The National travel 04 Saturday, February 6, 2010 www.henational.ae 05 top ten sky-high destinations

traveller’s world 1 Sue Ryan An empire Gray’s anatomy ordon Campbell Gray was called down to the lobby to is one of the hottest ho- see a guest and assumed it was teliers of the moment. a complaint – it was a proposal. Investors are queuing Gray had never been to Beirut Gup to do business with him; his before but booked a flight for name appears on every respect- the following Monday, loved 2 able “best” list including The what he saw, and the deal was Times’ “Top 50 people that every done by Friday. state of mind traveller should know”. His only quibble about Beirut is So, there was more than a whiff that it is quite a snobbish place. of speculation when he was in “We are working through that on business last month though. Le Gray is a snob-free that he might be setting up a zone.” He is a refreshing voice in Whether it’s constructing soaring towers or scaling colossal effects of high altitude. The breath- new venture in the emirate, or at the industry, if an unusual one lessness caused by gasping thin air least somewhere in the Gulf. for a five-star hotelier. He had a mountains, lofty pursuits are rarely rational. Yet this obsessive makes strenuous activity difficult. It “It is something that I have strict Scottish upbringing and striving to reach the sky represents a unique aspect of the doesn’t get much more elevated or been asked to do many times,” says, “I enjoy the concept of fru- human spirit. From the world’s tallest building to a continent’s more gruelling than the annual polo he says when I caught up with gality ... My mantra is ‘live below highest mountain to a flight to the edge of space, sky-high match between the districts of Chitral him at One , the Lon- your means’. That is, you can say destinations just keep on getting higher. In the 21st century, one and Gilgit, which takes place every don that first gave him ‘I can afford it but I choose not July at the Shandur Pass in Pakistan. international recognition. But to’.” thing is certain: the only way is up. Robert Carroll chooses 10 At 3,738m above sea level, it is highest anyone who knows him can read Translated, this mantra means pinnacles where the view is a destination in itself polo match in the world. between the lines when he says: that he wants his to be ex- 3 With the soaring, snow-covered “It’s not for me.” quisite, but not excessive, which observatories may be anathema to peaks of the Hindu Kush forming a He is certainly not fazed by is perhaps the real reason we , Dubai native New Yorkers, but it is almost grand, stadium-like backdrop, riders war – the building of Le Gray in won’t see a Le Gray in Dubai or 1 The Burj Khalifa does not so essential for first-time visitors to the gallop around wielding mallets and Beirut – was interrupted twice Doha. much scrape the sky as pierce city. The views from either the 86th clashing fiercely with rivals. People by Israeli attacks, delaying the The ultra trendy hotel he stayed it. This towering needle, which can floor or the summit at the 102nd floor, get hurt – often. This is “freestyle” project by two years. “Everyone at in Doha drove him mad. “It be seen from a distance of 95km, which reopened in 2005 after being polo, stripped of most of the rules assumed that I would give up in was so complicated. I want my has reclaimed a long-lost mantle closed for many years, are spectacu- of the Argentinian or British games, 2006, along with the big chains, telephone to be a telephone, I for the Middle East: the tallest lar. Looking out over the sparkling city which tend to limit broken skulls and but I never once thought that don’t want it to work the cur- building in the world has returned lights at night makes you feel like you fractured limbs. way. People said I was mad and tains and the air conditioning. to the region for the first time since are on top of the world. Like all great sporting events, the that I would be ruined. But we It’s not an age issue. If you want Lincoln Cathedral overtook the , 350 Fifth Av- tournament gives vent to wider rival- held tight and now it is the hot- it in your home, good luck, but if Great Pyramid of Giza in 1311. enue, between 33rd and 34th Streets, ries and tensions. In a region notori- test city on the planet,” he says. you are staying somewhere one The building’s simple, tapering New York, NY 10118 (www.esbnyc.com; ous for war and conflict, the match But he is more cautious when night, you need it to be simple.” shape belies its vast height, but, at 001 212 736 3100). Observatory tickets attracts spectators from around the it comes to setting up in Dubai “I do not want to be picked up 828 metres, the Burj Khalifa dwarfs cost $18.50 (Dh68). world and stands as a beacon of hope – or Doha, where he was a couple at the airport by a Rolls-Royce all rivals. It is more than 300 metres for a more peaceful future. of weeks ago to view a potential – that to me is a dinosaur. Nor 4 higher than the world’s former tall- Shandur Polo Ground, Chitral dis- property. Neither are his kind of do I want to have strawberries est building, the 101 in Grand Canyon Skywalk, trict, Pakistan (www.shandur.com). town. “I was asked to go to Doha dipped in chocolate in my room . The building’s “buttressed 4Nevada The match takes place every year in and I went to be courteous, but unless I have asked for them ... core” will no doubt provide the model The Grand Canyon is sim- July. Pakistan International Airlines no way,” he says stopping short “No one stops coming to my for even taller buildings in the future. ply an awe-inspiring sight. Nearly (www.piac.com.pk) operates flights of saying anything rude in case it hotels because their shirts are But since the recent global financial 450km long, 29km at its widest from Peshawar to Chitral. offends. “Give me old-fashioned not triple-wrapped. I am offend- crisis has stopped any such ambi- and 1.8km at its deepest, water cities. I love places like Damas- ed by waste.” tious plans in their tracks, the Burj and wind have helped to carve this cus and Oman.” He is also critical of the luxury Khalifa’s title is secure for a few years geological wonder over billions of , Abu Dhabi is more of a possi- hotel chains who train their staff at least. years. It is an immense and detailed 7 Dubai bility – he says he is talking with to name check everyone. Recent- The lift to the “At the Top” obser- record of geological events: half the Dubai is home to three of the a potential investor but has yet ly in one hotel, in the journey vation deck on the 124th floor trav- history of the world’s five billion top five tallest hotels in the world. to be shown a location that he from his room to the front door els at 10 metres per second. It goes year old existence is etched on the The others are in North Korea and feels will work. He appreciates 17 staff said “Good morning, Mr slower on the way down to avoid canyon’s deep and variegated walls. Thailand. For a building to qualify the qualities that the emirate Gray”. “Where is the privacy in causing sickness. On the a clear Most visitors to the area go to either as the world’s tallest hotel, it must desires to offer travellers: a so- that?” he asks. day, the view from the top stretches the South Rim – home to postcard be used exclusively as hotel. When it phisticated place where visitors Similarly, he is unimpressed well beyond the city and out into panoramas – or the higher and less opened in December 2009, the Rose do not become ensnared in tour- by doormen who say “welcome 5 the desert beyond. popular North Rim. Since 2007, there Rayhaan took this title from its neigh- ism traps. back” whether you have stayed Burj Khalifa, 1 Emaar Boulevard, Du- has been a third way: the Skywalk is a bour, the . He is, however, openly in love there before — or just come out bai (www.burjkhalifa.ae; 00971 4 366 horse shoe of steel and glass, which Built on a tiny plot on Sheikh Zayed with Beirut and revealed that he of the door two seconds ago and 1655). Tickets cost US$109 (Dh400) juts out into a remote section of the Road, the city’s main road artery, the is planning two more properties turned back because you have per person for immediate entry or $27 Grand Canyon and hovers over 1km Rose Rayhaan looks taller than its 333 in Lebanon. “I love it. I love that forgotten something. “That is (Dh100) per person in advance. above the Colorado River. metre height. If the Burj Al Arab is a sense of living for the moment. not genuine,” he explains. “It’s In an ironic reversal of environ- billowing sail, the Rose Rayhaan is a The West is going through such programming.” mental guardian and commercial beanpole: it goes straight up. a joyless period. But in the Mid- Towers, Kuala exploiter, the Hualapai, who own this Besides the standard trappings of dle East everyone is in such a  [email protected] 2 Lumpur land, decided to build this $30 million five-star opulence – plush suites, gym, good mood. We opened the ho- When they were completed in structure to attract more visitors. It swimming pool, sauna, steam room tel at such a good time for Leba- 1998, the became would never have been allowed in the – many of the hotel’s 482 rooms on 72 non. not just the tallest but the two tallest National Park. The result is a hi-tech floors have excellent views, including “I feel that here [in the UK ] po- buildings in the world. These twin spectacle, which offers a new, exciting some with