The World’s Tallest Meh: My Honest Take on the Burj Khalifa

 

OK, don’t come at me for this post, because I already know some of you are going to disagree. But unless you’ve actually been there, you really don’t know. As you’ve probably gathered from my blogs, I don’t usually include disappointing moments in our travels. Mostly because why waste your time reading about something that was a waste of mine? But since we’re on the subject, let’s just put a few things out there.
First, the Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum. Yes, yes, it’s iconic. Yes, yes, it’s famous. But it’s also… tiny. You wait in a massive line, shuffle forward like cattle, finally get kind of close, only to be rushed along while thinking, That’s it? That’s what all the fuss is about?

And if you’ve ever stood underneath the Prague Astronomical Clock, craning your neck with hundreds of other tourists, waiting for those little figurines to pop out and do their 10-second jig dance… you know exactly what I mean. If you know, you know.
 

So now, I’m adding another one to the list: the Burj Khalifa. First, huge thanks to Ammo for getting us the tickets. Because had I personally paid for all of us, I might still be complaining about it today. We bought the regular tickets, which meant we waited about two hours winding through the Dubai Mall like we were in some sort of slow-moving human maze.

Eventually, we were packed into an elevator like sweaty sardines and shot up to the 125th floor. And the view? Fine. Just… fine. Desert. Buildings. More desert. More buildings. Nothing that made me want to write home or even text anyone, for that matter.

 

And let’s talk about the line. People were sweaty. People were stinky. People were coughing. I’m fairly certain O caught some sort of international mystery virus while standing there. And once you’re up there? Surprise! You get to wait another 45 minutes to go back down. No places to sit. Basically no bathrooms. Just standing. Forever.

Could I have paid $100 MORE per person to skip the line instead of $49? Sure. But then I would’ve been twice as annoyed spending twice as much for the same underwhelming view.Earlier in the week, our hotel concierge had suggested we go and spend New Year’s Eve at Burj Khalifah for the fireworks. The answer was a 150%  no. Not only do I never stay awake for New Year’s Eve, but they shut down transportation, and as I mentioned before, Dubai’s public transportation situation is… not ideal. I was not about to spend hours fighting crowds and hunting down a taxi.

Instead, we walked around the Dubai Marina and over to Jumeirah Beach Residence, where we paid an absurd amount of money for four very average burgers ($71 to be exact). But the real win of the day? Going back to our balcony, putting on my PJs, and watching fireworks explode all over the city from the comfort of home.
 

I’m pretty sure this was the first New Year’s Eve I’ve stayed awake for in at least eight years, and honestly, it was perfect. No crowds. No lines. No stinky strangers. Just fireworks, pajamas, and being in bed five minutes later.

Tomorrow we’re doing a private tour to Abu Dhabi with Taita and Ammo before everyone heads back home. And after today, I’m feeling very confident that private tours are the way to go.