Aquarium springs a leak in Dubai Mall

by Kraig Becker on

The giant fish tank inside the Dubai Mall sprang a leak Wednesday, pouring water out into the halls, and stranding some shoppers inside an elevator for 45 minutes, while others scrambled to reach dry ground. Emergency response teams rushed to the scene to repair the crack, as 100 retail shops near by closed for business and custodial personnel worked to contain the flooding.

Everything about the famous tank, which has been a big draw with visitors, is massive. It contains more than 2.6 million gallons of water and over 33,000 fish, including 400 sharks. It offers the largest acrylic viewing panel of any aquarium in the world, at roughly 892 square feet , and with a thickness of nearly 30 inches, it remains unclear how the crack developed.

Fortunately, the leak was patched relatively quickly, and no fish were harmed while the crews worked to contain the spill. Some of the nearby shops did sustain water damage however, and the area around the leak remained closed yesterday while maintenance crews evaluated the damage.

The initial leak was caught on video by a nearby witness, and while the resolution is poor, it still gives you an idea of what it was like when the water started flowing.

The 18 strangest airports in the world

by Kraig Becker on

Airports are unusual places. Every city of decent size has one, but they are rarely all that interesting. Each day, thousands of people move through these places, on their way too and from all manner of destinations, spending time browsing crappy little bookstores and consuming lousy food that would cost half as much elsewhere.

But sometimes, airports can be unusual for different reasons. Perhaps they’re located in odd places, or maybe they have some unusual feature or monument that makes them stand out. Popular Mechanics has compiled a list of the 18 strangest airports in the world, each of which meet those criteria and more.

The list includes airports large and small from all over the world and in a wide variety of settings. Some of the very unique airports that make the cut include Kansai International in Osaka Japan, which is famous for having been built on a man-made island and Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which sits just five miles from the very heart of that large and busy city. Other unusual places to take off and land include a runway made of ice in Antarctica and several that have you actually landing on a beach, proving that if we are determined to reach a destination, we’ll find a way to get there.

With 18 airports on the list, Popular Mechanics has done a fine job of highlighting some of the most unusual airports in the world. But did they miss any? What is the most unusual airport that you’ve ever been? As for myself, I’m looking forward to experiencing the airport in Lukla, Nepal in April. That airport is famous for it’s location, high in the Himalaya, with the landing strip running up the side of a mountain. Arriving and departing there is said to be scary and exhilarating all at the same time.
Be sure to check out the gallery below for some of the coolest airports in the world…

%Gallery-7858%

…or watch the videos that demonstrate why these airports are soooo strange.

Courchevel International Airport
Courchevel, France

Princess Juliana International Airport
Simpson Bay, Saint Maarten

Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport
Saba, Netherlands Antilles

Mandarin Oriental ventures to the Middle East

by Melanie Nayer on

The Mandarin Oriental is taking luxury to a new island. Abu Dhabi Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) signed an agreement with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group to manage Mandarin Oriental’s first Middle East luxury resort on Saadiyat Island, scheduled to open in 2013.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Residences, Abu Dhabi will feature 160 guestrooms and suites, the famous Mandarin Oriental spa and treatments, and six restaurants and bars. There will be a private beach club, access to the 18-hole championship Saadiyat Beach Golf Course designed by Gary Player, a fitness center and an outdoor swimming pool.

Saadiyat Island is being developed as environmentally-conscience retreat located 500 meters (a little more than a quarter-mile) offshore from Abu Dhabi city. The island has 11 miles of beaches, two championship golf courses and a marina. In addition the island will be home to the world’s largest concentration of cultural institutions, including the Zayed National Museum, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Museum and the Louvre Abu Dhabi which will be open in 2013.

Daily Pampering: Four Seasons Beirut

by Tom Johansmeyer on


If you aren’t planning to go to Beirut this year … change your flights. After a decade of preparation and five years of construction, the Four Seasons Hotel Beirut has opened its doors. The latest property from this luxury chain may seem to be opening in an unusual place, but guests are already voting for it with their room-nights, lured by the taste of prime cuts of Charolais beef and pairing with local wine on the terrace of The Grill Room. Or, you can relax up on the 26th floor terrace, sitting by the rooftop pool.

Of course, nothing beats the hotel’s spa, a creative statement of white marble and gold mosaics, with a suede-paneled couples suite that boasts a private terrace and Jacuzzi. Back at your guestroom, one of only 230 rooms and suites in the hotel, you’ll have both space and comfort … not to mention a private terrace where you can soak up the Beirut ambience.

Perhaps the greatest benefit to a stay at the Four Seasons Beirut is the insider access that comes from a conversation with the concierges. You’ll be able to gain admittance to art exhibitions and art shows all over the city. The concierges will also help you find religious architecture, Phoenician ruins … and nightclubs and beachside bars.

According to the hotel’s general manager, Stefan Simkovics, Beirut is “one of the sexiest cities in the world: enticing, vain, scarred, beautiful, complex and exciting.”

Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

[Photo by Paul Thuysbaert]

Dubai’s Burj unexpectedly closed to the public

by Melanie Nayer on

The world’s tallest building has abruptly closed to the public after only a month of being open to the public. Apparently, electric problems are partially to blame for the closure of the Dubai’s Burj, which undoubtedly leaves many disappointed tourists looking up at the tower, instead of down from the half-mile high observation deck.

The closure of the Burj Khalifa’s (the new name appointed to the tower) viewing platform is only one part of the problem, though. The Burj was preparing to welcome permanent guests and hotel guests over the next few months, and many wonder if plans will go through as predicted.

The Associated Press reports an indefinite closure, which started Sunday. Dubai had high hopes for this spire-structure. The Burj Khalifa was slated to be a major tourist draw for Dubai, helping to increase tourist dollars to the United Arab Emirates.

Dubai opened the 160-story skyscraper on Jan. 4. The first of 12,000 residential and office space tenants were scheduled to move in later this month.
Work was still underway on the tower’s Giorgio Armani-designed hotel and adjacent shopping center. The observation deck – and the tower’s main draw – is located on the 124th floor. Tickets bought in advance cost around $27. Unfortunately, those travelers who pre-paid for tickets will now be standing in line for a refund.