Ski Dubai: Mall of Emirates Indoor Ski Area

(c) Holly Reich.

A wonder of engineering opened in 2005, Ski Dubai inside the vast Mall of Emirates is covered with snow year-round. It features five slopes of varying difficulty plus a tow and chairlift. The longest run extends more than 1,300 feet, with a drop of nearly 200 feet.

There are some 450 high-end retail shops at the Mall of Emirates including Gucci, Versace, Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Yves Saint Laurent, Bvlgari, Bottega Veneta, Jimmy Choo, Burberry Prorsum, and famed British department stores Harvey Nichols and Debenhams. And yes, there's even a Starbucks.

In addition, the Mall of Emirates contains Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates, a ski chalet-style hotel with close to 400 rooms; a few of its suites overlook the slopes.