Looking for epic sunrises and sunsets? While most sun-chasers automatically think of far-flung locations, those in the UAE should look closer to home, with a recent survey suggesting that the Burj Khalifa skyscraper is one of the best spots to admire the natural spectacle.
The 828-meter Dubai tower, which became the tallest structure in the world when it was completed in 2009, was ranked second on a list of locations to watch sunsets and the 11th-best site to see the sunrise.
UK blog site Mornings.co.uk gathered data from Tripadvisor reviews to find the places with the highest number of sunrise and sunset mentions globally.
Mallory Square, a waterfront attraction in Key West, Florida known for its “sunset celebration,” was ranked the best place to see sunsets, while Top of the Rock, the 70th-story observation deck atop the Rockefeller Center in New York, came third.
The Piazzale Michelangelo, the 19th-century square with views over Florence, came fourth.
Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was judged best place to catch the sunrise and also led the list of must-see spiritual sunrises.
The Cambodian temple complex drew 10,404 mentions, more than double that of its nearest rival.
The Haleakala volcano on the Hawaiian island of Maui came second, the Taj Mahal in India third and the Borobudur Temple on the Indonesian island of Java fourth.
Among the top 10 in both categories were the Grand Canyon in the US, Uluru in Australia, the Empire State Building in New York and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
In the Middle East, the study found that users recommended the best sunrises in the Edge of the World, the geological wonder and popular tourist site north of the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
Ras Al-Jinz turtle reserve in Oman, the Corniche in Qatar, Wadi Rum in Jordan, Mount Sinai in Egypt, Corniche Beirut in Lebanon, and the Meroe Pyramids in Sudan were also popular.
According to the reviews, the best locations to watch the sunset are the Kingdom Center Tower in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait Towers in Kuwait, Qal’at Al-Bahrain in Bahrain, Qurum Beach in Oman, Pigeon Rocks in Raouche in Lebanon, and the Luxor Temple in Egypt.