Palm Jumeirah
As a result, The Palm Jumeirah has evolved into one of the most fashionable, trendy and luxurious locations in the world with the uniqueness of being nestled amidst a cradle of diverse marine life with an abundance of year round sunshine.
Many people will have heard of the Palm already and it has quickly become symbolic of the ambitions of Dubai with many famous celebrities having a holiday home on the Palm. However, the view that you have of the Palm is from the sky and on the ground, the view is a little different. Firstly, the backbone of the Palm Jumeirah lies in the middle or what is known as the 'trunk' which is basically an 8 lane motorway, taking visitors and residents to the different 'fronds' or tip of the Palm. It may not seem that serene but if you think about how large the Palm Jumeirah is, roughly the size of over 800 football pitches, a large motorway does makes sens and having an ocean front villa or visiting some of the mega hotels such as the One and Only the Palm or the Atlantis Dubai, makes the normalness of such an entry to Palm acceptable.
True to its name, the Palm Jumeirah is shaped like a palm tree with a trunk crowned with 16 fronds out into the sea. This crown is topped by a crescent shaped island which forms a long breakwater of 11 kilometres and the two are connected to each other through a sub-sea tunnel. This magnificient structure is envisioned as being the ‘eighth wonder of the world’.
At Palm Jumeirah, construction was all about integrating swanky, five star hotels, luxury villas, beautiful high rise apartments with long stretches of beaches, well maintained marinas and high end retail outlets. Real estate investors either opted for a signature villa, a garden home or a canal cove town home and many who have already moved into the area have labelled it as a dream-come-true. Apart from enjoying the benefits of a distinguished address, living on the Palm Jumeirah entails basking in glorious sunshine every day, being intimate with nature and yet being able to shop and indulge in entertainment minus the crowd. Well that was the sale - in reality, the villas are slightly closer than what was perceived - but the gloatingness still remains - " I have a place on the palm". It signifies that you have made it - to some anyway.
While the residential areas are scattered amidst the 16 fronds of Palm Jumeirah and each of them enjoy an exclusive beach front, it is the trunk which serves as the focal point and most of the commercial activities are concentrated in the crescent. Overall, this man-made island which has been constructed from natural rock and sand and surrounded by coral reef is an impressive engineering accomplishment. It's safety has been rigourisly thought after especially as it is a man made island. The shores receive mild waves from the sea but remains protected from sea-storms.
Points of note –
- As an added attraction at Palm Jumeirah for divers, two F-100 Super Sabre fighter jets were sunk after being completely stripped in a bid to create an artificial reef.
- There is a mono-rail which facilitates transportation on this world’s largest artificial island.
- The best way to experience the Palm is to visit Atlantis the Palm either by taking a taxi there or by taking the monorail there. Time yourself though, as trying to get a taxi back at the wrong time will mean a long wait for a taxi. They do come, but you're in competition with many many others. Another way is to visit Aquaventure which is part of the Atlantis.
- The One and Only the Palm is a fantastic honeymoon destination.
When – Since Palm Jumeirah is connected with mainland courtesy of a bridge which is 300-metre long, it can be visited at any time. How long - The best way to enjoy this location and experience all that it offers would be to stay at one of the hotels and spend a few days. Location – Palm Jumeirah is an identity in itself and located in the blue waters of the sea.Cost – A visit to this place is free of charge but arranging for accommodation and other activities requires shelling out money, sometimes a load!More Info – More info on this project can be acquired at www.thepalmjumeirah-dubai.com, telephone number - 971 4 323 3609, fax - 971 4 323 3608 and address PO Box: 450535, Dubai - United Arab Emirates.
