Dubai with Teri - Day 1

by Teri E. Popp, Tastemaker in Residence

Dubai. A city that is Disneyworld on steroids built for adults! The most populous city of the United Arab Emirates, it lies on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf.

A clean, urbane city, Dubai features wide sidewalks, tons of skyscrapers and expansive fountains. We decided the easiest way to tour this safe, spread-out, and large city was on the Hop On/Hop Off Bus. Featuring five separate routes, this turned out to be the most cost effective and fastest way to traverse Dubai.

The first night, we stayed in the Manzil Hotel in Downtown Dubai. Arriving at night, this was the perfect location to nighttime view the Burj Khalifa.

Currently the tallest building in the world, the Khalifa tower stands at 2,722 feet (829.8 meters) in height. Built in a circle around the Khalifa, Downtown Dubai houses businesses, hotels, residences and malls.

We went to the top of the Burj Khalifa before continuing on our journey through the Dubai Mall.  Containing both waterfalls and a full aquarium, it was a huge shopping extravaganza! It should be noted that shopping appears to be a very popular pastime in Dubai (when last I looked, there were 72 malls in Dubai, with more under construction).