#871 Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Where in the world can you travel many countries and continents in comfort in less than an afternoon? I really hate to be an advertisement, but of any mall I have ever been to in the world, this one has had the most imagination and the most beautiful design -- the Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai in the UAE. It may not be as record breaking as the Dubai Mall under the Burj tower, but it is more pleasant and every visitor should learn something -- about the namesake Ibn Battuta.

Ibn Battuta was a Moroccan traveller who went around the world centuries before Marco Polo, his most famous European equivalent. He went across the Middle East, completed his Hajj pilgrimmage to Mecca and continued on through India and Asia to China. In order to replicate his route (focusing on the more famous parts, of course!) the mall progresses from China court at one end, which has a food hall and cinema along with an enormous Chinese junk boat, through India Court, Persia Court, Egypt Court, Tunisia Court to finally Andalusia at the other end.

Unfortunately, every time I went there I was not taking photos but focusing on shopping so none of the following photos are mine. It takes a good 15 minutes to walk from end to end as its 1.3km long, unless you get the convenient train!

China Court. Image from www.ianandwendy.com

India Court. Image from tripadvisor.com

Egypt Court. Image from timeoutdubai.com

Egypt Court from the outside. Image from flickr.com

Persia Court. Photo from madiganburke.blogspot.com. If you look closely at the Persia Court tiles you will see that they are not really tiles. Innovative workers painted these beautiful creations instead. While this may be a disappointment for traditionalists, it is smart on a commercial scale -- and still beautiful!

Persia Court. Image from www.tripadvisor.com

Tunisia Court. Image from www.uae-businessdirectory.com

Andalusia Court. Image from travelblog.org

While I am not wishing to advertise a company, the mall website can be found here.

#903 Gold Souq, Dubai, UAE

I never really knew what rich was until I visited the Gold Souq in Dubai. It was a sweltering mid-July day when if you're wearing glasses and you try and go from inside to outside, they immediately fog up because of the humidity. It is so sweaty that being outside for any length of time is draining. The gold souq was empty, but the gleaming windows were free of onlookers so we could gawp all we wanted! Wow -- so much yellow (the preferred variety in this part of the world as purity is more important than durability). So big! So much! It's not much more than a block or two, but it feels like the concentration of shops and jewelry makes up for its small size. I could wander and find a favorite design or simply marvel at the styles. Some are ugly and others elegant. Some can clearly only be afforded by a rich oil baron, but almost all is intended to be part of a dowry. An amazing cultural exchange!

#909 Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE

Soaring a mile over the sands of Dubai and towering over all surroundings, the "new" Burj Dubai, was renamed the Burj Khalifa after the sultan of Abu Dhabi (because he bailed poor Dubai out of it's financial troubles). It and it's smaller brother the "old" Burj Dubai, the elegant sail on the ocean's edge, are truly very elegant buildings and marvels of architecture and engineering. Whether it's having high tea at the 7-star old Burj, or enjoying the musical fountains in front of Dubai Mall at the foot of the new Burj, they are both examples of the elegant living that is Dubai.

And while you can't go to the top, you can visit a platform that is certainly high enough! With spectacular views over the metropolis of Dubai, following the Sheikh Zayed road as it disappears into the deserts towards Abu Dhabi or looking at the various canals from above, all views are impressive. What a wonder!