Shopping mall tourism? The Dubai

I was in the Dubai, United Arab Emirates this past spring, and I must admit I was rather unmoved by what seems to be the national pastime, and a prime reason for visiting for many tourists – shopping.

Yes, in the Dubai, you can literally shop until you drop.

But, even if you’re not a shopping fan, it’s unlikely you’ll completely avoid the temples to consumerism erected all over the city. If you only visit one, make sure it’s the Dubai Mall.

The Dubai Mall is easily accessible, with its own metro exit. And it’s where you will have to go anyway to see the world’s tallest skyscraper – the Burj Khalifa ( see my earlier post on Burj Khalifa – Skyscraper tourism).

There’s plenty to do besides shop. The mall houses a full aquarium, with the large tank visible to visitors who don’t buy aquarium tickets. My sons had fun watching the divers feeding fish to the sharks.

There was a dinosaur skeleton, shipped over from Wyoming and reassembled in the … err… Dubai Mall.

There’s also a full-size ice skating rink inside the mall, which must be a particularly pleasant escape in the sweltering desert heat. Apparently, this desire for Alpine sports in a desert metropolis is widespread. Another Dubai mall has an artificial ski slope, complete with ski lift.

We decided to skip the skiing on our short stay in the Dubai.

However, we did enjoy a bit of a wander in these over-the-top shopping malls. And it was a good way to duck in from the relentless desert heat.

For other tips about what to do in the Dubai, see my earlier post on Gold and spice souks, Dubai.