UAE : Abu Dhabi – Our Passport Tales

To & From:

The UAE is well served from Dublin, and the Capital of the Emirates is no exception, Etihad airlines have you in Abu Dhabi International Airport ( AUH ), in a little under 7 hours and with only a 3 hour time zone, you will lose little time and be straight out into the heat of the Arabian desert after a simple clearance through immigration and customs. Avoid the temptation of stashing alcohol into your checked luggage to ensure no delays and hassle. Customs have seen it all before.

All hotels sell alcohol in their bars & restaurants where the price of alcohol is en par with luxury hotels in the west but not with your average Irish pub!!

The selection of fabulous hotels in Abu Dhabi is second to none so the choice has always been enormous when we have visited although we have been lucky to stay with family on occasion in their 27th floor penthouse ! A hotel with a beach (manmade) is always going to be a winner and favourites include the Bab Al Qasr beach hotel, the Fairmont and St Regis or if you prefer to be downtown the Le Meridien & Beach Rotana are good bets and the latter always offers good value.For all you Four Seasons fans the fab hotel is just a little further out on Al Maryah Island and is connected to the Galleria Mall for all you shopaholics !!

To Do:

While Abu Dhabi is largely a sunshine holiday there is some culture, lots of golf and shopping!! The must visit,star attraction is the magnificent Sheikh Zayed Mosque or White Mosque as it is known locally. Ladies must wear an abaya with hood up while men just need to wear trousers ! The abaya are available close to the entrance ,word of wisdom don’t take any photos of ladies around mosque without the abaya or security will delete it ! In 2018, it was ranked as the world’s third-favorite landmark according to TripAdvisor — surpassing other wonders such as St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City and the Taj Mahal in India — with Angkor Wat in Cambodia beating it to the top spot.

Figure 2 -Sheikh Zayed Mosque

The Louvre Abu Dhabi an art & civilization museum is a must visit for all art lovers… Located on the Saadiyat Island Cultural District artworks from around the world including many from France are showcased at the museum .

Figure 3 – The Louvre

Shopping!

Abu Dhabi is a mecca for shopping with a fantastic array of shops many housed in fabulous malls , I will just mention three here but the list is endless !

The Galleria – featuring shops like Dolce & Gabbana, La Martina, Jimmy Choo, Alexander McQueen and Michael Kors, has a wide range of fashion and luxury goods to suit most shoppers and an equally diverse set of dining options to boot.

Al Wahda Mall – is considered one of the city’s most well-known landmarks with over 350 stores. Shops include Armani Exchange, Gap, Izod, Victoria Secret and Tommy Hilfiger.

Abu Dhabi Mall – located in the heart of the city, offers more than 200 fashion stores and designer boutiques. Anchor stores include Carolina Herrera, Zara, Pandora, Weekend Max Mara and Anne Klein.

You will find hairdressers, spas & beauty salons all over Abu Dhabi in hotels ,malls and even in apartments blocks where the time we stayed with family I had a blow dry almost daily! Word of caution though men are not permitted in the salons ie my hubby called in after his barber apt to collect me but was given very quick shift !

Figure 4 – Views from Reem Island

Dune Bashing

With soaring dunes and impressive sand valleys, Abu Dhabi’s desertscape is the home of Dune bashing. A fantastic way to explore the desert expanse, located in a number of locations in Abu Dhabi including the beautiful dunes of the Al Khaznah area between Abu Dhabi and the lush garden city of Al Ain . It can be booked through local tour operators or the concierge at your hotel. Another option is to do a half-day or overnight stay at the Arabian Nights Village which also includes a dune-bashing experience.

Dune-bashing experiences can also feature camel rides, sandboarding, henna painting, falcon and belly-dancing performances, check out what is included before booking .

Figure 5 – Dunes in the desert

Luxe Architecture

A visit to Emirates Palace is another must even if just for a cocktail ! A lavish property that’s world-famous, thanks to its expansive structure, enchanting Arabesque style, award-winning five-star hospitality and wonderfully unique and authentic local experiences.

Figure 6 – Emirates Palace – ladies who lunch !

Friday Brunch

UAE is famous for its Friday & Saturday brunches which take place in many of Abu Dhabi’s fabulous hotels ! But word of warning if there’s one thing we’ve learned during our time in Abu Dhabi, the word ‘brunch’ definitely doesn’t necessarily refer to the meal between breakfast and lunch, they can begin at 12 noon and 6 hours later the party is still going!

Figure 7 – Brunch

Yaz Island

Home to Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix although not on during our visits Yaz Island is a thriving hub for entertainment where you can do go karting or drive an Aston Martin.In addition there is an ultimate thrill water park Yaz Waterworld where you can enjoy more than 40 rip-roaring rides, slithering slides, and amazing attractions!

We opted for a night out with dinner followed by drinks/cocktails & music in the Skylite Rooftop Lounge, located on top of the luxurious Yas Hotel. It was lovely to have dinner overlooking the Yas Marina Circuit & yachts in the water!

Figure 8 – Viceroy Hotel, Yaz Island

Dining Out

The selection of places for dining out whether brunch, lunch or dinner is vast but we were very lucky to have family living locally who had created an itinerary of all the best dining out options for us ! Almost all of the hotels have numerous restaurants not to mention the malls & souks where we dined in some fabulous eateries including our must have Indian where ever we are in the world !

See our chosen eateries in useful links below

In fact the Indian Ushna is one of the only Indian restaurants we had a chance to dine outdoors overlooking the ocean . Yaz Island is a haven of dining experiences and also gives you an opportunity to dine over looking the track in the Viceroy . Other great dining experiences included the Bentley Kitchen in Galleria Mall, while the Rotana Beach has a great array of restaurants including a lovely Italian Pregos, Trader Vics and german restuarant /bar with outdoor dining Bruhaus . For amazing fine dining we enjoyed the Bord Eau in the Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri Khor Al Maqta!

We took in a six nations rugby match in Irish pub Mc Gettigans . The atmosphere was electric & we were able to have a bite to eat here also,wholesome pub grub!

Figure 9 – Trader Vics !

We always enjoy our trips to Abu Dhabi , an idyllic place to relax in fabulous sunshine, rejuvenate, dine out in fantastic eateries with some of the best food all the time breathing in the sea breeze.

There is a very good chance it will be our first trip post Covid19 keep in touch!!

Useful Links