riding quad lifts, learning how to ski, going on a snow tubing and watching a movie in the recently opened Snow Cinema — hot chocolate included!
3. Let a robot barista make your coffee in Museum of the Future
Like in Burj Khalifa and Dubai Frame, entrance to the Museum of the Future should be booked in advance for weeks ahead via travel booking apps like Klook. But if you can’t get in because you cannot secure a slot to the museum on your travel date, don’t fret.
You can still have a taste of the futuristic museum — literally — by ordering a coffee brew from the museum’s robot barista in the lobby café.
4. Go on a traditional Arabic photo session
Want to know how it feels like to be an Emirati? There are photo booths inside Dubai Mall offering the complete Arabian Nights experience — backdrop, props and costumes and all — at least just in photos.
But unlike usual studio snaps, the session includes some pointers on Arabic customs and traditions — including the meaning of things and poses in local Arabic culture.
If having your pictures taken is not your thing, there are a lot of other things to try in Dubai Mall — including watching the dinner lights and fountain show outside Burj Khalifa; designing your own Lego bricks in the Lego Store; getting a personalized rainbow cotton candy or candy swirl in Candylicious, or going on a tea break at the posh Armani Hotel.
5. Have a ‘Shark Bite'
According to Gulf News, Dubai is home to the largest population of Filipinos in the UAE (about half a million or 22% of the emirate’s entire population), and as such, it is not only chock-full with Filipinos at every corner — even locals and other foreign nationals speak some Filipino and Filipinos’ products and stores are everywhere!
So apart from “ukay-ukay,” Chowking in food courts or Century Tuna cans and Boy Bawang in convenience stores, many seafood restaurants in Dubai have adopted the Filipino food concept of “dampa” or eating freshly cooked seafood with your hands.
Among the Dubai restaurants that have that "dampa" vibe is Joe’s Crab Shack, which offers the “Shark Bite” – a mocktail that involves spewing red-colored orange juice into blueberry soda – a fun yet a bit gory drink reminiscent of “Jaws.” It is best enjoyed as a refreshment to a boodle fight featuring fresh local catch, including the exotic half-shrimp, half-lobster carnivorous mantis shrimp.
6. Dive into the world’s deepest swimming pool
If feeding manta rays or ogling marine animals in Dubai Aquarium is not enough to satiate your thirst for the sea, then fulfill your mermaid dreams in the world’s biggest swimming pool, Deep Dive Dubai, which just opened last year.
Deep Dive Dubai’s 60-meter pool offers many underwater sceneries set in a sunken building theme. Apart from diving to explore its tunnels that include otherworldly landspaces such as space ship and medieval ruins, children and adult swimmers can also enjoy underwater photography and learn new skills like freediving and professional equalizing.
If you don’t want to get wet, then you can also check out the facility’s posh black-and-white basement restaurant with seats stationed by several themes in the pool.
7. Try the camel milk ice cream in Spice Souk
If you’re still feeling hot after spending the entire day swimming, you can cool down by trying the very creamy, camel-milk based ice cream in Spice Souk. The sprawling Textile Souk has so many local, Indian and other stores offering traditional Moslem women’s dress Abaya; but at night, it is mostly men who are selling and buying these Abayas for their wives.
If you have money to burn, the Gold Souk is where you can buy pure gold bars. Sellers are usually honest on how much gold or diamonds are in the jewelry; and they’d even give you free water and candy!
8. Versace on the floor
Dubai, our tour guide quipped, also means “do buy.” It stays true to this as a luxury fashion haven. Recently, the rare collaboration collection between Italian fashion houses Fendi and Versace was only made available in very few locations, and Dubai is one of them.
After shopping for exclusive luxury brand collections, you can maybe take a respite or have some afternoon tea at the classy Palazzo Versace, where you can enjoy everything Versace — on the floor, on the chocolates, and on the pool with a view.
Palazzo Versace Dubai is one of only two Versace hotels in the world so far — the other one is in Gold Coast, Australia. Another one in Macao, however, is in the works.
9. Have an exclusive train ride in IMG Worlds
If all that spending makes you guilty, don’t worry because apart that you can apply for a tax rebate, you can donate your extra food to charity before entering the IMG Worlds theme park.
While a no match to any Disneyland park in terms of scale and rides, IMG Worlds is where kids and kids at heart can ride Cartoon Network- and Marvel-themed rides, bond with mascots from these franchises, and also enjoy food inspired by the cartoon characters. A chunk of the park has dinosaur-themed rides, while a portion is for the haunted house.
If you’re lucky, you can have the train all for yourself and it would tour you to see the entire park, which is also adjacent to an IMAX theater that is arguably one of the best places in Dubai to watch new movies in 3D.
10. Go on a desert 'glamping'
If Lawrence of Arabia is your hero growing up, then a night at the desert is a must!
There are many glamping resorts in and nearby Dubai — ranging from modern ones with Zorb ball tents and spas, to traditional ones that enable one to sleep in traditional Arabic tents and interact with local Bedouin tribes.
Apart from camel riding, these glamour campsites offer other exciting activities such as dune bashing, motor biking, sand surfing, sand painting, game meat barbecue nights (including deer and/or camel meat) and falconry — the art of training Dubai’s cultural icon, the falcon!
