Visit the lost Chamber Aquarium in Dubai!

Near the Dubai Marina, more precisely at the Atlantis Hotel in Palm Jumeirah, is the Lost Chamber Aquarium.

The Palm Atlantis Hotel in Dubai is probably the most impressive hotel there is. It is located on the top of the artificial, world-famous Palm Islands of Dubai. Even from far away you can recognize the huge hotel. Like a big gate — the gate to Atlantis — it just rises up into the sky.

But the Atlantis is not only a hotel. There is a lot to discover in Palm Atlantis. Some things are reserved for hotel guests only, but most of the attractions and activities can be enjoyed on a day trip. Of course you need a ticket for this.
Among other things, the Palm Atlantis Hotel offers a large aquarium, the Lost Chamber Aquarium, which we visited. There is also the Atlantis Aquapark, a “wave room” where you can surf on artificial waves, a private access to the beach with various water sports activities such as JetSki, surfing, banana boat, etc.. In addition, at Palm Atlantis you can stroll for hours from store to store and buy everything your heart desires. You can satisfy your hunger, thirst or just the desire for something culinary delicious in the many different restaurants and cafes.

There is certainly much more worth mentioning in this gigantic hotel but I wanted to report about the Lost Chamber Aquarium.

The Lost Chamber Aquarium

If you enter the Palm Atlantis Hotel through the main entrance, signs lead you directly to the entrance of the Lost Chamber Aquarium. Next to two counters (at one you can buy tickets, at the other it is possible to buy photos) a large throne draws your attention. It is supposed to recreate the throne of Atlantis and thus offers the possibility to take photos already at the entrance.

Not only for children, this throne is huge, as you can see in the photo. I was particularly fascinated by the attention to detail in the patterns of the throne but also in the wall behind it. This is definitely a great, unique experience for the visitor.

Entering the Lost Chamber, one walks directly towards a round column, which is already the first part of the aquarium. Many colorful fish cavort in the large column, circling the water vortex of the center and shining in the most beautiful colors. The round aquarium is perfectly illuminated and looks almost magical. I could have watched the fish in there for hours, so fascinating is the colorful hustle and bustle.

I thought it was a bit of a shame that this water column is virtually right in the entrance and so new visitors are constantly streaming in. Personally, I would have placed the column in a quieter place, so that you can look at it in peace without being in the way of the other guests.

The circular route

Once you have passed the large water column, you automatically get to the circular path of the aquarium. On the left and on the right there are discs through which you can see different fishes, jellyfishes, moray eels and so on. Especially the jellyfish are illuminated in bright colors and float so brightly through the calm water.

The walls, the floor, so to speak, everything in the Lost Chamber Aquarium is bursting with detail. The floor is full of detailed patterns, around the edges there are always figures, tools or things that fit the particular area. The walls are also adorned with details, drawings and mosaics. Unfortunately, the paths are very dark, so that you can see a lot of things only with difficulty and photos are also hardly possible. For this you have all the more to discover in the aquariums.

The path leads to a large round room in the middle of which there is a statue. This is surrounded by a bench and thus offers the opportunity to sit down and watch the fish and sea creatures in a quiet atmosphere. Through Corona a place must always be kept free but there are still enough seats left.

Now one can decide whether one goes left or right around. I only understood at the end that it doesn’t matter, because these ways only offer another round way and you are automatically led back to the round room. In the corridors you will find more fish, a tank with very large fish that resemble clock fish and also small, colorful sea creatures.

The highlight of the Lost Chamber Aquarium

Even from afar, the meter-high glass walls of the Lost Chamber Aquarium shine at you. They illuminate the entire room, flooding it with an atmosphere as if you were part of the diverse underwater world yourself. The closer you get to this part of the aquarium, the more impressive it is!

Although the aquarium in the Dubai Mall is probably the largest in the world, this one feels bigger to me. The glass walls extend from the floor meters high to the ceiling, so you can see the world of marine life in all its glory. The walls are so high that you look tiny in front of them. The fish, sharks, rays and many more swim elegantly and relaxed through the water, come up close to the panes and can thus be observed from every perspective.

Besides the impressive construction and design of the underwater world with colorful corals, reefs, algae, etc., especially the water vortex with its air bubbles attracts attention. It creates a magical, captivating water play that you could watch for hours.

Moreover, the truly enormous glass panes are ideal for taking photos in front of it. But even in the photos, the full scale of the aquarium is difficult to show. You actually need a very fast wide-angle lens to make the picture even come close to depicting reality.

Since the Lost Chamber has not one but 5 such breathtaking discs to offer, there is enough space for everyone to view the versatile, detailed as well as fascinating goings-on in the water.

Instagram vs. reality

Before our visit to the Lost Chamber Aquarium, I had already searched Instagram for photos from there and discovered some very impressive images. Even though the high glass fronts in the aquarium itself are very impressive, these are not as high as the ones in the numerous Instagram pictures. Also, upon closer inspection, there is a star-shaped mosaic missing from the bottom.

To make sure we didn’t miss anything, we took another look at the entire aquarium and then realized that you can also see people on the other side of the water world. But since there is no way to get there, we concluded that this must be at the Palm Atlantis Hotel.

So we left the aquarium and walked a little bit through the hotel. Around a few corners, we then spotted the exact spot that is seen in most Instagram photos. A much larger glass front than the one in the aquarium offers a brilliant view of the large aquarium. This is located in the lobby of the hotel, so to speak. There is also a cafe, from which you can enjoy the underwater world with a cup of coffee or similar.

Of course, we also quickly took a few photos here. This time, however, with the smartphone, because this has a wide-angle function. And only with a wide angle can a photo of the so impressive underwater world be made at all. But since we are in the lobby of a hotel, only a few pictures are possible to not disturb the guests.

But I must also say that I find it a bit strange that the view of the aquarium from the lobby of the hotel is much more impressive than in the aquarium itself. After all, you do pay admission to the Lost Chamber Aquarium (we paid about 25€ with a 2for1 voucher). Entering the lobby, on the other hand, is free. Since the aquarium has more to offer than “just” these high glass walls, the entrance fee is justified, but you can also wonder.

All in all, the Lost Chamber Aquarium is a great experience! Especially if you take advantage of discount promotions (such as through getyourguide or even the Entertainer app) it’s worth it! A unique, very impressive experience that you do not forget so quickly!