Our agenda for March 1st was to head out to visit the Palm Jumeirah.
The first order of the day was to give Mango his loves.
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| His favorite thing was to put his head up against my leg so I could give his neck some good scratching. |
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| He also got a bath, but he's not a fan of baths so he came over to get some sympathy. |
Aaron cooks with Garlic oil. I made it my mission to find some and bring it home.....
And now for the Palm Jumeirah....... For those of you who don't know....... this is the Palm Jumeirah.
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| It is a palm tree shaped man-made island, which is known for its glitzy hotels and posh apartment towers. |
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| There is a monorail ride that will take you from the Atlantis hotel at the top of the island to the trunk of the island and back. It gives you a pretty good birds-eye view. We just rode the monorail and walked around the hotel lobby, but apparently there is quite a bit of things you can do on the island. |
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There is the Lost Chambers Aquarium. According to one ad I read, you can "rejuvenate and restore yourself in a unique aquatic surrounding in the Lost Chambers Aquarium Hatha Yoga Class."
At the aquarium you can "Discover the Myth of Atlantis." "Learn about the lost city of Atlantis, its culture, technology, and ancient citizens as you gaze upon the 65,000 marine animals that now make it their home."
And you can swim with and feed the 14 different species of sharks and rays. As well as meet two very rare white skinned baby albino alligator brothers. |
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| Let's play a game. We shall call it, can you find the cell phone tower? |
Having fun on the monorail
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| There is also a Dolphin Bay adventure where you can meet, play, and swim with dolphins. |
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By far, the coolest thing at the Palm Jumeirah was the Aquaventure Water Park. We didn't have the time to venture in but let me tell you about this place!!! The next time I go to Dubai, I am definitely going to have to play here.
There is the Atlantean Flyer zip line which is the longest zip line in the Middle East. It takes you for a ride 65 feet above the water park.
This water park is a one-of-a-kind 141 acre waterscape. "This non-stop acquatic thrill ride features over 20 million gallons of water, incredible Atlantean-themed towers, thrilling high-speed water slides, a one mile long river ride with rolling rapids and wave surges that are over 3 feet high, 20 swimming areas, a spectacular kids water-play fort, and 11 unique and refreshing swimming pools."
The most epic part of this water park is its slides....
Like the AQUACONDA!! The world's largest water slide. A giant sea-serpent will catapult you on a wild ride through a dark and twisting tunnel, before being dropped onto the largest fiber glass tube in the world.
or like the ZOOMERANGO!! Conquer gravity itself!! This water slide will have you experiencing a mix of sensations from mega plummets and vertical zooms, with thrilling bursts of weightlessness throughout.
or better yet, the POSEIDON'S REVENGE!! Feel your adrenaline sky rocket as you step into the catapult and wait.........wait for the moment when the floor falls out from beneath you and you plummet through the heart of the tower at speeds of 37 MPH before the fury of Poseidon propels you upside down.
or how about SLITHERINE!! Race your way down the world's first dual water slide within a water slide. Speed through a frenzy of twists and turns as you take on your friends to see who is the fastest, but watch out!! If you are not careful, you might just find yourself suspended in the belly of the AQUACONDA!!
But the one I really want to try is THE LEAP OF FAITH!! A 9 story tall mega-slide will hurtle you down its near-vertical drop in a mere second, only to find yourself speeding through a clear acrylic tube surrounded by numerous sharks and Cownose Rays.
And then there are the WATER COASTERS!! Experience some of the wildest water slides around. Using innovative technology that propels you up and down on jets of water. Navigate your way through the labyrinth of dark tunnels before emerging on the lazy river. |
By far the biggest and most stunning feature of the Palm Jumeirah is the Atlantis Hotel.....
