Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is the federal capital and center of government in the United Arab Emirates. It is the largest city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and one of the most modern cities in the world.

My first trip to United Arab Emirates started with an extravagant weekend stay in Abu Dhabi. It is generally observed that there are less number of tourist as compared to Dubai. I found my stay full of Arabic culture, theme parks, shopping, beaches, food, Desert safari. In short there are many options to explore and enjoy.

Day 1:

After reaching there my morning started with the visit to the Ferrari world. It is located in Yas

Island which is about 20km from Abu Dhabi city center. The only way to reach there is either to hire a car or take a taxi. This island also has the Marina Circuit where F1 race takes place you can even visit there. We started our day early to avoid the rush at the theme park. We do not want to wait anymore to experience there most thrilling and famous ride “Formula Rossa” which is said to be the world's fastest roller coaster with a top speed of 240 km/hr.

The best way to explore the entire theme park is by visiting the most famous rides in the morning to avoid waiting in long queues and save time. It’s a huge theme park we spend the entire day there enjoying different rides and shows. They have some exclusive Ferrari cars displayed in the park which you can see so closely and click photographs. That was one of the thing we enjoyed a lot. As the long day ended so was our energy and still felt that there is much more to explore in the park. They also have a lot of collection of souvenirs of Ferrari World like T-shirts, key rings, Coffee Mugs etc. Do not forget to purchase one.

(Cars displayed in Ferrari World park)

Day 2:

The day started with some amazing Arabic breakfast. We just loved the food. It was very simple not at all spicy like Indian food but with some amazing flavours. Then we headed towards Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque which is the 6th largest mosque in the world. Be conservative for the dressing else you will not be allowed to enter the mosque. Women’s are offered Abaya who have not properly dressed but Men need to be properly dressed. As we reached the Mosque it was a huge Mosque and the entire mosque was built with white stones which was shinning under the sun. 

(View from outside)

(View of the Mosque)

As we entered the mosque it had a huge open portico with some floral paints on the ground. There were many columns on all the sides of the portico. We first headed towards the huge prayer room. It was decorated with some exclusive chandeliers and the entire courtyard was in floral designs. The prayer room consisted of 96 columns. 

 

(First view from inside)

(Exclusive chandelier inside the prayer room)

 From the prayer room we walked through the columns in open courtyard. There is pool along the arcades where you can see the reflection of the columns and the view is beautiful. We kept on walking and sat at some places and just saw how beautifully the mosque has been engraved. There are some free guided tours even available in the mosque if you are interested in knowing more in details you can go for it.

(Courtyard)

To avoid from the scorching heat, we then headed towards Marina Mall where we had our lunch and explored the mall and did some shopping. In this mall you get almost everything. As the sun was going down it was again time to move out. We next headed to the Corniche which is just besides marina mall where the corniche starts and is almost a 6 Km stretch upto Mina Zyed port. It has many public beaches which are open for visitors and has a walkway for the entire length, and certain stretches have sandy beaches. There are also many activities like go-cart riding, playgrounds and even stages for shows. All this against a backdrop of the impressive towers of downtown Abu Dhabi on the other side. Women have to be conservative in dressing while going in the open sea.

(Enjoying at the beach)

(Sunset at the beach)

After enjoying the walk on the sandy beach and relaxing we headed to the Emirates palace. It’s the most luxurious hotel in Abu Dhabi and also a landmark showcasing Arabian culture. In the evening when it is lighted up its has an amazing view. As we steeped in the hotel it never gave an feel of hotel we felt as if we entered a palace. Huge open marble floors, ornately furnished domed ceilings. The staff was very generous and polite and the entire palace was just magnificent.

(Emirates Palace in Sunlight)

(Stunning view of the palace in night)

(Emirates Palace with fountain view)

Day ended with the magnificent visit and so was about our trip to the Abu Dhabi but before it completely comes to an end it was time to have an extravagant buffet for which Abu Dhabi is famous for. We went to a restaurant in Shangri-La hotel which is situated just out of town across the bridge on the mainland and has stunning views of Abu Dhabi and the grand mosque across the water. The interior decor is beautiful as is the outside tables set on a patio overlooking the infinity pool and the sea beyond that offering wonderful views of Abu Dhabi.

(View of Patio in Shangrila Hotel)

(View of Mosque from Shangrila Hotel)

The restaurant offers a buffet with a wide selection of food or the al a cart menu. We went for their extravagant Buffet and they have large variety of cusines there and I am sure no one can even taste all of them. We were vegetarian but still we got so many options to eat. We just loved the food, service and the décor. If you are visiting on a weekend or on a holiday do make a reservation before hand. They have long waiting queues.

Recommendations:

• Try to avoid visiting during summer period.
• Apply lots of sunscreen to avoid tanning.
• Carry lots of water to keep yourself hydrated.
• If you are visiting Dubai it would be better to go for Desert Safari there. 

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