Desert Paradise? (Abu Dhabi)

Member Name: miketunstall

Product:	Abu Dhabi
Date:	06/11/08 (37 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lovely weather, good things to do, great food

Disadvantages: Expensive, not as much to do as Dubai, driving is horrible

I have just seen that the last review written on Abu Dhabi was back in 2001, which frankly is too long ago for people to know what it is like. My parents live out in Abu Dhabi and have done so for the past 2-3 years and I have been visiting there for the last 5 years, and the one thing I have to say is....oh my how it has changed!

Okay where do I start with this country, now I personally do not see it as second best to Dubai, as it is much more reserved and less well, Disney I suppose. Abu Dhabi has all the razzmatazz that Dubai, you know the usual flash cars, wealthy Arabs, 5* luxury living and the posh hotels. However, you most likely know this, so now will try to give as best a full review as I can.

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Well I am afraid this is going to be a short section as the weather does not vary that much in Abu Dhabi, 51 weeks of the year it is hot and sunny, although it has to be said that the summer - June until September is definitely not the ideal time to visit the emirate due to temperatures of up to 50°C and days of 90-100% humidity, which is quite frankly unbearable to say the least. During these months, you will most likely find people running from the car to the building to escape to the cool air-con. The best months to visit the emirate is from November until May (excluding February) with daytime temperature of around 25-35°C, and nights of low-20s it really is a nice climate to be in. The reason not to visit in February is down to it being the wettest month of the year, with the weather being changeable and 5 of the average 7 days of rain occurring in this month, take it from me it is not a great place to be in the rain and although there is plenty to do, it just isn't as good as other times (especially as it often rains for 3-4 days in a row in this month.

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You really are spoilt for choice for places to stay in Abu Dhabi, unfortunately it must be said that it is not a particularly cheap place to visit, for example the cheapest I know of is around £70 in a 3 star hotel and the prices top £225 at the Emirates Palace, which is a top hotel with great restaurants, bars and rooms (the bathrooms have gold leaf sprayed into the paint!). All the big names are in Abu Dhabi including the Hilton (which was on the beach until the new cornice was built), the Sheraton, the Le (Royal &) Meridian and the Shangri-La. Although these hotels are expensive, they are more than worth the money many with private beaches, great food and brilliant swimming pools. A quick note on the hotels is that these are the only places licensed to serve alcohol as this is a Muslim country and alcohol is not permitted in the religion, so if you fancy a drink so have to go to a hotel bar/club or restaurant. The hotel I am most familiar with is Le Meridian, which is located in the tourist club area in the centre of town and is a nice hotel with good food and a restaurant village, comprising of around eight restaurants.

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Abu Dhabi is a Muslim country and has traditional Muslim values, even though it has a largish population of expats. Although the country has loosened it's customs it has to be said that if you go to Abu Dhabi it is worth noting that kissing in public is against the law, and also revealing clothing is frowned upon by many, so expect some frowns from emirates if walking around in small items of clothing, however you may find in the malls that people are dressed like this. Arabs culturally love to socialize so you will see many of the coffee shops full is Emirates chatting away, it used to be over a shisha however due to recent research about the health effects and smoking bans there are few shisha bars left in the city. Abu Dhabi is also home to the largest mosque outside of Mecca, which has a great tour (free of charge), and although it is still not completed it is a great tour to do.
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Well I suppose the obvious to start with is either the beach (either hotel or public, the latter has a small charge of maybe £1.50, but is worth the money) which is great for topping up the tan and many a day could be spent doing this, however if you are feeling more adventurous you could try a desert safari, dune bashing, camel riding, a day at the camel races (this is a big thing), shopping, ice skating, skiing (at the indoor ski slope, Marina Mall), cinema, jet skiing (this is also very big) or just taking in the sites of the city. There are probably loads of other things to do but these are things I like to do, and I recommend.

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I have to put a note on this because getting around is definitely a memorable experience for anyone, I will start with walking, although in summer this is not advised for health reasons, I would not personally recommend it anyway due to the driving in the city. The drivers are not pedestrian friendly and zebra crossings do not mean anything, the worst thing to do is to expect people to stop, as 9/10 times they will not. You really do take your life in your hands crossing the roads. Well on to buses, these are new in the city and are free for now but there are few routes and they take ages so if you are in a hurry or do not like waiting I would not recommend this. Taxis are ok as long as you want to go somewhere such as a hotel or mall, if not they will struggle to find it and you will have to try to direct them. Please note older white & gold taxis usually don't use meters and will haggle for price, agree a price before you get in, the yellow top and white top taxis are metered and a better bet, all the taxi's are very cheap and it will cost you no more than £3.00 to get across the city (about 30 mins). Lastly hiring a car....don't do it, the customs are very different and driving is very aggressive with lots of overtaking, undertaking, cutting in, beeping and crashes, altogether not a fun experience.
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Abu Dhabi is a desert paradise for most and although it is set up for tourists it has lots of culture and something for everything. I wholly recommend it, however it is expensive which is the biggest problem is the price which is top money for a resort, it is also worth noting it is a seven hour flight if you don't like flying which could be a downside.

Summary: Great place to visit, if you have some spare change!