If Dubai wants winter, it will get it! They have created winter in the desert at the Emirates Mall shopping centre in the centre of Dubai (the metro stops right next to the mall, at the stop of the same name). The mall itself is also nice, but the main thing is not to get stuck in the shops on the way to ‘winter’. I couldn’t resist a little.
The complex is indoor, approximately 25 stories high, and the total area, including the ski slopes, is 22,000 square metres. The snow is up to 70 cm deep, which is quite enough for skiing.
It’s good that there are lockers at the entrance to the Winter Park (they’re not cheap, costing 35 dirhams each), and there are lots of them, arranged in rows, so you can get changed between them. They’re essential for bags and shoes, as warm clothes are issued at the entrance. These are necessary as the temperature in the complex is -4 degrees.
Tip: take a warm sweater, as the jacket is quite light and it was cool wearing it over a summer T-shirt. Disposable socks are provided, everything else is washed and sealed in bags.
At the ticket office, you will be offered a huge selection of options: from the simplest package, which includes just the Snow Park for 150 dirhams, with sledding, to mountain skiing, snowboarding and contact with penguins. The paper ticket is a wristband that you wear on your wrist or fold into a hidden pocket on your jacket sleeve. The second piece of paper is the key to your locker, so don’t throw it away.
Be sure to check at the ticket office what time the penguin show is, so you can get to the stage (for those who have not purchased a ‘contact ticket’). Personal interaction is by the hour, so if you want to do this, check the schedule online in advance. The cost is up to 850 dirhams, depending on the options selected. Even if you buy the cheapest ticket, you will get a few minutes of enjoyment from these delightful wonders — the cuteness is off the charts. The show takes place every 2 hours.
Start small — take a walk through the caves to get used to the temperature difference. Of course, as is customary in Dubai, everything shimmers and glows.
For very young children under 3 years old, there is a ‘playpen’ with a tiny slide.
Everyone else can enjoy sledges, ice slides, riding inside balls and on snow tubes, snow climbing walls and climbing towers.
For those who want to go downhill skiing or snowboarding, there are five slopes, which are quite ‘toy-like’, with a maximum length of 400 metres, 60 metres of which are free fall. But the ski lift is quite real. You can book the services of an instructor.
And if you like to fly, there is a snow bullet, where you can see winter from under a dome, from a height of 16 metres (for children over 8 years old and only accompanied by an adult).
There is a small car track without snow if you get tired of skiing.
For 150 dirhams, you can take buy a photo in a cover.
At the exit, there are several shops offering souvenirs and special ski clothing and equipment.
Inside the park, there are maps and direction signs showing where the slopes are.
If you can’t go inside, you can go up to the glass outside and see the penguin show through the glass from a distance, or sit in the N 28 café near the glass.
Now for my personal impressions — this is subjective, and I was almost killed recently for saying ‘the coffee was so-so’: it makes sense to go in two categories — families with children and people who live in countries where snow is rare. For me personally, it was a waste of time and money.
