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12<br />
six of the best<br />
DUBAI<br />
superlative<br />
Dubai<br />
When Guinness World Records decided to open an office in<br />
the Middle East, it was obviously going to be Dubai.<br />
Laura Gelder explains why<br />
Towering<br />
above<br />
Dubai’s most iconic<br />
building and the<br />
world’s tallest, the<br />
828-metre-tall Burj<br />
Khalifa is a sight to<br />
behold and also<br />
home to the world’s highest bar – Atmosphere.<br />
However, it’s set to be overtaken by The Tower at<br />
Dubai Creek Harbour, scheduled to open in 2020<br />
and 928 metres high with a 360-degree<br />
observation platform, hotel, restaurants and<br />
vertical gardens. Also in Dubai is the tallest hotel<br />
in the world, the 77-storey JW Marriott Marquis.<br />
Shopping<br />
greats<br />
The Dubai Mall was<br />
the largest in the<br />
world by land area<br />
when it opened in<br />
2008 and, at over 13<br />
million square feet,<br />
it’s still up there with the greats. Not content to<br />
rest on its laurels, the mall got into the Guinness<br />
Records again last year with a giant Christmas<br />
bauble weighing 1,100kg. It’s also home to<br />
Candylicious, which Dubai Tourism says is the<br />
world’s largest sweet shop, spanning around<br />
1,000 square metres.<br />
Watery<br />
heights<br />
The Dubai Fountain<br />
is the world’s largest<br />
choreographed<br />
fountain system, set<br />
on the 30-acre<br />
manmade Burj<br />
Khalifa Lake. The jets release up to 22,000 gallons<br />
of water as high as 140 metres in the air and<br />
each colourful, illuminated jet sways in time to<br />
music ranging from classical to contemporary but<br />
always in sync. The show takes place every 30<br />
minutes from 18.00 daily and is a popular event<br />
for locals and tourists.<br />
Big-time<br />
themed fun<br />
Orlando now has a<br />
real rival after four<br />
major theme parks<br />
opened in Dubai in<br />
2016. The list<br />
includes IMG Worlds<br />
of Adventure, which is the world’s largest indoor<br />
theme park, with dedicated Marvel and Cartoon<br />
Network zones. Dubai’s biggest water park,<br />
Aquaventure, will soon become the biggest in the<br />
world with the addition of a giant new tower as<br />
well as 12 new slides. Other theme parks include<br />
the Hollywood-inspired Motiongate, with rides<br />
based on blockbusters such as Madagascar.<br />
Recordsetting<br />
islands<br />
Dubai is home to a<br />
number of the<br />
world’s largest<br />
artifical islands –<br />
some more<br />
successful than others. The World, a group of<br />
islands in the shape of the world’s countries,<br />
famously racked up debts of $60 billion and is<br />
still largely unpopulated. Perhaps the biggest<br />
success was the Palm Jumeirah, recognisable<br />
from space and home to some of Dubai’s most<br />
luxurious resorts, including Atlantis The Palm and<br />
One&Only The Palm.<br />
In the frame<br />
to win<br />
The Dubai Frame at<br />
Zabeel Park holds<br />
the Guinness World<br />
Record for the<br />
largest picture frame<br />
ever. At a soaring<br />
height of 150 metres, the Dubai Frame boasts<br />
sweeping, panoramic views of both Old and New<br />
Dubai. The 93-metre-long bridge features a<br />
25-square-metre glass panel bridge that gives<br />
visitors the experience of walking on air and an<br />
immersive gallery that showcases the past and<br />
makes predictions about Dubai’s future. No doubt<br />
it includes more superlative attractions!<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
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