UAE & Oman Trip: Day 8-10 Dubai – The Palm Jumeirah

Entrance to The Palm Jumeirah Coordinate: 25 06’14.36″N 55 09’10.14″E

The Palm Jumeirah is easily accessed through Jumeirah Beach Road. We drove through the main trunk island up to the last frond and then took a subsea tunnel to reach Atlantis The Palm area. I was told that the original plan to connect the main trunk island to Atlantis The Palm area via onland road abandoned due to aesthetic reason (the palm does not look attractive when seen from above if there is a connecting road). We had to park in the designated parking area and from there took a 5-min interval shuttle bus to Atlantis The Palm, and nearby Aquaventure. Near Atlantis is Aquaventure monorail station where one can take round trip for Dhs25.

The Palm Jumeirah as shown on Monorail card

   

Designated Parking Area for Visitors

 Designated Parking Area coordinate:  25 08’16.97″N 55 07’32.36″E

 

Shuttle Bus. Shown here Aquaventure Bus Stop

   

 

Aquaventure as seen from monorail

 

The Palm Jumeirah is an artificial island created using land reclamation by Nakheel, a company owned by the Dubai government. It is one of three islands called The Palm Islands which extend into the Persian Gulf, increasing Dubai’s shoreline by a total of 520 km. The Palm Jumeirah is the smallest and the original of three Palm Islands (Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira) under development by Nakheel. It is located on the Jumeirah coastal area of the emirate of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Construction began on the Palm Jumeirah island in June 2001 and the island has been created using 94 million cubic metres of sand and 7 million tons of rock.

The Palm Jumeirah is in the shape of a palm tree. It consists of a trunk, a crown with 17 fronds, and a surrounding crescent island that forms an 11 kilometre long breakwater. The island is 5 kilometres by 5 kilometres and its total area is larger than 800 football pitches. The crown is connected to the mainland by a 300-metre bridge and the crescent is connected to the top of the palm by a subsea tunnel. Over the next few years, as the tourism phases develop, The Palm Jumeirah is touted as soon to be one of the world’s premier resorts. The Palm Island is the self-declared ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’. The island will double the length of the Dubai coastline.

According to the developer’s publicity material, the Jumeirah Palm island will feature themed boutique hotels, three types of villas (Signature Villas, Garden Homes and Canal Cove Town Homes), shoreline apartment buildings, beaches, marinas, restaurants, cafés and a variety of retail outlets.

A residential complex at one of the fronds

Monorail

The 5.4 km (3.35 mile) Palm Jumeirah Monorail, connecting the Atlantis Hotel to the Gateway Towers at foot of the island, opened on May 6, 2009 through several stations. From the main trunk island, the monorail turns to the right whereas the subsea tunnel to the left.

Palm Jumeirah Monorail track (Atlantis Hotel on the background)

A view to Atlantis Hotel from Monorail

The monorail connects the Palm Jumeirah to the mainland, with a planned further extension to the Red Line of the Dubai Metro.The line opened on April 30, 2009. It is the first railway in the history of the whole of Eastern Arabia and the first monorail in the Middle East

A journey on the monorail costs Dhs15 one-way, 25 return.

The project budget is US$400 million, with an additional US$190M set aside for the 2-kilometre (1 mi) extension to the Dubai Metro.

As of August 2009 only the Atlantis Aquaventure and Gateway stations are open

• Atlantis Aquaventure — Atlantis, The Palm
• Trump Tower (not open yet) — Trump International Hotel and Tower (Dubai)
• Palm Mall (not open yet) — formerly Trump Plaza
• Gateway
• Tecom Station (planned) — interchange to Dubai Metro

Note:

Monorail ticket card is to be returned upon exiting the station. However, it is too good to return hence I keep it as a souvenir for my kid…. 

 

Inside Monorail

Atlantis, The Palm

Coordinate: 25 07’49.29″N 55 07’01.43″E

Atlantis, the Palm is a resort at Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. was opened on 24 September 2008. consists of two towers linked by a bridge, with a total of approximately 1500 rooms. Palm Jumeirah Monorail stations connecting the resort to the main section of the Palm Jumeirah islands.

Atlantis The Palm as seen from the outermost road

The seven stars resort also includes a water Aquaventure theme park (160,000 square meters), a conference center, and 20,000 square feet (1,900 m²) of retail space. The resort also has a Dolphin Bay (45,000 square meters) in which guests can swim and interact with the dolphins at Atlantis.

Inside Atlantis The Palm Mall

Acting as though a prince. Find this near hotel receptionist

 

The Palm Jumeirah itself is one part of a trilogy including the larger Palms Jebel Ali and Deira, which are still under construction. Visit http://www.thepalm.ae to know the palm trilogy.

A map showing the palm trilogy: Palm Jebel Ali, Palm Jumeirah and Palm Deira. Also shown The World. Not shown is The Universe planned to be built around the world. With global downturn projects are uncertain

http://www.atlantisthepalm.com/

Ambassador Lagoon & Lost Chamber

Ambassador Lagoon is free for visitor but not with Lost Chamber. However,  if you  stay in Atlantis The Palm Hotel you will get free accesses to Aquaventure and Lost Chamber

From Atlantis The Palm website:

“Imagine exploring the mysterious ruins of Atlantis, lost for thousands of years deep beneath the sea. Now picture looking up to see 65,000 marine animals swimming in placid waters around you. Visitors can live out their own Atlantean adventure in The Lost Chambers, the maze of underwater halls and tunnels under the Ambassador Lagoon.

The Ambassador Lagoon is a window into the wonders of the ocean and the importance of conservation and preservation. There are over two hundred and fifty species of fish and sea creatures to be seen in the open-air marine habitat at Atlantis, including sharks, eels, rays, piranhas, as well as multitudes of exotic fish. This rich variety of marine life is managed by a team of more than one hundred and sixty five full-time Marine Specialists. The veterinarians, biologists, aquarists, divers, laboratory managers, food technicians, mechanics and curators tend to this delicate eco-system from renowned marine institutes and facilities across the globe”.

Tips:

A silhouette photo with supertall aquarium as a backdrop is stunning. Try it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ambassador Lagoon, Atlantis Hotel

 

 

 

 

 

Open Daily 10.00am to 11.00pm

Dolphin Bay – Not Visited

A four-and-a-half hectare lush tropical setting modelled carefully on their natural habitat is home for the dolphins at Atlantis. There are three vast lagoons where you can meet these graceful charismatic creatures through a choice of interactions. Whether you’re a hotel guest or visiting for the day, dolphins offer an unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experience….said its website.

Open Daily 10.00am to sunset