Settling into a sun lounger, you can admire the scale of record-breaking Burj Khalifa and the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel to the north. The south side overlooks the world’s tallest Ferris wheel, Ain Dubai, and the glamorous high-rises of Dubai Marina, as well as Skydive Dubai where daredevils attached to parachute tumble out of planes, unintentionally providing additional entertainment.
Loungers are categorised by zone. ‘Orange Zone’ loungers line the wall; in front of them, ‘Green Zone’ loungers ring the pool with unobstructed views, and VIP Island, at the helm of the tower, affords views both north and south.
Choosing where to park your beach bag isn’t the only decision you’ll need to make. Bookings are available for three time slots:
10am to 2pm
(AED170/£35 Orange Zone, AED200/£41 Green Zone, AED275/£56 VIP Island)
3pm until sunset, around 5.30pm in Dubai during winter
(AED200/£41 Orange Zone, AED250/£51 Green Zone, AED325/£67 VIP Island)
10am until sunset
(AED370/£76 Orange Zone, AED450/£92 Green Zone, AED600/£123 VIP Island).
Afternoons represent the best value for money and justify a premium fee by offering unparalleled front-row views of Arabian sunsets. Only visible from the sky, this dizzying pool is at its dazzling best during the golden hour, from around 5.30pm to 6.30pm. As the horizon blushes pink, then peach, then lilac, the pool lights up like a sapphire necklace, a fitting visual metaphor for this hidden gem. auraskypool.com
Five more Dubai record-breakers
With more than 200 Guinness World Records to its name, Dubai may even take the title as the destination holding the most world records. Here are five more world-beating attractions in the emirate.
Deepest pool
Holding 14 million litres of water, Deep Dive Dubai is so much more than a swimming pool. Verified by Guinness World Records as the world’s deepest swimming pool for diving, it’s equivalent in size to six Olympic pools with a depth of 60 metres. This sunken playground offers freediving and scuba diving experiences set within atmospheric sound and mood lighting systems, and the chance to explore a warren of different spaces. What appears to be an eerily abandoned streetscape includes an underwater apartment and a garage, complete with a motorbike. deepdivedubai.com
