We have spent five nights in Abu Dhabi, one overnight as part of a cruise and four nights at the Four Seasons Al Maryah Island. Our impressions of Abu Dhabi is that much of it is ultra modern, and has been developed with great respect to local traditions and culture.
We visited in November and the weather was perfect. Lovely blue skies and warm days averaging the high 20s degree celsius when we visited, nowhere near the extremely hot temperatures of their mid-year summer (40 degrees celsius).
Public transport is not as readily available as places like Singapore or some of the European cities we’ve travelled to, so we took taxis to the places we visited.
Here are our favourite experiences from our time in Abu Dhabi.
Admire the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
This super impressive mosque is absolutely unmissable. It is so beautiful to see, both inside and out. The attention to detail in the way it has been decorated, from coloured marble inlay, to crystal chandeliers, can’t be faulted. It’ll keep you awestruck from every angle.
We’ve written about our visit to this mosque in a previous post, so we won’t repeat ourselves here. Please click here to read our earlier story. And consider both a day time and an evening visit to see a different perspective.
Get an Art Fix at the Louvre Abu Dhabi
You are correct – this museum and its galleries are a partnership with the Paris Louvre. Not only does it present amazing art collections, the Louvre’s building is also something to admire. We loved our time visiting this place.
We visited the Louvre Abu Dhabi only a few days after it opened in November 2017. The building is part of Abu Dhabi’s cultural district and sits on the edge of the Persian Gulf. The water and building are connected and are an interesting feature of the architecture.
We saw some impressive pieces on display as we visited. However it is the huge dome in the external courtyard area that we remember most. This ‘floating dome’ roof is inspired by palm trees and recreates the way their leaves filter sunlight from above to create a mottled pattern beneath. We found it remarkable to look at. In fact, the entire complex is a photographer’s dream.
We bought our tickets online before we arrived in Abu Dhabi to ensure we secured a spot given they had just opened.
Tour the Falcon Hospital
The Falcon Hospital is located a 30 minute taxi ride from downtown Abu Dhabi, but definitely worth the visit. I loved our half day here. We saw the falcons lined up and waiting for their vet visits, and also got to observe a falcon having its check-up. Amazingly they have a stock of wing and tail feathers on hand, sorted by size, for replacing any damaged feathers on their falcon patients.
The tour included entering an enormous aviary where the falcons can fly whilst in the care of the hospital, and also some time in the onsite falconry museum. The highlight for me was being able to hold a falcon, seeing a falcon so close up was fantastic. They are such beautiful and well cared for birds. Your travelling companions will be able to take a number of photos of you with the falcon too.
We booked this tour in advance, and paid on arrival. The knowledgeable staff imparted interesting information about these birds, and we learnt a lot about their care. Did you know United Arab Emirates falcons that travel even have their own passports?
Enjoy High Tea at the Emirates Palace Hotel
I can’t recall how we found out about the High Tea at the Emirates Palace hotel, but we couldn’t miss the opportunity to have a cappuccino topped with real gold leaf whilst enjoying tasty treats in opulent surrounds.
Our table was beautifully set, reassuring us that we were in for a lovely afternoon. Once the delicately created sandwiches, and ornate mini cakes were put in front of us, I wont deny that we were delighted!
Delicious snacks aside, part of the fun was the people watching. It looked like there were visitors from near and far enjoying a slice of luxury. Sitting in the expansive and beautifully decorated ground floor, whilst listening to the pianist do her thing, rounded off our visit by creating a memorable ambiance.
This High Tea is a pricy endeavour. But consider it a once in a lifetime experience. Security did check us over as our taxi pulled into the driveway, so make sure you are dressed appropriately. And take the time to get some great city photos before or after your High Tea. The view from Emirates Palace is fantastic as shown below.
Abu Dhabi is well worth the visit. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would consider going back to see some of the sights we missed, and to revisit some of these highlights. Abu Dhabi is also only a 90 minute drive from Dubai, so you can easily combine both cities if you are in that part of the world. Put it on your bucket list.