Life is Large in Dubai

I had said that I expected Dubai to be a little ‘like Las Vegas, but on steroids’.  But it’s even bigger than that!  So much of what you see is new, gleaming, luxurious and designed for living life large.  My hotel, the JW Marriott, is the tallest hotel in the world, topping out at 72 floors.  With 160 stories, the Burj Khalifa here is the tallest building anywhere, and the city also has the world’s tallest ferris wheel.  I even arrived on the largest passenger plane flying today, a double-deck Emirates Airbus A380.

The scale and drama of the city’s architecture is unsurpassed.  Photos appear to tilt buildings to their sides; a wide-angle lens is the only way to capture them in one frame.  At every turn there is bold, clean, modern design in steel and glass rising out of the flat sand desert.  And buildings are often designed by one of the world’s top name architects.  They say nothing is too much, or impossible, in Dubai.

And there’s an overwhelming emphasis on luxury.  In all the world, only London has more five-star hotels.  The desert heat and humidity are absolutely sweltering, particularly this time of year.  But they’re well-prepared, with air conditioning everywhere.  There are plenty of museums and high-end shopping malls where you can beat the heat, as well as venues to SCUBA dive, show ski or ice skate indoors. Beach resorts ring the city, many of them created on man-made islands.  And there is no shortage of swimming pools.

My Dubai visit is a four-night stopover on my way to Africa.  YAY, another trip originally planned for 2020 is happening at last.  Twelve friends are joining me for a Safari in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana!  So there will be lots of animals soon. .  .  .