I have a real affinity for Abu Dhabi - the
vibrant capital of the United Arab Emirates. Not only did I meet my
hubby-to-be there, but it has also been mine and my mum's number one holiday
destination for the past 12 years, as some of our family members have settled
both there and in neighbouring Dubai.
Abu Dhabi is a really special place, it has so much
to offer. Here are my top eight favourite things to do in the beautiful city.
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| How cool is this pic?! The plane was at the perfect angle when I took it (thanks Mr Pilot!) |
1. Go to the F1 Grand Prix at Yas
Marina circuit
This has to be my number one choice because I’m a
huge Formula 1 fan. We went to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2012 and had a
fantastic time. It was before the new engines were introduced, so the noise was
immense and the atmosphere electric. We sat in the stand at turn nine (the
hairpin), it was a good action spot as we saw a few overtakes. However, despite
our best efforts in cheering the Brits on, the iceman, aka Kimi Raikonnen, took
the trophy.
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| Turn nine was a great place to watch the action |
There's even the chance to get up close to your
favourite drivers at the autograph sessions. Just be prepared to queue for
hours... we waited in the blazing sunshine from 7:30am to 11am to get
autographs from Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button but didn't get anywhere near
them! Luckily, our determination paid off and we got to meet Daniel Ricciardo,
who is my second favourite driver after Lewis. We also got pretty close to
Michael Schumacher, which, as you can imagine, felt pretty surreal/special.
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| Probably the only picture in existence of Ricciardo not smiling... |
Another great thing about going to the Grand Prix
is the great entertainment at the Yasalam after-race concerts at Yas and Beats
on the Beach at the Corniche. We saw Kylie Minogue, Nickleback and Eminem
during the race weekend.
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| We had a good ol' boogie to Kylie Minogue! |
A couple of days after race day, we went back to
Yas Island for a wander. We were a little bit confused when we could hear the
unmissable sound of Formula 1 cars and then couldn’t believe our luck when we
realised they were testing them! So, we pulled up a chair on the balcony of the
chic Yas Viceroy hotel, ordered a chilled beer and sat back and relaxed while
watching the cars whizz around the track.
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| I want to watch the actual race from this spot one day! *Bucket List* |
If you can’t make it to the Grand Prix, you can do
a tour of the circuit, which is a must for any F1 fan. You get to see behind
the scenes, including the control room, team villas, the room where the top
three drivers go before the podium presentation and even Bernie Ecclestone’s
private lift!
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| I got a tad excited as this was the ACTUAL champagne bottle from Vettel's win in 2009! |
2. Do ‘brunch’
Going for brunch is an Abu Dhabi tradition for me.
You are spoilt for choice as there are plenty of fantastic places, but the
Fairmont Bab al Bahr and the Westin are my top two choices. I am slightly
biased about the Westin, as it’s where I met my lovely fiancé, so it will
always hold a special place in my heart!
The Fairmont Bab al Bahr is spectacular in every
way possible and you can make it even more of an occasion with their Moet
brunch package (unlimited champagne AND delicious food – what more could you
want?!)
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| I'm suddenly feeling very hungry/thirsty writing this blog... |
Afterwards, you can take your drinks outside and watch the sun go down
over Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque – a truly stunning setting and a brunch to
remember (as long as you don’t overdo it on the champers!)
3. Hire a bike and ride along the
corniche in the sunshine
I actually ended up doing this a few times on my
most recent trip to Abu Dhabi because I loved it so much. You can hire bikes by
the Hiltonia for only 30 dhs each (approximately £5.50). You can keep the
bikes for as long as you want and just pay an extra 30 dhs per hour. Cycling in
the sunshine is a lovely way to spend the afternoon and when you get tired,
stop off at Cold Stone Creamery for an ice cream – perfect!
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| This bike was massive, which made for entertaining viewing whenever I had to get on/get off/start/stop/just move in general... |
4. Visit Saadiyat Island
This is a a really exciting development in Abu
Dhabi and it sounds like it's going to be fabulous when it's completed. We
checked out Manarat al Saadiyat, which is the arts, culture and visitor centre.
