Wild Animals in the Passenger
If you're not used to seeing dangerous wild animals peering out the windows of cars in your neighborhood, then you're probably not from Dubai. This crazy vacation desination is full of crazy and amazing sights like this one. As the saying goes -- "Only in Dubai."Because of its location on the coast of the Persian Gulf, temperatures in Dubai can get incredibly high... which could explain this next crazy phenomenon!
Skiing at the Mall
Dubai isn't anywhere near the right temperature for snow outside. But at the Mall of the Emirates, you can cool off in style with some downhill slaloming at an indoor ski slope. That's right -- in Dubai you can ski at the mall in real snow!
There's lots of wealth floating around in Dubai, and it's not all spent in the mall. Check out this next crazy sight!
World's Tallest Building
Dubai is a city of superlatives, so it's only natural that it's home to the world's tallest building -- the Burj Khalifa. This skyscraper is unbelievably high. At 2,722 feet tall, it towers above tall buildings below.
The Burj Khalifa holds a number of records including:
- Tallest structure ever built
- Building with the most floors -- 163
- World's highest elevator installation
- World's highest nightclub -- 144th floor
- World's highest restaurant -- 122nd floor
But the tallest building isn't Dubai's only height record holder. Wait till you see what they put at the top of one of the city's swanky hotels!
Fast Cop Cars
No ordinary cop cars will do for the Dubai police department. Their fleet of luxury cars is unconventional to say the least. It's believed to include all these fast, flashy, and expensive rides:
- Brabus Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG -- custom tuned to 700-hp, it can go from 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds
- Ferrari FF
- Lamborghini Aventador
- Audi R8
- Nissan GT-R
- Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG
And if you're wondering what the Dubai police do when they're not racing around in luxury cars, we've got the answer...
Police Bagpipe Band
Bagpipes tend to be more associated with Scottish kilt wearers. But it seems the Dubai police have also cottoned on to the beauty of this instrument, as they have their own pipe band!
World's Highest Tennis Court
If you've ever wanted to know where the world's highest tennis court is located, look no further than Dubai.
This unique tennis court sits atop the Burj Al Arab -- the most luxurious hotel in the world. In 2005, it served as the location of an exhibition match between Andre Agassi and Roger Federer. And this particular tennis court also serves another purpose -- it doubles as a helipad!
Sailboat Hotel
The Burj Al Arab has been called "the world's only 7-Star hotel." Its shape imitates the sail of a ship, and it sits on its own artificial island. If you look closely, you can just make out the world's highest tennis court jutting out from the top of the Burj Al Arab's impressive architectural design.
And if a sailboat hotel isn't to your liking -- maybe you'd prefer to try an underwater hotel. Check this next picture out!
Underwater Hotel
If you're truly wanting to get away from it all, maybe an underwater hotel suite is just what you need. Where can you find one? Dubai, of course!
At the luxury Atlantis Hotel you can choose between two underwater suites -- the Neptune, or the Poseidon. Each suite's bedroom and bathroom has floor to ceiling windows with views straight into the lagoon.
What more could you need? Maybe this -- "a dedicated butler on hand 24/7 to meet all your requests."
Palm Islands
The Atlantis Hotel in Dubai -- which is where you'll find those underwater suites -- is situated at The Palm. This is a group of manmade islands shaped like a palm tree. The Palm is even visible from outer space!
Paddle Board Surfing in an Abaya
The beautiful beaches of Dubai are perfect for a spot of paddle boarding. But there's not many places in the world -- apart from Dubai -- that you'll come across women paddle boarding in an Abaya -- a traditional dress worn by women in some parts of the Muslim world.
Camels on the Beach
What else is different about the beaches in Dubai? Camels, for one thing! It's possible to ride a camel along the beach, with views of the sea to one side, and high rises on the other.
Air Conditioned Bus Stops
Places where camels thrive tend to be rather sweltering. And Dubai is one of those parts of the world where an air conditioned bus stop is more of a necessity than a luxury!
Frozen Bar
Another way to cool down fast from the oppressive glare of the desert sun is to duck into Dubai's frozen bar, the Chill Out. With the temperature inside a chilly 21 degrees Fahrenheit, it's a good thing that the entry fee includes the use of a hat, gloves, coat, and boots, plus a free hot cocoa!
Gold ATMs
If you haven't yet figured out that there's some very rich people in Dubai, maybe this will clue you in -- ATMs that dispense gold bars!
Sure, there's a couple of other places in the world that have these mind-boggling ATMs, but naturally, Dubai is one of them. It's a quick way for the wealthy to use cash to buy gold at current prices.
Rotating Skyscraper
All that gold is crying out to be spent, and loads of time and money has already gone into the architectural design and construction of amazing buildings in Dubai. One particularly interesting plan that's potentially in the works calls for the creation of a rotating 80-story skyscraper. Each floor would rotate individually, completing a full 360 degree rotation once every 90 minutes. That would be a sight to behold!
Twisty Tower
Only time will tell if Dubai's rotating skyscraper ends up actually being built. But in the meantime, Dubai already has another twisty tower to marvel at. The Cayan Tower, which opened in June 2013, is the world's tallest high rise building with a twist of 90 degrees.
Largest Suspended Aquarium
Remember Dubai's floor to ceiling underwater hotel windows? This city has even more to offer in the way of viewing marine life up-close.
That's because it's home to the world's largest suspended aquarium, the Dubai Aquarium. The aquarium consists of a 10 million liter tank. Over 140 species are on view through the its huge acrylic panel -- which is also the largest in the world!
To find the Dubai Aquarium, simply head to the Dubai Mall, which is -- you guessed it! --the world's largest, by total area. While you're at it, you can browse some of the mall's crazy number of stores -- there's more than 1200 of them.
Miracle Garden
Given Dubai's hot and dry Middle East location, it's remarkable that the city is home to the oasis-like largest natural flower garden in the world. The garden contains an amazing number of flowers -- over 45 million. Its name -- the Dubai Miracle Garden -- seems very appropriate!
But the fragrance of flowers isn't the only possible aroma to awaken your senses in Dubai. How about a visit to a unique type of market?
Spice Souk
Sure, you can buy gold at Dubai's Gold Souk. But the smells emanating from the Spice Souk are something else altogether! Here you can choose your purchases from sackfuls of an assortment of dried wares -- including spices, flowers, and lemons.
Largest Dancing Fountain
To end a day of taking in crazy sights from around the city of Dubai, check out the world's largest dancing fountain. The Dubai Fountain is designed by the same company that created the fountains at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. During the mesmerizing display, water shoots up to 500 feet in the air, accompanied by colorful lights, and a variety of styles of music.
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