In the Air. While you can’t rent your own jet pack just yet, you can zoom over the Palm Island or Burj Al Arab in a straight-out-of-the-Jetsons glass-hatch gyrocopter, piloted by Skydive Dubai. The company also offers dizzying free-fly jumps, with only a wingsuit between you and the sandscape below.
For more civilized aviation adventures, Seawings’ luxury seaplane departs from a water taxiway in Dubai, then glides over UAF landmarks and alights on the remote isle of Sir Bani Yas, where the desert-island safari of your fantasies awaits. Giraffes, cheetahs and gazelles, along with rare species like the Arabian oryx, roam free in one of the Middle Fast’s hugest wildlife reserves. Finish your aerial tour with an exclusive sunrise charter above stunning desert vistas. Balloon Adventures Emirates owns four of the world’s largest hot air balloons, along with smaller baskets for just you and your VIP crew.
In the Snow. Leave it to this unquenchable desert metropolis to dream up Ski Dubai, a massive, 242,000-square-foot snowplex inside the Mall of the Emirates. It’s home to the Snow Bullet – the world’s first indoor, subzero zip line. Sail above that black-diamond run (earning its white- knuckle status with a 200-foot drop), a toboggan course and a waddle of king penguins.
And lest you forget this is a land where size matters, Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, just announced another colossal snow center, this time with even bigger bragging rights. The 4,000-foot run (at the forthcoming Meydan One center) will be the longest indoor ski slope in the world, nearly tripling the current record holder. Pack your snow gear for its 2020 debut.
In the Water. There comes a time in every gentleman’s life when he must go head-to-jaw with a half-ton shark (though you probably didn’t expect it would go down next to Bloomingdales). The massive 10 million-liter tank at the center of the Dubai Mall – part of the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo – is home to the largest frenzy of sand tiger sharks in the world. Book one of the thrice-daily dives to join them underwater in an intimate group of four, supervised by a certified dive master.
If you prefer gentler sea creatures, head to Atlantis, The Palm’s lush Dolphin Bay, where you can reserve your own lagoon for an afternoon with a pod of cetaceans. Or learn the centuries-old art of pearl diving with an interactive excursion from Dubai Travel & Culture Services. Their crew will escort you to a secluded cove off Jebel Ali port, where you’ll climb aboard the ancient wooden deck of a 60-foot sailing dhow and scour the seafloor.
