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Friday, November 25, 2011

Burj Khalifa- The Tallest


The jet lag played the truant as I got up and quietly looked up at the watch. ‘Oh No” it was just 2.30 AM and I was wide awake. I did some writing and waited for the day to break. My wife too woke up by 5 AM and we enjoyed a good cup of tea. I then headed for a walk on the streets and was surprised to find a lot of people on the streets ready to go for work. There was a flurry of activity every where and I realized that Sunday was a working day in Dubai.
After a sumptuous breakfast, we headed for ‘Burj Khalifa’ the tallest structure in the world. At a nearby bus stop I purchased a ‘recharge card’ and hopped in a bus to the nearby Khaleed  Bin Waleed metro station. The metro is sparkling clean and very efficient. It is very fast and provides a glimpse of the busy city enmeshed with criss cross roads, lush green parks and beautiful flowers. Despite the hot weather and high temperatures the grass was green and fresh flowers greeting the onlooker.This has been achieved  by using ‘drip technology’ optimally.
At the Burj Khalifa station there is a bus connection to the Dubai Mall. The Palace hotel en route to the Dubai Mall resembles a fortress in all its grandeur with neatly manicured bushes resembling boxes, the swaying palm trees and rock solid walls. A short drive brought us to the ‘Fashion Parking’ space at the Dubai Mall.. It is aptly named as right above are all the brands on display ranging from Louis Vuitton, D& G, Versace and Jimmy Choo to name a few. The glitter of neon lights, huge restaurants, and display of wide array of luxury items gives a feeling of a never ending party. We reached the base of Burj Khalifa and learnt that a ticket for immediate entry would put us back by 400 AED per person or alternatively, a wait for one hour would cost AED 100. As we were in no hurry, waiting was the best option. After purchasing a ticket for 12 O’ clock entry, we went around the mall to explore. A short walk brought us to the Dubai fountains which operate only in the evening, but provided a stunning view of the ‘Burj Khalifa’ kissing the sky. We indulged in a photo session and then headed to the ‘Gold Souk’ in the mall. It has a grand horse, and a throne reminding of the medieval era and sparkling gold and precious stone jewelry shops every where. The daintily draped excited girls were taking photographs after posing on the magnificent throne.
It was time to return to the Burj ! At the reception is a scale down model of the tower with a brief history of its making and comparison with other tall buildings in the world. One goes through a maze of  the dark tunnels towards escalators with a lovely audio visual show of the making of this historic landmark.  The entry into the lift meant for final ascent, gives a feeling of entry to a discotheque with psycheldic lights and loud music. At 828 m and 164 stories it holds a number of unique records. The climb to observation deck at 124 storey takes just more than a minute. As we stepped out of the lift we were swept off our feet to see the spectacular view of the ‘dwarf city’ below. As the day was clear we could see the high rise buildings, the flow of traffic , all appearing like toys in a fantasy land. There are telescopes with markings of all major landmarks of the city and by bringing cross hair one can zoom in/out and admire the grand view. With a flip of a switch one can see the night view with glittering lights and dark background of emptiness of the night. All visitors are awestruck by this ‘once in a lifetime moment’ on the modern marvel at a dizzy height.
The descent from the lift is equally fast, but not before visiting the souvenir and coffee shop atop the building. The walk back to the starting point gave a sense of fulfillment for the memorable visit to this grandeur of glass and concrete




                                   A  bird's eye view of Dubai from atop Burj Khalifa

39 comments:

  1. nice! its a savior for the all the insanely rich sheikhs struggling with depleting oil reserves :)

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  2. Yea its tallest, famous and beautiful. One of beautiful destinations. Beautiful capture, nice view. At first sight I confused about first picture, I thought its Petronas twin tower, later found the truth ;)

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  3. Wow! Good information. And wonderful photographs.. :)

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  4. I have yet to take the ride up the elevator... you have described your experience well :)

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  5. What an adventure - definitely one of the architectural wonders of the world!

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  6. Very nice, interesting and informative post. Lovely pic.

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  7. I'd love to see dubai!!! It's in my plans for next year you know?

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  8. Hi,
    Thank You for the visit to my blog and the lovely comment on my recent post. Glad you liked.

    Loved this Dubai picture. You have manage to capture best view of Khalifa. i do have some taken from ground level only.

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  9. Lovely! Your words paint a better picture than the photos ( they are also very nice). I have never gone beyond the Dubai Airport (this is my transit point on my visits to Africa). If the airport is any indication I am sure the city would be lovely!

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  10. An architectural marvel it is....And on everyone's to-do list too..

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  11. Thank you Rahul, for making me so envious of all the places you and your wife have been visting. Gosh, not since I left school have I felt such a strong pang of envy :)

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  12. The building doesn't look real at all! Modern marvel!

