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The World's Five Most Shocking Malls
Amusement parks, ice-skating rinks, wave pools, and IMAX theatres—believe it or not, these are all found inside of select malls around the world. And although many know of Minnesota's Mall of America, which continues to be a popular road trip destination, the shopping centers that beat it in both size and attractions require an international voyage.
So we spilled the beans; the most shocking malls are not within the United States, but can you guess where they are? Here's a hint: although mall culture is typically associated with North America's suburban malls, a continent on the other side of the world is taking their malls a thousand times more seriously, not to mention larger.
Join us in awe, won't you, as we run down the The World's Top Five Most Shocking Malls, after the jump.
Tags: Dubai Travel / Landmarks / Travel News / Recession Travel / → All Tags
In Dubai, It's The End Of 'The World'
In order for Dubai to survive the worldwide recession and nurture their burgeoning reputation as a must-visit destination, the weak and frivolous projects must suffer in favor of things that actually contribute to the city. Thus, we are only somewhat surprised to learn of the failure of the multi-billion-dollar project of man-made islands called "The World."
After all, the islands were only due to be accessibly by the richest of the rich, with no dynamic plans for the future after the many moneyed residents built their homes on the islands. The Burj Dubai and Dubai metro system will however positively impact both locals and tourists—that's why they get the go-ahead during these rough times while The World ends.
Tags: Dubai Travel / Landmarks / Travel News / Tourism / Skyscrapers / → All Tags
The Impossibly High Burj Dubai Will Have 124th-Floor Observation Deck
To tell you the truth, we're torn on the issue of tourism in Dubai. Is it a theme park of a city that caters to tourists versus travelers, or is it worth the visit for the unique experiences? Who knows when we'll find out since the place is so firmly out of budget anyways.
Just in case you also like to entertain the thought that a trip to Dubai is in your future, you'll either be delighted or scared shitless to learn that the famous Burj Dubai skyscraper is due to have its observation deck on the 124th floor. Of course the 160+ story building needs to be completed first, and that won't be happening until early December. In the meantime, the building is readying to open the world's first Armani Hotel in the first 37 stories. But let's hear a little more about that vertigo-inducing observation deck, shall we?
Tags: Prime-Plane-Spotting-Map / Plane Spotting / Dubai Travel / DXB / Emirates / → All Tags
Plane-Spot In Private From Dubai's JW Marriott Hotel
As much as we would have loved to have a video of a plane landing over the JW Marriott Hotel in Dubai in this story, it seems as though there is a serious dearth of photos and videos from plane spotters at DXB-Dubai International Airport. So let us then recommend a spot at which to make some: the aforementioned JW Marriott Hotel.
By requesting a room facing the runways, which usually run around $250 per night, you will get for yourself a truly awesome view of takeoffs and landings at the neighboring airport. The hotel sits at the end of a runway, so you won't feel as though you are sleeping at the airport, and it's luxurious enough to banish all thoughts of airport concessions. The key, however, is in asking for that runway-facing room without seeming suspicious.
Tags: Public Transportation / Dubai Travel / Subways / → All Tags
Dubai's First Subway Opens, And Not Of The Cold Cut Combo Variety
Dubai is a city of many superlatives, and as a result of their trying to build for themselves a great entertaining metropolis, the city seems constantly under construction. At least one major product was finished this month however, as the Arabian Gulf's first metro system opened on 09/09/09, transporting more than 366,968 in its first week and some 60,000 people this last Friday alone.
The metro is comprised of 11 trains and two lines, green and red, and is already seeing congestion with passengers more than eager to leave their cars at home. The five busiest stations even have attendants wearing "ask me" buttons; they are: Al Rashidya station, City Center, Union Square, Mall of Emirates and Nakheel Harbour and Tower. According to PSFK, "Dubai has been attempting to diversify its oil-dependent economy for some time... [and] has come to be seen by many as a leader in forging the Gulf’s way to more sustainable infrastructural development."
Tags: Dubai Travel / Travel Safety / Cars / → All Tags
Dubai's Latest Flashy Statement Of Wealth: Designer Seatbelts
Good old flashy Dubai might be one of the world's largest consumers of gold-covered cars, but apparently they think they're too cool for school to use a seatbelt. Thanks to Luxist, we hear that drivers in the United Arab Emirates are so loathe to use seatbelts, that the country is lauching its own aggressive seatbelt safety campaign a la the US and France.
WIth only 11% of Emiratis deigning to strap themselves in, auto accidents in Dubai and Abu Dhabi especially are oftentimes more serious than what should be. As a result, the seatbelt safety campaign wants to appeal to residents' love of luxury and fashion by painting the seatbelt as a statement, as well as safety, item.
How will they do this, you ask? Well, by printing seatbelts with logos of luxury brands, or your favorite team, or the Emirati flag. We imagine a taxi cab picking us up from Dubai's airport, and we climb into a back seat to buckle up with Armani belts. Luxist points out that luxury brands aren't exactly liberal with the use of their intellectual property and might poo-poo use of logos, but we bet that soon you'll able to buy seatbelts in Dubai slathered with the (unofficial) Louis Vuitton Damier pattern nonetheless.
Related Stories:
· Will Dubai Drivers Wear Gucci Seatbelts? [Luxist]
· Dubai Travel Coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: uncle boatshoes]
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Dining In Dubai Now Requires You To Sign Food Poisoning Waivers
It's 8pm in Dubai and you've been holed up in your hotel room working straight through dinner, and now your stomach is rumbling for a yummy shawarma. Be prepared to sign your life away in return for some Dubai take-out, as our friend Neal Ungerleider informs, because restaurants in the glittering capital of high-rise construction cranes are requiring diners to sign releases in case of possible food poisoning.
