Dubai: Inside the city of Extravagance

The largest city in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai, is a fusion of its Bedouin heritage and uniquely modern culture. It is also famous for its striking architecture and extravagant style. Dubai is unmistakably different from any other city on the planet. This one-of-a-kind city will ultimately surpass your expectations and go above and beyond, living up to its reputation. This city above the clouds is an enchanting place that transcends all expectations and transports you to the future. It’s got to be on nearly every traveller's list, and more importantly, on every shopper's list, with plenty to do and experience.

WHEN TO VISIT?

Due to Dubai's desert climate, it is extremely dry and hot there. The summer is sweltering, humid, windy, and dry. The average daytime temperature in the summer is around 41 degrees Celsius, and the overnight low is 30 degrees Celsius. In contrast, the average daytime temperature in winter is 24 degrees Celsius, and the overnight low is 14 degrees Celsius. August is the hottest month in Dubai, and January is the coldest. Dubai is accessible throughout the year, but the best months to visit are mainly from November to April. Planning your trip to Dubai in the summer of June to August is not recommended as the temperatures can rise to 40 or even 50 degrees Celsius—unbearably hot and suffocating. 

WHAT TO SEE?

1) BURJ KHALIFA

Burj  Khalifa is the tallest building and structure in the world, reaching a height of 829.8 m (2722 ft). It was named ‘Burj Khalifa’ in honour of UAE’s President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. This extravagant building includes many of the city's top restaurants, two observation decks, a fountain with a Las Vegas-inspired design, and nine luxury hotels. When travelling to Dubai or even the entire UAE, this piece of modern architecture must be included at the top destination on your list.

2) BURJ AL ARAB

In addition to having numerous skyscrapers and a cutting-edge automatic subway system, Dubai also stands out as the home of the only seven-star hotel in the entire world—Burj Al Arab. Regarded as one of the most opulent hotels in the world despite being only about a third as tall as the Burj Khalifa at 321 meters, everyone who visits this seven-star hotel is awed by the magnificent interiors and elegant ambience.

3) DUBAI MIRACLE GARDEN

One of the most exquisite and pleasant natural flower gardens in the world, Dubai Miracle Garden is truly a paradise for all anthophiles out there. It is the largest natural flower garden in the world with over 45 million flowers and plants. The garden is situated in Dubailand and covers a sizable area of over 72,000 square meters. For those seeking natural beauty in the city, the location is heaven on earth though it is operated only from mid-November till mid-May.

4) PALM ISLAND

With millions of tons of sand and stone from the Persian Gulf, Palm Islands is one of the largest man-made structures ever built. It was created in the shape of a 16-branch palm tree, with the longest branch reaching a length of 800 meters and being encircled by an arc that reaches 11 kilometres. One of the greatest creations of all humankind, the Palm Islands group is currently the world's largest project to create artificial islands. This man-made island is home to more than 100 luxury hotels, as well as high-end villas, marinas, restaurants, upscale shops, water parks, and luxury spa services.

5) DEEP DIVE DUBAI

With a surface area of up to 1,500 sq m and a depth of 60 m, Deep Dive Dubai is housed in a shell-shaped building. It takes up to 14 million litres of fresh water to fill the volume of this enormous structure, and the pool is deeper than the height of a 15-story building. During your visit to Dubai, Deep Dive Dubail will definitely sate your curiosity if you're the type of person who enjoys mysteries and is constantly learning about the enigmatic Atlantis civilization that existed beneath the surface of the ocean.

Anjila Khadka