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| It is a 5 star hotel comprising 113 acres. There are a grand total of 1,539 rooms and 166 suites. They have Presidential Suites. These suites are 2368 square feet of grandeur and majesty. Sophisticated and luxurious, the sprawling lounge offers areas for socializing as well as an adjacent office for all of your business requirements. It has a formal dining room big enough to entertain up to 8 guests. |
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| There are under water suites, the Poseidon and the Neptune. For around $8,167 per night, you can stay in a 1,776 square foot lavishly decorated under water suite. You can take a private ensuite elevator to your three story under water suite. Floor to ceiling windows provide a panoramic view of the Ambassador Lagoon, a 3 million gallon aquarium filled with more than 65,000 marine animals. In-room thrills include bath amenities with 24-Karat gold (apparently the soap has 24-Karat gold flakes in it) and a 24 hour butler service. |
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They had very beautiful sea murals painted on the ceiling of the Atlantis. The acoustics were excellent. I got a short video which I will post next.
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| Really cool dolphin light fixtures |
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| Wall sconces worthy of King Tritan. And you've got to love the swimsuit on the lower left....a swimsuit for the modern Muslim woman!! |
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| Aside from the under water suites and the Presidential suites, there are the Grand Atlantis Suites which has 4167 square feet. There are five balconies as well as an enormous sun terrace that spans three sides of the suite, giving sensational 270 degree views. It is decorated in delicate gold tones and has His and Her's bathrooms as well as a guest bedroom with an ensuite. |
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| And, of course, the "icing" on the cake is the "Royal Bridge Suite." Which happens to be that whole area between those two middle towers you see in the picture behind me. It has a roomy 9945 square feet to its name. With unrivaled panoramic views, the Royal Bridge Suite is private, exclusive, and truly unique. The Royal Bridge Suite has its own guarded entrance and elevator along with a dedicated team of butlers and chefs. There are three lavishly decorated bedrooms to choose from with their own lavish bathrooms as well as a spacious private lounge. It has its own private library, games, media center, and massage room. And last, but not least, it has its own private dining room that can seat up to 16 people. |
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| One often see's fancy schmancy cars. |
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| Local populous going for a walk on the boardwalk. |
After our self tour of the Atlantis, we took a drive on the outer ring of the island....
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| The off-ramp supports cracked me up. |
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| A dredging boat. |
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| One of these buildings is not like the others...... |
Here we are for another installment of interesting architecture in Dubai. I would like to introduce you to the Cayan Tower (aka, Twisted Tower or Infinity Tower). The name was changed to Cayan because there is more than one tower with the name "Infinity" and they wanted something different.
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| In 2013 this was the world's tallest high rise building with a twist of 90 degrees, it has since been surpassed by the Shanghai Tower. It is 1,000 feet high with 75 stories. Three levels are below ground. |
It is an apartment building designed with reconstituted wooden floors and Chinese synthetic marble counter tops and kitchen fixtures.
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| There are 495 luxury apartments. Each floor is identical, however, each floor was carefully designed to be rotated 1.2 degrees in comparison to the previous floor, forming a unique and stunning twist in architecture. |
After our tour of the Palm Jumeirah, we took a drive over to see the Burj Al Arab which is the world's only 7 star hotel and consequently one of the most expensive hotels you can stay in. It was built to resemble the said of the Dhow (traditional sailing ship). Naturally, I had to look up the fascinating facts about it. I took this picture from the monorail over at the Palm Jumeirah. Anyway, enjoy the fun, fascinating facts about the Burj Al Arab.......
