Indoor attractions of Dubai

MOST of my friends think I’m crazy to visit the desert at this time of the year, but Dubai actually has plenty of attractions for those who hate the heat.

It’s extremely hot outside. This is my first time here in Dubai during summer yet I have already lined up a few things to do indoors.

Thanks to Klook, booking attractions whenever I travel couldn’t be more easier.

Klook, Asia’s largest in-destination services booking platform gives travellers a simple and trusted way to conveniently book and

enjoy travel services ranging from popular attractions, local experiences, outdoor excursions, WiFi and transportation, to food and dining deals around the world.

Klook offers more than 40,000 travel activities and services at more than 200 destinations worldwide!

All I have to do is download the Klook app, search for what I want to do during my travel, and make the booking in just a click. I can actually add my desired selections in the cart and make a bundle check out. No need to make the purchase one by one, just make it as a bundle — really easy.

So, what can you do in Dubai during summer?


INDOOR ZOO

If you have kids who love animal (and you love to pet some too), head to Green Planet Dubai, the region’s first bio-dome that recreates the enchanting world of a tropical forest with its rich bio-diversity of over 3,000 plants and animals.

Green Planet Dubai is conveniently located at the junction of Al Wasl Road and Safa Road, near the City Walk. If you go by car, parking is free.

You can buy your ticket upon arrival but do bear in mind that the ticket counter is on the outside. Luckily I had bought my ticket online for just RM90 and so I head directly inside.

Surrounded by tropical greenery, it’s definitely an ideal place to be during summer.

The entire interior building is architectured into a beautiful tropical forest, making you feel like you have been transported to a totally different destination.

There are four glorious nature layers that have been painstakingly recreated within the dome, full of exotic flora and fauna that can only be found in the world’s rainforests.

Our self-guided tour starts by taking a lift to the top floor — The Canopy. Here, at 40 metres from the ground is where the sunlight and rainfall are diffused. I spot a few colourful birds, including the bright blue parrot.

There’s also the bat cave, which houses Seba’s short tail fruit bats. These fruit bats are an essential part of the rainforest ecosystem and help trees propagate by dispersing seeds far and wide.

Then, I leisurely walk down the sloping walkway towards The Midstory place where I get to witness a sloth crawling up the pole.

This is actually my first time seeing a free walking sloth upclose. Do you know that a sloth can spend up to 15 hours a day sleeping at one place? They are known to be lazy and slow but surprisingly they climb the pole rather quickly!

At the Midstory area, visitors will learn about the middle layer of the rainforest and its large leaves. Among the animals living in this part of the layer is the cute squirrel monkey which is only found throughout South America. They have a very long tail that they use to balance themselves while jumping

from one tree to another.

The Burmese pythons are oneof the largest snake species in the world reaching up to 6 metres and weighing 90kg. At Green Planet, visitors actually get a chance to touch and get to know more about them. There’s also an observation view area for your Instagram shots!

Further down is the Forest Floor, where a variety of animals live in its humid environment.

They include the sugar gliders, nocturnal mammals with a thin skin flap behind their arms which helps them glide from one tree to another. Also, there’s various types of bugs, insects and ants living here, including the Leaf Cutter Ants.

The Flooded Rainforest area holds unusual fauna that thrives in the wet, flooded environment. You can spot the Archer fish, a unique sea creature that cam squirt water up in the air and aim for their prey.

This amazing recreation of the tropical rainforest is the perfect opportunity not just to learn about the forest ecosystems, but also how vital these areas are to people and what they do for the whole planet. It’s a great way to get closer to nature.


LUXURY LUNCH

Another of my Dubai to do summer list is to dine at one of the iconic private hotels in Dubai, the Burj Al Arab. Burj Al Arab is a very private resort.

Not everyone can visit as you need to be guests to get in. Well, since I can’t afford a stay here, I decide to just go for a lunch and Klook offers a great deal for just RM682 per person for lunch at Junsui.

At the security area, I just show the voucher from the Klook app and is immediately given access to enter the property, no questions ask.

The place is literally flashy and extravagant. Sadly, one can’t simply roam around the hotel. I only get to go where I’m intended to go — the restaurant. Good thing is that the security is really tight here.

At Junsui, I get to indulge in the opulent settings, bathed in Swarovski crystals. I get a seat by the window overlooking the ocean. It’s breathtaking.

Junsui offers lunch buffet serving authentic and the rich flavours of Far East Asia cuisine. The myriad of influences includes Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Indonesian and Korean cuisine. There’re eight live cooking stations that allow you to see what the chef is cooking.

The staff are very friendly, and the food is up to par— great presentation and delicious too. One will definitely be satisfied with the three hour dining experience.


INDOOR FUN

Another must-go attraction is the new Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, the world’s first Warner Bros indoor theme park. Opened recently, I am really excited to be the first to visit!

It’s the weekend and as expected, the theme park is already crowded. The queue to buy the tickets are super long, but using Klook, I get to skip the line and the ticket is much more cheaper, at RM286. However, express passes aren’t available in Klook.

However, once you get past the security check using the mobile app, you can upgrade to express pass at the service counter inside.

There are six immersive zone but first, I get to explore the Warner Bros. Plaza which is the centre part. The area has an elegant art deco that celebrates the Golden Age of Hollywood and everything Warner. There’re no rides here at the plaza but you can do a little shopping and perhaps dine at the various options.

Get exclusive range of Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi merchandise at Warner Bros Studio Store, or at the Superstar Souvenirs for a range of Looney Tunes fashion essentials including hats, tees and fun souvenirs.

There’s also the DC Super Heroes Store where one can grab a unique memento of your day withy our favourite DC Super Heroes.

Once the park fully opens at 11am, I head to the Bedrock, on the right side of the park.

Here is where I go yabba-dabba-doo on the Flintstones Bedrock River Adventure.

It’s a super fun and wet ride which takes me to the prehistoric sights and sounds of Bedrock on a day in the life of everyone’s favourite Stone Age family — The Flintstones and The Rubbles. Here at Bedrock, I get to pose on the cool stone-age vehicle and meet the characters!

Next is the Dynamite Gulch zone where one can be a little wacky and if you’re one of the brave one like me, go on the Fast and Furry-ous roller coaster that takes you around coyote country, high above dunes, over the hills and around tight turns as Wile E. Coyote does his best to catch Roadrunner.

Psst... this ride is wild! There’re also rides for the young here at the zone including The

Jetson’s Cosmic Orbiter and Marvin the Martian Crater Crashers.

One of my favourite childhood cartoons is Tom and Jerry and here at the Cartoon Junction, not only do I get to meet and greet them but also go on their adventure too! The Tom and Jerry: Swiss Cheese Spin may look cute from the outside but in fact is a thrilling ride where you’ll join the madcap duo on an epic chase full of twists and turns. Another of my favourite cartoons ride here include the Scooby-Doo: The Museum of Mysteries.

Last but not least, the two exciting zone that I really want to go is the Gotham City and Metropolis, home to the legendary super heroes.

Here, I get to meet Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and many more. Among the rides not to be missed is the 5D ride of Justice League: War world Attacks where you join Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest of the super heroes in an epic face-off against their greatest enemies; Superman 360: Battle for Metropolis is a pulse-pounding 3D attraction featuring the Man of Steel in a battle of heroes against villains to determine the fate of Metropolis and more.

My favourite is the Joker Funhouse where you can take on a series of physical and mental challenges conjured up by Batman’s nemesis in this villainous twist on the classic carnival walk through experience. If you dare, that is!

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