The tallest Ferris wheel in the world – Ain Dubai

There is a saying that other people's children grow up quickly. The same can be said of the Dubai project. Many years ago, when I first walked along the beach in Dubai Marina, I saw an open sea and a small island with wave breakers. A few years later, piles of building materials appeared, followed by strange machinery. Then, a few years later, strange forms of the observation wheel's foundations appeared. And now, less than a month after the official opening, I'm rising up in this wheel 250 meters above the same beach where I once watched the sea.

It is not just possible to build a wheel in Dubai – the entire territory around has to be fully utilized – new hotels, shops, cafés and so on. Essentially, the guys have built an entire island (or rather, a peninsula) with a full working infrastructure.

They all neatly connected to the most popular beach and district of Dubai. You go along the beach and suddenly - already on a new island!

As always, the finish is flawless everywhere, with escalators and convenient navigation. You can go rollerblading, or just take a walk, book a hotel or an apartment in the area. Everything is very convenient.

Ferris wheel

I bought a ticket online, having received an electronic confirmation by e-mail. Already on the spot showed on the phone, the administrator scanned and missed. Then there was a relatively short queue, about 20 minutes: only a certain number of people were allowed into the salon.

The wheel is spinning slowly enough to get a good look around. First from the Dubai Marina side to catch a glimpse of the downtown, then to take in the Palm Jumeirah Island, and the well-recognizable Atlantis Hotel, standing out fairly prominently upon it.

The cabin has an air conditioner and you can sit or stand at any window. Due to its length, even the most active photographers get tired and on the descent, most people just sit and wait to get back.

I was surprised to see cruise liners not far from Palm. I didn't know there was such a depth there.

Leaving the cabin, the corridor leads to the gift shop. where there is a variety of souvenirs with the symbols of the wheels: from pens to playing cards, clothes and bags.

Take a spin on the ferris wheel at least once, the impressions will last a long time: some from incredible views, some from a sense of height.

My biggest surprise was to see the mechanism that drove the wheel. It was... just ordinary wheels with tires!

A couple of points for those planning to travel: you can buy tickets with queue-free entry. There are VIP tickets with their own cabins, bars and snacks, you can book a cabin for a party and travel there as a group, and there are family tickets and more. As with any other Dubai attraction, I recommend always getting the tickets online.

Well, a few years ago, I specially bought a ticket to the Burj Khalifa observation deck at 5 am, just so I could photograph the sunrise. It was incredible. A story about it will be up soon.

Sign up whoever rode this Ferris wheel and share your impressions!