The Burj Al Arab is Arabic for "Tower of the Arabs"
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| It took five years to build, two years to reclaim the island on the shore waters of the gulf and three years to build the hotel. It stands on an artificial island 920 feet from the Jumeirah beach and is connected to the mainland by a private, curving bridge. It has 28 double-story floors and 202 bedroom suites. It does not have ordinary rooms. The smallest suite in the hotel is 1,820 square feet and the largest covers 8,400 square feet. There are 142 one bedroom deluxe suites, 28 two bedroom deluxe suites, 18 panoramic suites, 4 club suites, 6 diplomatic suites, 2 presidential suites, and 2 royal suites. |
The higher floors provide amazing views of the other wonders of Dubai, like the Palm Jumeirah. Every floor has a reception desk (there are 60 floors). There is a helipad near the roof at 689 feet above ground. The restaurant, Al Muntaha (The Ultimate) is located 660 feet above the Persian Gulf. It is supported by a full cantilever that extends 89 feet from either side of the mast and is accessed by a panoramic elevator. The restaurant, Al Mahara (The Oyster) is accessed via a simulated submarine journey from the hotel lobby to the restaurant entrance. It features a large seawater aquarium that holds 260,000 gallons of water. Access to the hotel is only possible by invitation or reservation. There is a dress code to be followed in order to enter the hotel. No shorts or sneakers are allowed.
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| It is the 3rd largest hotel in the world at 1,053 feet. It is 145 feet taller than the Eiffel Tower and 196 feet shorter than the Empire State Building, and 39% of its total height is made up of non-occupiable space. There is an atrium in the center of the building, it is the world's tallest atrium, measuring at 600 feet high. The atrium is abundant in warm, natural light, flanked by golden columns, with a beautiful central fountain where water arches in sudden bursts over 137 feet in the air. The cascade waterfall combines finely atomized water with fiber optics to produce a unique kaleidoscope effect. As water and fog flow downward through the glass and stone filled steps, water arches elegantly in a choreographed movement. |
There are three aquariums, one on each side of the main lobby and the circular tank in the Al Mahara restaurant with approximately 50 species of fish in the tanks. There are 29,000 Swarovski crystals in the ceiling of the Junsui Lounge, designed in the shape of the Milky Way. There are over 30 kinds of Italian Statuario marble, the same marble used by Michelangelo, which was used on the walls and flooring. The finest and most exclusive materials were used for finishing the interiors, like custom made carpets and rugs from South Africa and India, marble from Brazil and Italy, wooden doors from Dubai, and chandeliers from the UK. 19,270 square feet of 24-Karat gold leaf was used to embellish the interior.
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| The palatial Royal Suite is fit for a Maharaja with an exquisite Majilis style lounge, library, and cinema room along with two master bedrooms, each with full size jacuzzi's and separate five head rain showers. The cost of staying in a suite begins at $1,000 per night and increases to over $15,000 per night. The Royal Suite is the most expensive at $24,000 per night. In addition to a dining and living area, each suite has an office area complete with laptop, internet access, private fax, printer, and copier. Eiderdown comforters in the rooms are some of the rarest in the world. The down is harvested from abandoned Eider duck nests in Iceland. There are 17 types of pillows available to guests on the pillow menu. Every guest gets their own 24-Karat gold ipad during their stay. |
Every female member of the front office and greeting desk team wears bespoke, gold earrings and necklace pendants in the shape of the Burj Al Arab logo. One of the world's largest fleets of Rolls Royce's are available for guests. There are 1080 steps to the 27th floor of the hotel. In 2008 it broke the Guinness world record for the most expensive cocktail, $7,444 and the world's largest tin of caviar in 2016, 599 oz of Empress caviar, the world's only fully certified organic caviar from native-raised Sturgeon.
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| The two pools are decorated with an incredible 10 million gold and azure mosaic tiles. There are full sized Hermes (fancy schmancy-pants perfumes) amenities in every suite. You get 24 hour personalized butler service. It is home to the highest tennis court in the world. It is the most expensive building in the world, with the total cost of construction coming in at a cool $650 million dollars. The restaurants of the hotel use 10 tons of chocolate every year, which is made from raw cocoa beans. And if you want to have a brief look around the grounds, it will cost you $150.00 to get in the gate. |
We walked around the Souk and I took some pictures of the interesting architecture.
After that, we went back to Aaron's house for dinner and games. When we got back to Aaron's I got a video of Mango and how excited he gets whenever anyone comes home.
Come back again tomorrow where Friday is Sunday and the weekends get really hard to keep straight.