After wandering around the exhibition and reading about the fascinating history
of Abu Dhabi and the vision for its future, we sat outside and had a lovely
lunch in the beautiful courtyard.
5. Wander around Souk Qaryat al Beri
The souk is great during the day and at night.
During the day, it's great for people watching over a refreshing drink. There’s
also a Gallery One shop (I LOVE Gallery One) and plenty of cute little stalls
to buy trinkets and souvenirs for friends and family back home.
If you go there in the evening, you really do have
your pick of the bunch when it comes to restaurants. There's Sho Cho, Noodle
House, Ushna and Left Bank, to name but a few. One of my favourites is Traders
because the outdoor terrace there is just gorgeous and the ideal spot to chill
out with a shisha.
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| This picture really does not do the view from Pearls & Caviar justice |
One of my favourite bars in the world is just a
short walk from the souk. It’s called Pearls & Caviar (Pearls is the
restaurant and Caviar is the bar). I didn’t go last time I was out there
because we seemed to run out of time really quickly, but it's definitely one
of favourite bars I've ever been to. They do great cocktails, play some really
cool tunes and the view is absolutely incredible. Just take care when you’re
leaving and make sure you don’t accidentally fall into a bush. Mum and I have
DEFINITELY never done that...
6. Visit Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
The mosque is the largest in the UAE (it can
accommodate more than 40,000 worshipers) and it is simply
magnificent. Make sure you check what time the guided tours are, they're
really interesting and definitely worth doing. Otherwise, wandering around the
complex is still a really pleasant way to spend a morning or afternoon.
You will see some incredible things at the mosque,
such as the carpet in the main prayer hall, which is considered to be the world's
largest carpet and one of the chandeliers is the third largest in the
world!
*Remember to dress appropriately. Cover your ankles
and your shoulders. Women must wear headscarves, which are available at the
mosque. Most importantly, be respectful. Don't do a Rihanna!*
7. Order a Camelchino at the Emirates
Palace
The Emirates Palace is a must-do if you haven’t
visited Abu Dhabi before. I will say, however, that I was slightly disappointed
last time I was there. I felt it had lost the special atmosphere it used to
have. The entire place was heaving with tourists in tiny shorts and teeny vest tops taking
pictures. I know we were tourists too, but we dressed respectfully. I wouldn’t be
surprised if the Emirates Palace took a leaf out of the Burj Al Arab’s book in
Dubai and stopped letting people in unless they have a reservation/are dressed
smartly.
Anyway, tourist-resenting rant over. The palace
itself is extraordinarily luxurious. Tom and I had a lovely afternoon wandering
around, then wandered over to Le Café. After picking out a few chocolates
from the impressive counter, which boasted a huge array of impressive-looking
desserts, we ordered our drinks. I had a zingy and refreshing oolong tea,
while Tom had the famous Camelchino, a gold-leaf drizzled cappuccino
made with fresh camel milk. It also came with a camel chocolate and as we made
friends with the waiter there, he treated us to a few more!
8. Try the cheese bread at Gulf
Pastry
Gulf Pastry is a chain across Abu Dhabi, but the
one we have tried is the shop in Al Maqtaa.
This is in a very local area, which comes alive at
night. It’s a great thing to do if you want to sample a bit of ‘local life’ –
but be warned, it’s a nightmare to park around there and you’ll probably get
beeped at every two minutes!
We discovered the cheese bread after our morning
power walk – yes, walked about 6K in the blazing middle eastern sunshine then
we ate all the calories we burnt off (and more) in the form of seriously
naughty cheese bread! But seriously, I doubt anyone could resist it because it
is SO GOOD. I am actually really glad we only discovered this on the last
day of our holiday because if I’d had it any earlier, then I probably would've
eaten it every day. There are lots of different options, but we just had
the standard cheese bread. I’m not sure what cheese they use, it’s a salty one,
a bit like halloumi but gooier, and it's melted on gorgeous bread. I swear I’m
salivating while writing this. It is just so, so, so good. DEFINITELY worth the
calories! (I don't have a picture of the cheese bread, which is a good thing, as I'd probably want to frame it).
I hope you enjoyed my top eight favourite things to
do in Abu Dhabi! If you've been there, let me know what your favourite hot
spots are! x
