13 Dec 2019 - Dubai Day 3: Burj Khalifa, At the Top of the World

Our first activity today was to conquer the Top of the World.  Yes, we were on our way to Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building since 2009.  We tried to follow the signage in Dubai Mall to Burj Khalifa but ended up getting lost in the massive mall.  Fortunately, we started our day early and were still slightly earlier than our allocated time when we arrived at the entrance.

From the entrance, we went through the security checks and on our way to the elevator, we passed through a gallery showing the different stages of this amazing construction.

We then took the world's longest travel distance elevators (504 m) to ascend the world's tallest tower at 10 meters per second.  Once we reached the observation decks on the 124th and 125th floors, we had a breathtaking views of Dubai's skyline, desert, and ocean through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls.

The small cluster of low-rise buildings in the middle of the photo below were our apartment where we stayed in Dubai.

Time for some wefie and selfie.

We could see Port Rashid at a distance.  That's where we will be going tomorrow to board our cruise ship, Costa Diadema.

While admiring the amazing views all around us, we saw a cluster of small islands out in the sea.  It's actually a group of about 100 man-made islands forming a World Map.  And it's called the World Islands.

Below is the satellite photo of the World Islands from Google Map.  When I zoom in, I could see the different countries, including Singapore.

We could vaguely see Burj Al Arab Jumeirah from afar and a faint glimpse of The Palm behind it.

We then ventured outside into the open-air terrace and enjoy a more clear perspective of the sweeping views of Dubai.

Javier was interested to use the telescopes provided for close-up real time views of the areas.  With this, we could see the cruise terminal at Port Rashid pretty clearly.

A visit to Burj Khalifa's observation deck on the 124th and 125th floors is a must-do for every visitor in Dubai.  We all felt so cool to be at the Top of the World.

After we left the observation decks and descended to the ground floor, we saw another project which is currently under construction called the Dubai Creek Tower.  It will become the world's tallest building upon completion in a few years' time.

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