    I remember my aunt telling me that a slight stench emanates from the plants on the sides of the roads, because they use recycled waste water for them.

    Thanks for the introduction to the new building, the tallest building!

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  13. nice pics....and some good info for the ones travelling to dubai..i heard maybe heresay they are coming up with a burj in mumbai as well...i wait for that day..

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  14. It is a very beautiful building and I like the angle of the photo. What a great view too:-)

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  15. WoW ~ what an amazing and beautiful structure! I've heard of Dubai and want to visit the mall :) After reading your wonderful story, I think my first destination will be the "Gold Souk" :D Sounds enchanting!

    Thank your for taking us on another amazing journey, Rahul! I enjoyed the 'flight' up to the top of Burj Khalifa! :)

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  16. smashing shots!





    Aloha from Honolulu

    Comfort Spiral

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  17. The pic makes me more desparate to visit Dubai!! Maybe for work, or maybe just to have a fun filled holiday!! Nice pics!! :)

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  18. Marvellous views and photographs! Thank you so much for your very kind comments on my blog. I truly appreciate it.

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  19. @ AS- Yes I think you have a point there!
    @ Shreya-Thanks for liking..Nice confusion.. :)
    @ Sahana- Welcome to my blog and thanks for the lovely comment.
    @ Purvi- Have fun and must take that ride... you will like it!
    @ Lady Fi= Thanks a ton for your comment
    @ Babli- Thanks a lot! :)
    @ Francesca R- Hope you make the trip soon!
    @ Sush-Welcome to my blog and thanks for the nice comment!
    @ Meera- Wow that was a lot of praise! Am happy you liked and hope you see Dubai when you visit next!
    @ The BB- Chintan- Do see it! You will like it..
    @ Rachna- Such a nice comment could come only from you! I will share a few more..:)
    @ Sandhya- Good one! Liked your remark..
    @ Alka- I do not know when we will see Burj in India!:(..Let us make do with one in Dubai..
    @ Spiderdama- Am sohappy you liked ! You capture such good shots so I need some tips from you!
    @ Lady Fiona- Your praise is like another poetry and I treasure it!
    @ Cloudia- Wow! Again coming from a great photographer.. I really love this!
    @ Binu- Welcome to my blog and thanks a ton for the follow! You made my day..
    @ Ash- Believe me, I wait for your captures but usually it is a long wait! :( Make it more frequent...:)

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  20. I visited the tower in March...What a structure! Now waiting to see the mile tower from the saudis...

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  21. Enjoyed reading and 'seeing' Dubai through your post and experiences :) These are great memories...Thanks for visiting my space. Cheers!

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  22. I have seen this building only in the travel Channel, many times. It was amazing to know how they had built this high structure.
    Beautiful description and good pictures too. So where are you now holidaying?
    I somehow never get jet lag when I visit a new country, but experience it as soon as I arrive back home. I suppose the excitement of seeing a new place works its magic on me, plus I have to have full paisa vasool, and can't let anything come in the middle.
    Nice reading through your blog.

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  23. Dubai has been one of the least favourite places I've visited. Although I must admit that when it comes to modern, cutting-edge skyscrapers, malls and skylines, they lead the pack.

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  24. @ Ashok-Yes marvel it is!
    @ SprigBlossoms- Thanks for liking! I liked your blog..
    @ Rama-Holidaying is a never ending party with excitement till you return! Thanks for liking. I will share more experiences soon!
    @ Seema- Thanks a lot. Welcometomy blog!
    @ Sam- Quite agree as it is inhospitable weather wise.. :(

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  25. Nice description, I havenbt seen any of the Arab countries, they look quite fascinating.

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  26. Thank You Renu for liking! Dubai is certainly worth a visit!

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  27. It is a magnificent building but had I been in your place, I would have engaged in retail therapy :)

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  28. True Purba.. Too many temptations to resist! :)

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  29. wow... nice view Sir... lovely post...

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  30. Sir, please write a tiny post of the places you haven't seen...:)

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  31. Saru, If I got a chance to see, I would like to trot the whole world... so much there to see...:)

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  32. This must have been a wonderful experience. The last image looks like taken from an airplane, it is amazing. I wonder how it feels to sleep so high up in the heavens.;)
    xoxo

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  33. Wonderful it was :)Yeah, I too wonder how people would feel sleeping at those dizzy heights!Thanks for your nice comments!

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  34. Thanks for visiting my blog and liking this post

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  35. Wow.. looks like you had a very memorable trip Rahul-ji. The birds-eye view pic is magnificent!! When I flew for the first time, I had the same feeling and excitement of looking at the dwarfed city and buildings below :-)

    Would like to visit Burj Kalifa soon :)

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  36. Thanks Anand.. Yes it was a lovely trip.. Best of luck for your trip

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