How to beat the UAE heat with these snowy activities

When it feels like 66C outside, and with little promise of reprieve, we list ways that everyone can find snow and cool down

The Chillout ice lounge. Philip Cheung / The National

With summer in full swing and temperatures still soaring, it can feel like 66C out and about in the UAE at times.

Thankfully we don't need to rush to the Alps to play around in the snow.  After the interest in the Dubai Ladies Ice Beach, which has a special Ice Dome and Snow spa, we have created a list of ways that everyone - not just the ladies - can find snow and cool down.

Ski Dubai

Those looking for a proper winter chill need look no further than Ski Dubai. Located in Mall of the Emirates, this famous Dubai feature offers everything for those in search of a winter wonderland. And by everything we mean everything from tearing down the black run to petting a penguin.

Ski Dubai has five runs yellow, blue, red, green and black so you can pick according to your ability. There is Freestyle Zone for snow boarders. There is a quad lift and a tow lift to take you to the top too.

If you don't want to go haring down the slopes, you can visit the 3,000-square metre Snow Park play area. There is even the world's first indoor sub-zero Zip Line, which will take you along a 150 metre long line 16 meters above the slopes.

There 24 penguins and two baby penguins waiting to meet you at Ski Dubai too. You can book a session where you will get direct interaction with the penguins, learn about them and learn how to play with them. 
If that's not icy cold  enough for, you can do the Ski Dubai's Camp Outs. The event happens every Friday night. Here's what happened when The National tried it.

Snow party

The Desert Snow company will bring the snow experience straight to your private party. It might not be the cold stuff, but the company, installs snow machines for private parties across the country and cleans up after.

Not only do the machines dispense chemical-free flakes, they can be customised to create different types of snowfall, from a light flurry to a raging blizzard.

They do offer the real things, a 700-litre box of the white stuff made from water and air in the company's cryogenic snow-making factory in Dubai.

Visit www.desertsnow.ae Here's what we found out when we met up with them to create a snow scene in a garden in Jumeirah.

Cryotherapy chambers
A session in a cryotherapy chamber is supposed to aid weight loss, improve metabolism, rejuvenate skin, and aid muscle recovery. And more importantly, it's freezing.

The "cryosauna", is frozen to -140°C using liquid nitrogen.  Cryotherapy body sessions and facials are available at several centres across the UAE, including: Cryo Health, which has branches in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai and Sharjah (ae.cryo.com); Icequeen Spa in Dubai (www.facebook.com/icequeen.ae); Elixir Clinic in Dubai and Abu Dhabi (www.theelixirclinic.com)

Here's what happened when The National  tried it

Chill Out Lounge        
Chillout is the Middle East's first permanent ice lounge. You can get hot chocolate, coffee and mocktails and a variety of snacks, while admiring the ice sculptures.

Even the chairs and tables you sit at, in this Dubai first are made of ice.

It is not recommended that you stay more than hour and suitable clothing is provided when you enter. Click here for more information and directions.

Your own snow sauna
If you've got a spare Dh400,000 you don't have to leave the house to cool down. The same company that can bring snow to your parties, Desert Snow have started installing 'snow saunas' in people's houses.

The insulated rooms are six to 12 square metres, and chilled to between minus 18°C and minus 15°C.

If you can’t quite commit to having your own snow room, don’t worry. There are two snow rooms at the Zabeel Saray hotel in Dubai – one in the male spa and one in the female spa.

There is also a snow room at the unisex spa at Le Meridien Dubai hotel.

Here's some more about Snow Saunas  Here's a link to our interview with the founder of the company.

Cool your pool down
If you want to spend some time in your pool, but the temperature is tepid, don't worry, this is the UAE, and you can get a giant block of ice delivered straight to you backyard to keep it cool. Most villas in the UAE have a standard 10-metre by 2-metre outdoor pool, which needs between 10 and 14 blocks of ice to lower the temperature by 12 degrees.

The effect lasts for about two hours and the company delivers across the UAE, with 24 hours’ notice.  And if you wanted a really cool party, you could order one of their custom made ice sculptures.

They offered centrepieces, plates and glasses crafted from ice,
www.gmice.com