Just realised I am off to Dubai for work next week. Will be a few hours to kill each day. The bloke I’m going with has organised some dune buggies, but that about it.
Can’t think there’s much really to do there.
Yep. Unless you like bogan type activities, shopping malls etc
You can’t miss seeing the big building. It’s so tall it even gets over the smog layer.
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You can ski in a shopping mall if you feel like melting an iceberg’s worth of energy.
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The view from the top of Burj Khalifa is pretty impressive.
From memory, the lift takes you to the 148th floor.
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I’d need to be wearing the bicycle clips if I looked out of a window on the 148th floor.
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It’s a stunning view…you look down at surrounding buildings and they look so small.
Then when you’re back at ground level, you realise that those “small buildings” are 60-70 storeys high.
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Actually I think we will do this, and the dune buggies will be fun.
I just got notification they’ve upgraded me to business class with Emirates.
I am guessing that would get me lounge access in Melbourne. And I’m also guessing it’s nicer than the qantas lounge?
My mate lived there for a couple of years. Dune buggies and drinking in private were pretty much his main activities. He’s a bit of a wreck now
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Dubai is pretty cool and one of the places we are looking to retire in. I know it has its knockers but we love it and get over there most years. If you have the time Abu Dhabi is only a hour away to the South and some interesting things to do down there.
And yes you will have access to the Emirates lounge on the way over and if you have Qantas status you can use the Qantas lounges
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Are they still building the underground city/railway, with oases and regenerative power sources, rainforests etc? From a pure scifi pov it’s fascinating. And the recreation of a ancient markets etc, would be interesting. The author George Saunders did a paid junket article on it a few years ago which is an interesting read. https://www.gq.com/story/george-saunders-on-dubai
Another good read is a book I picked up many years ago called Evil Paradises which covers more than the Arab state fantasies but picked up early on the labour situation over there, the slum cities hidden by the palaces they build and the frequent unreported deaths of migrant builders etc. sadly these workers earn more in this hellscape than they ever could at home, and it’s a pittance.
I don’t know about sci-fi stuff but the are constantly undertaking new works and projects and every year we head over there has been new projects on the go.
The slum areas aren’t hidden, they are everywhere in relatively plain sight. Yeah, there are whole streets of these concrete pre fab houses full of immigrant labour with minimal standards, some don’t have running water. It is what it is though, no one is forced to live there and most are grateful that they aren’t back home in their own shithole country. There isn’t a whole lot of Emirati’s in the UAE so someone has to do the labour and other menial jobs. Tons of Aussie expats over there and most are on a decent wicket. In hindsight we should have moved there 20 years ago when we had the chance
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In 2007 when the book was written they were very much out of sight. A lot of stuff that was previously hidden is now openly on show generally, which is probably not a great indicator. The Saunders article is an entertaining read, I’d definitely like to spend a few days there and get a dose of it. It sounds like a genuinely unreal place and the plans for underground habitations, if they see fruition, could be a game changing for lots of regions. It’s a fair upgrade on Coober Pedy.
Burj Khalifa
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Pay extra and can go the the 154th floor and sit and eat in a lounge.
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Yes, and it is definitely nicer than the Qantas business lounge. Not better than Qantas First though.
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I have my computer set up so that when it goes into rest mode, it points at my folder of travel pics.
This one just popped up and illustrates my point
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I don’t know i fyou have status to get into the Emirates first lounge in Dubai. It is one of the very best in the world. Even their business lounge is great. Much better than Qatar’s “ersatz first”.
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Probably better to be looking across/up at it than down from it. I did stay once in a hotel along the line of that pond so had a good view of the water displays at night with the Burj in the backgroiund
Dependant on which First lounge at Dubai.
2 are very good and 1 is average.
I do love the Qatar First lounge in Doha though, especially the First entry and if you give them notice they will run the jacuzzi for you but I think they only do that for Qatar Plats