a fine perspective on the litically, economically, spiritu- towers were the most famous product and controversial perspective on this tallest building in the world, the Burj ally, morally, we are in a slump. of a frenzy of construction, which put ancient landscape. Khalifa. I find it quite sad actually and  the Malaysian capital Grand Canyon Skywalk, 5720 S Rose Rayhaan by Rotana, Sheikh Za- I think the more you are away I want my telephone 6 (KL) on the list of renowned global Arville, Ste 102, Las Vegas, NV 89118 yed Road, PO Box 126452, Dubai (www. from it the more you are con- metropolises along with New York, (www.grandcanyonskywalk.com; 001 rotana.com; 04 323 0111). Rooms start scious of it,” he says. to be a telephone, I and Shanghai. 702 220 8372). Entrance to the western from $196 (Dh720) including taxes. The If the planners give the go- don’t want it to work The owners hired different compa- region of the Grand Canyon costs $41 Rose Rayhaan does not serve alcohol. ahead for his new hotel on the nies to build each tower and awarded (Dh150). The Skywalk costs an addi- coast in Damour, on the out- the curtains and the a bonus to first to complete, effec- tional $30 (Dh110). skirts of Beirut, he hopes to air conditioning. It’s tively turning the construction into a A trip to the edge have it open within 20 months. not an age issue race into the sky. of space, Russia A new build, it is about 20 min- Climbing Sydney 8 Gordon Campbell Gray Built around a symbol from Islamic Until a few years ago, flying in utes away from Le Gray but will geometry, the Petronas Towers have Harbour , a fighter jet was only possible for the have a very different feel and is 5 Australia a beautiful, distinctive shape and few. The cockpit of aeroplanes such intended as somewhere to go an unusual coarse, nobbly exterior. Few cities can rival Sydney’s stun- as the MiG-29 was reserved for elite to relax and chill out. “It will be The Skybridge – a pedestrian bridge ning setting. The Pacific Ocean is pilots with years of training. The col- very simple and beachy; the set- between the towers on the 41st and an ever-present force, whether it be lapse of the Soviet Union opened up ting is in the design,” he says. 42nd floors – emphasises the space in the coves and inlets of the city’s this high-flying market. Mach 2.25 or They are still debating whether between the towers and highlights natural harbour or the famous surf 2,400 kph is now attainable by anyone it will be 80 or 100 rooms but he the void created by the buildings’ gar- of its beach suburbs. The city’s two with enough money to pay for it. is confident that the planners 7 gantuan presences. most iconic structures – the Opera Nizhny Novgorod, Russia’s fourth will give approval. The biggest problem with a trip up House and the Harbour Bridge largest city, is home to Sokol airbase. The key to the design, he says, the towers is that the finest sight on – use this remarkable topography It is the starting point for what the is making it as ecologically KL skyline is missing from the view. and proximity to water to the full. promotional brochure describes as sound as possible, something Solve this minor snag by having lunch The Harbour Bridge is an economic an “inherently dangerous” adventure he feels that Lebanon is not very at the top of the KL Tower nearby and and engineering marvel. Completed to the “edge of space”. Technically good at, but that every hotel- feast on the magnificent sight of the in 1932 despite the Great Depression the Earth’s upper atmosphere ends ier should take seriously. The Petronas Towers. Lunch at the Sri and spanning 1.15km from Dawes around 100km and the MiG only flies Randi Sokoloff / The National company is opening a new ho- Angkasa Revolving Restaurant (www. Point to Milsons Point, it was the city’s to between 21km and 23km in alti- tel in Montpelier in the south serimelayu.com) costs from $20 tallest structure until 1967. tude, but when you are roaring along of France in 2012, and one of (Dh75) per person. Since 1998, climbing its steel arches at over twice the speed of sound who the things that attracted him to Petronas Twin Towers, 50088 Kuala has provided an exhilarating path to cares about such details? the location is its ease of access. Lumpur (www.petronastwintowers. a superb vantage point over the city. It is the ultimate tourist adventure: a tres and is located many miles from County Hall, Road, Around half do not make it to the “It’s so easy to get there by train com.my; 00 603 20511320). No ad- With traffic streaming along below, rush of adrenalin and a flash of exhila- the centre, while other tall buildings London (www.londoneye.com; 0044 summit and a few people die trying. and I believe that is the way for- vanced booking. A limited numbers climbers make their way up the ration before you come back to earth such as the BT Tower, and 871 781 3000). Entry costs $29 (Dh106) Climbing Kilimanjaro is a serious ward.” He envisages the Lodge of tickets are available free-of-charge bridge’s outer arch to the summit of many thousands of dirhams lighter. (otherwise known as per person. undertaking and is only possible with at St Germaine as somewhere to from 9am each day. 134 metres. It is a thrilling trip, but if Incredible Adventures, 6604 Midnight the Gherkin) do not tip 185 metres. a guide or as part of an organised trek, go “if you feel exhausted”. 