This comes after the food poisoning deaths of a 5-year-old boy and his 7-year-old sister, children of an Air France flight attendant who lives in Dubai. And since litigation is no fun thing, restaurants in the city are arming themselves with warning stickers on food bags, advising customers to consume food within two hours of purchase. Even more direct and unsettling is being presented with a release form, as you are at the Kempinski Hotel Mall. The waiver goes a little something like this:
Tags: Dubai Travel / Amusement Parks / Theme Parks / → All Tags
Casper the Friendly Ghost Will Live On With A Dubai Theme Park
The Dubai Festival City, full of luxury hotels and entertaining shops, is getting a kind of spooky addition: the Casper Theme Park, due to open up early in 2010. Our favorite friendly ghost has decided to haunt ever-expanding Dubai and no doubt make the developers a pack of money, especially since a new Casper TV series is due to launch later this year.
The Casper Theme Park will include the biggest monorail in the Middle East along with a rollercoaster and various other rides and games. They're obviously hoping this will put Dubai onto the list of places kids beg their parents to take them too, and it sounds like more child-friendly attractions might be in the pipeline.
Tags: Wine Travel / Dubai Travel / Airport News / → All Tags
Only In Dubai: A Duty-Free Bottle of $27,000 Wine
When you go to Dubai, the general consensus says to go big or go home; this idea applied to duty-free shopping at Dubai International Airport means just as great a broad a luxury selection in the airport as on the main shopping drags.
Not to be left behind in the luxury duty-free party is fine wine, the best of which is now available at Le Clos within Terminal 3, which prides itself on featuring the rarest of rare vintages. Staffed by six wine advisors and two spirits advisors, Le Clos will help you make that difficult decision between prized bottles of $12,500 Château Petrus 1947, $15,750 Château Cheval Blanc 1961, and $27,778 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 2005. At this shop, the vintages begin with wines from 1945, but we'd be pretty happy popping the cork on that last one in the list.
Considering that there's this pesky recession and you might be in a bit of a hurry, exchange the visibility and time of in-store browsing by pre-ordering your bottles at their website and picking up at the airport.
Related Stories:
· Le Clos at Dubai Airport [Official Site]
· Shop Opens In Dubai Airport Selling Some of World's Rarest Wines [Decanter]
· Dubai Airport's Ultra-Pricey Wine Shop [Luxist]
· Dubai Travel Coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Emirates Airlines]
Tags: Tourists / Dubai Travel / Crime / Fashion Travel / → All Tags
Dubai Tourist Arrested For Wearing Nude Posh Spice Tee
He's literally a fashion victim! Haha but really, it's official: we can't ever go to Dubai because we fear that the second we touch down, we'll be arrested. That was pretty much the case this last week for a Lebanese tourist in the Emirate, who made the mistake of wearing one of Marc Jacobs' celebrity nude T-shirts, and was promptly hauled in and sentenced to one month in jail for sporting the offending garment.
His T-shirt, part of a series ironically benefitting NYU's melanoma research—the perfect thing to wear to a beach resort, natch—featured Victoria Beckham almost nude, with text covering her rude bits. The man was originally confronted by a local at a bakery, and when he returned after changing clothes, the police were waiting.
Considering that we totally own one of the shirts from the same series, although ours sports a naked man (Marc humself), we should probably steer clear of using it as a beach cover-up outside of the Burj Al-Arab. But considering how money and label-focused Dubai, you think maybe we could get out of any trouble by explaining that Marc Jacobs is the designer for Louis Vuitton? Yea, we didn't think so either. Keep it clean out there folks; only plain American Apparel T-shirts allowed and leave the racy ads at home.
Related Stories:
· Man Jailed In Dubai For Wearing Marc Jacobs T-Shirt [StyleList]
· In Dubai, Sex On The Beach Could Lead To Prison [Jaunted]
· Dubai Travel Coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: elvis_payne; T-shirt photo: ebay]
Tags: Middle East Travel / Dubai Travel / Emirates / → All Tags
Emirates' Air Pass Gets Us Thinking About Arabian Nights
There's something enticing about the Arabian Air Pass that Emirates has just launched. We've always considered Dubai little more than a convenient hub for long-haul flights, but the exotic-sounding Arabian Air Pass is giving us some new ideas.
Obviously not pleased with Dubai's stepping-stone status, Emirates wants everyone to vacation in the Middle East and not continue on to Europe or Asia. The air pass deal means you can get cheap flights from Dubai to a dozen different cities in the region, including Cairo, Doha, Muscat and Damascus. Some flights are just $50 one-way (Doha or Muscat, for example) and longer flights are $150 each way (think Cairo or Damascus).
There are few strings attached, of course: you have to return to Dubai after your Middle Eastern jaunt and you can only get your air pass fares this cheap if you've paid more than $500 for a return ticket to Dubai from wherever you're starting. You need to buy all your tickets at once and there's a limit of six one-ways per person.
Related Stories:
· Arabian Air Pass [Official Site]
· Emirates Offers Low-Cost Air Pass [NY Times]
· Emirates Coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: cgsheldon]
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Dubai Doesn't Skimp on the Opulence with Cavalli Club
If it were up to Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, the economy would bounce back this week in order for the world to embrace his love affair with animal prints, gold, and opulent environments through the opening of his new club in Dubai.
Alas, we awoke this morning to another day of the recession despite his attempts to re-invigorate the economy with pricey alcohol and a return to partying for partying's sake. Following the success of his first Florence club, Cavalli opened his second shindig space attached to The Fairmont Hotel at a cost of $30 million. Here's what you'll find behind its gilded gates:
