I may have done and seen a lot, but up until recently, I never got to hug a penguin. And that’s pretty unfortunate. I figured it was time to change that.
Ski Dubai, the city’s indoor skiing and snowboarding venue, also offers penguin encounters. Now, we’ve done some pretty neat penguin-related activities in the past. But this was an up-close experience, and they promised you’d get to hug a penguin. Well, sign me up!
Visitors at Ski Dubai’s penguin encounter get to meet a colony of Gentoo and King Penguins. The Gentoo Penguins are adorable, yet hyperactive little monsters that loved to play with toys the same way a cat or dog would. I was hoping to get to play with them, but alas, these are the penguins that don’t really appreciate much human interaction, aside from some photographs.
The massive King Penguins, on the other hand, were the ones that we were allowed to touch and hug. The tour guide kept insisting we give them a kiss on top of their heads, and although I was slightly worried that about getting impaled by one of those enormous beaks, I thought to myself ‘seriously, when I will ever get to kiss a penguin?’ So I went for it. They taste like fish!
If you love penguins (seriously, how can you not?) and plan on visiting Dubai, do check out this once in a lifetime experience. I have seen other penguin interactions in my travels, but this one seemed to be one of the best and for a fair price.
Essential Travel Information
Flights to Dubai: There are a lot of flights available to Dubai from all over the world, even direct flights from the United States (often from New York). Use an airfare comparison tool like FlightHub to find your best options.
Hotels in Dubai: Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah, Palazzo Versace Residences, and Armani Hotel Dubai. The Burj Al Arab is also incredible, of course, and definitely worth a visit if you aren’t staying there. If you’re not a guest, you can still take a look inside if you make a high tea reservation, which I highly recommend!
The penguin experience: Learn more about the penguin experience by visiting the Ski Dubai website.
What was the price?? Where in Dubai is it? I’m very interested!!
Hi Jordyn, This was in Ski Dubai inside the Mall of the Emirates. Here is more information and pricing http://www.theplaymania.com/skidubai/snowpenguins
Hi Amber, Joe, Please do you know how to book this activity? I’ve been trying to book it online, but seems that there is no available dates in the year? Do they assign you a time when you arrive there?
Hey there! Sorry I am so late in responding. We just booked it when we got there.