8 it’s too daunting, climbing the steps Pass Rd, Sarasota, FL 34242 (www.in- As a result, even relatively small which usually lasts between five and In the “design stage”, but as to Sydney Pylon Lookout – at the top credible-adventures.com/edgeofspace. elevations provide fresh and often Climbing Mount seven days. There are several routes yet without a plot of land, is his Empire State Building, of one of the bridge’s pylons html; 001 941 346 2603). Flights start surprising perspectives on the city. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania up the mountain – Marangu, Ma- third project in Lebanon which New York 10 3 – offers a less dramatic and cheaper from $13,000 (Dh47,749) per person. The , a 135m Ferris wheel Tanzania is famed for its chame and Umbwe – none of which will be in the mountains. And if The Empire State Building way to take in the views. Clearance to fly takes at least 50 days on the banks of the River Thames, wide open spaces. The migration demand technical climbing experi- it seems odd to have three out ceased to be the tallest building in the Sydney Harbour Bridge Visitor with booking usually taken three to 10 gives excellent views over famous of wildebeest across the seemingly ence or equipment such as ropes or of eight hotels in Lebanon, and world in 1967, but it remains one of Centre, 3 Cumberland St, The Rocks, months in advance. landmarks such as the Palace of West- endless grassy plains of the Serengeti crampons. Nevertheless, reaching the none in the Gulf, it is because he the most iconic. Built in 1931, the 381- Sydney (www.bridgeclimb.com; 0061 minster, and St Paul’s is one of the natural wonders of the summit is physically and psychologi- is not interested in what makes metre Art Deco structure is among the 2 8274 7777). Tickets cost from $166 Cathedral. On a clear day, you can see world. But the country is also home cally demanding. sense on paper. Indeed, he de- most famous sights on the Manhat- (Dh610) depending on the time of day A “flight” on the Windsor Castle, nearly 40km away. to Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Tropical Trails, PO Box 223, Arusha, scribes himself as “remarkably tan skyline. Along with the Chrysler and type of climb. The Pylon Lookout 9 London Eye, England When it opened in 2000 the struc- Kilimanjaro, which rises dramatically Tanzania (www.tropicaltrails.com, 00 unambitious”. Building, it has become synonymous costs $9 (Dh32) per person. London is not a city of sky- ture was intended to be temporary, from this flatness. 255 27 250 0358) offers seven-day treks Gray has never had a master with New York. It is part of the city’s scrapers. Protected views – a legal but with an average of 3.5 million There is no logical reason to climb climbing the Machame route for $1,505 plan, doesn’t employ or listen mythic identity, starring in films from planning requirement which restricts visitors every year, it is well on its way this great, high and oft-snow-capped (Dh5,528) per person, including park to analysts and eschews feasi- Watching the world’s 10 King Kong (1933) to Sleepless in Seattle the height of buildings – has for the to becoming a permanent landmark peak. It yields nothing tangible. There entrance and camping fees, porter- bility studies. Instead, he trusts (1993) and gracing countless photo- highest polo match, most part kept the city’s skyline di- in its own right, and other cities have are no fruits to harvest or beast to age, guiding, and a cook. Photos provided by Bloomberg, AP, The Arizona Republic, BridgeClimb his instincts and jumps if it feels 6Pakistan graphs and posters. minutive. London’s tallest building, copied its example. hunt. Yet thousands attempt to scale Sydney, National Geographic Channel, Rotana Hotel, Incredible right. Beirut happened because 9 Taking a trip to one of the building’s It is hard to grasp the debilitating One , is only 235 me- London Eye, Riverside Building, the 5,896m high mountain each year.  [email protected] Adventures, the Merlin Entertainments London Eye and Rex Features one morning, five years ago, he