November 9, 2016

Abu Dhabi luxe life

Chiara Di ASIA, TRAVEL Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways, Middle East, Tourism, Travel, Travel Consultant, UAE, Wanderlust 0 Comments

Last month I was treated to a trip to Abu Dhabi as part of the Abu Dhabi mega famil by Etihad Airways and Abu Dhabi Tourism & Cultural Authority for Australian travel agents.

We were shown around to the best of the best attractions, hotels and resorts, theme parks, beach clubs and local culture.

First on our itinerary and one of the most well know sights was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, a stunning white landmark with domes, archways, chandeliers and gold detail. The mosque is used for prayer by locals and has a strict dress code with ladies needing to cover their arms, legs and hair.

As part of this half day tour we also visited a date market where different varieties and dessert dates were for sale; the Saadiyat Museum which showed the future of this up and coming island in Abu Dhabi; and the Heritage Village which showed an Abu Dhabi of the past.

We spent one night in the desert and enjoyed a sunrise desert dune drive over some of the world’s biggest dunes.

We had a couple of hours at both Yas Waterworld and Ferrari World on Yas Island. Yas Waterworld was a waterslide park which had a mix of tube and mat slides as well as lazy rivers and pools. The park has lockers and change rooms for convenience.

At Ferrari World we experienced the fastest rollercoaster in the world – Formula Rossa – taking off at 240km per hour. I rode the front seat and it was a thrill. The park has three rollercoasters in total. We weren’t able to try the Fiorano GT Challenge due to maintenance but experienced Flying Aces which took us upside down. The park also has driving and flying simulators, go carts, Ferrari drive experiences, food outlets and Ferrari souvenir stores.

If you like golf, the Abu Dhabi Golf Club is a championship course with 27 holes.  The back of the Golf Club is designed as a falcon, which is the national bird of the UAE.

Falcons are the most popular pets in Abu Dhabi and we visited the Falcon Hospital where these beloved pets are taken for operations and treatments, malting and breeding. It was great to see so much love and care for these birds.

We visited the observation deck on the 74th floor of Jumeirah Etihad Towers for a view over Abu Dhabi. The best part was the bird’s eye view over Emirates Palace.

We took a classic dhow boat ride from Yas Marina around Yas Island which included light snacks and refreshments. We enjoyed views of the Formula One track, Ferrari World, beach clubs and the mangroves.

Saadiyat Beach Club was one of my favourites. Very exclusive and luxe with it’s pool side cabanas and own beach area. My only dislike was only having two hours there. I could have stayed all day. You can purchase day, monthly and annual passes to the club.

We were only able to dabble in a bit of shopping as it wasn’t on the official itinerary. We visited the Yas Mall which had majority of international brands and the Gold Souk full of gold jewellery stores.

Next week I will share some of the amazing resorts I was lucky enough to stay at.

LWL xxx