Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The city of gold

Everything in Dubai is the biggest, tallest, and the first of its kind, including a manmade island shaped like a palm tree, the world’s first underwater hotel, the world’s fastest rollercoaster, and the Burj Khalifa—the world’s tallest building. Located in the middle of a desert where almost nothing existed 20 years ago, Dubai is a like a futuristic oasis.

Get a lay of the land by soaring to the 148^th floor observation deck of Burj Khalifa on one of the building’s 57 elevators to get a bird’s eye view of the bustling city below. To find some of your own glitz and glam, head to the Dubai Gold Souk. Haggle with merchants for one-of-a-kind pieces that will shine and sparkle in the desert sun. And if malls are more your thing, Dubai is also home to—you guessed it—the world’s largest shopping mall.

Finally, if you’re looking to cool down after a day spend exploring, leave the desert behind and hit the slopes at Ski Dubai, an indoor snow park complete with chairlifts, five runs to choose from, and a King Penguin colony for good measure.