Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

A while ago I stopped by Abu-Dhabi for a couple of days. I actually landed in Dubai on an Emirates flight and spent the night in the Hotel Apartments Grand Midwest Tower. It is located on Sheikh Zayed Road near the Media Village metro station. Due to off season, I got an apartment with two ensuite bedrooms, a guest bathroom, living room, kitchen and balcony. All this for for 81 Euros. Also, Ramadan was to start few days later which meant less visitors in town.

Public transportation to Abu-Dhabi

I had decided to travel to Abu Dhabi on a public bus. So, after breakfast I took a taxi to the terminal.  Taxi drivers offered shared rides to Dubai for 40 Dirham/person. I was tempted but then I noticed that the taxies get fully filled. I was not up to travelling for one hour squeezed on the back seat. Another option would have been to rent my own taxi for around 80 Euros.

NOL card

So, I bought myself the rechargeable NOL card at the terminal paying 25 Dirham for my ride to Abu Dhabi. Around here, this is the only way to pay for public transportation. Get all the info here.

No problem travelling on my own

I have to say, even being on the road on my own, I encountered no issue what so ever. On the contrary, I noticed a number of local, unaccompanied, female travellers.

Easy drive to Abu Dhabi

It took about an 1 hour 30 to get to the main station in Abu Dhabi. We passed through a number of smaller and bigger towns on the way. I noticed indications/directions on the six lane highway are well marked in Arabic and English. Hence, self-drive is definitely an option.

My accommodation

Another taxi took me to the Ritz Carlton. It is situated on one of the many canals of town. I had booked my room through one of the special offers on Secret Escapes. Half board was included. From the balcony of my room, I had a great view onto the famous Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. I found it especially impressive with its night illumination.

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE

Abu Dhabi, also called the “Father of the Gazelles, is the capital of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates. In the 1960s, it was nothing more than a little town on an island partly without electricity and few cars. Main income consisted of fishing, diving for and trading in pearls and farming of dates.

Oil income

In the 70s, oil came into the picture big time. Consequently, development of AbuDhabi took off on a very rapid pace with skyscrapers popping up everywhere.

Etihad Towers

This group of five skyscrapers in the background are the Etihad Towers. Three of them are dedicated to residential purposes. The others host the 5-star Jumeirah Hotel, the Observation Deck 300 and a number of businesses. It also hosts a collection of the most expensive and exclusive boutiques.

Capital Gate Building

Leaning some 18 degrees, it has a four-time greater inclination than the Tower of Pisa. It hosts the Hyatt Capital Gate Business Hotel.

Al Bahar Towers

Their façade consists of 2000 honeycomb-like elements. They open and close according to the suns’ movement reducing the interior heat by 50%.

Pretty soon I came to the conclusion that Abu Dhabi is quite different from Dubai which I had visited in several passed occasions. It is a lot smaller and gives more weight to preserving the history and authenticity of the Emirates.

Hamdan Bin Mohammed Street

I visited the area around Hamdan Bin Mohammed Street. It is the down town shopping area with small shops on the ground floor of 6-8 story buildings.  These shops have not yet been strangled by large shopping malls carrying international designer pieces.

Like in all of UAE, wealth transpires everywhere. Especially seeing the spectacular residence of the Sheikh. It blew me away.

But it is not only this residence that is spectacular. Other great buildings including homes of locals maintain the traditional architectonic style.

Great beaches

Abu Dhabi lies on an island surrounded by a large number of natural and artificial islands. Everything appears to be located on one of the many canals and seems to have its own beach or at least some access to the sea. Check out this list of beaches here.

Green spaces everywhere

Another thing I notice is that the developers of Abu Dhabi made it a point to have plenty of green areas in town. Not only the Corniche, the sea front promenade, is testimony to that but innumerable other areas around town.

Not an easy task to accomplish as the United Arab Emirates has the lowest water availability per capita in the world. Albeit, at the same time it consumes 500 liters/day/person making it one of the highest water consuming countries. The majority of water is generated from desalinating sea water. On 1.2 percent comes from ground water.

Arid dessert surrounding Abu Dhabi

This picture depicts the skyline of Abu Dhabi in the background.

It is an example of what the area looks like when not included in the water distribution network.

Saadiyat Island

I was rather impressed by the new district on Saadiyat Island partly still under construction. It accommodates some 250,000 people, supermarkets, schools, three golf courses, beach clubs, etc. The area also hosts the Zayed National Museum, Louvre Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.

By the way, I was informed that the administration of Abu Dhabi has decided to allow non-nationals to buy, or better said, to lease properties for 99 years.

Souk near the World Trade Centre

I passed by the indoor souk near the World Trade Center. It is located on the ground floor of a shopping mall and good to visit when it is boiling hot outside as it is all air-conditioned. It carries a variety of items such as Aladdin style lamps and ceramics albeit originating from Turkey. Of course, there are shops with a large choice of spices and all sorts of different dates. I also found carpets, local attires and beautiful high quality shawls in pashmina, kashmir or silk.

Big busses

I visited a lot of the sights using them. I bought the 24-hour classic ticket for 68 Euros.  Check out my post on just that topic.

Some tips on visiting Abu Dhabi

I visited the UAE in mid-May which was just a week before the beginning of Ramadan. Therefore, it was considered low season. I got a very good deal in the 5-star luxury hotel and at the souk.

Very hot already in May

Having said that, if you suffer the heat, it is not a good time to visit the town as temperatures soared to some 40 + degrees by 10:00 am.

Apart from the Corniche, Abu Dhabi is not really a town where you would just take a walk. Partly because of the heat and partly because distances are far.

Hackle at the souk – it is expected

Definitely hackle in the souks. I paid 50% of the asking price for the pashmina shawl I bought.

Best time to take photos

If you are out to take some good pictures, do not make my mistake in believing that in the early morning hours the heat haze would not be there thus visibility would be better. My experience taught me the contrary. Only after 05:00 pm the air cleares.

Dress code

Dress code for females was actually more relaxed than expected. I noticed a number of female travellers dressed as they would dress at home i.e. sleeveless and at times even shorts.

I travelled as a sole female and I have to say I encountered no problem what so ever at any one point.

Finding your drink

If you are into a refreshing beer while on the go, you will need to find a hotel or international restaurant as no alcohol is served in the various restaurants or coffee shops around.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

I prepared a separate post on this amazing building. It was so overwhelming that I felt it deserved a post dedicated to it.

Desert and dune bashing safari

I also went for a desert and dune bashing safari which was a lot of fun and would recommend it for everybody not faint hearted. Check my post on it.

Getting around Abu Dhabi

Check out how I moved around Abu Dhabi.

Enjoy the read!