Abu Dhabi Travel Guide
Travel guide to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates with comprehensive information about events, shopping, and major Abu Dhabi sporting events to help you enjoy your visit more.
Abu Dhabi Overview
Abu Dhabi is the elegant sophisticated capital city of the United Arab Emirates. It lies mainly on a small island just off the coast around 100KM to the south of Dubai. Though not as developed as a tourist destination or as cosmopolitan, as its neighbour to the North, Abu Dhabi remains a fascinating place to visit. Widely known as the "Garden City of the Gulf" on account of its many parks, Abu Dhabi has an abundance of attractions including many mosques.
The skyscrapers of the city centre gleam above the streets, and have come to represent a very clean and modern city that is simple to explore and very safe. There are a couple of old souks (markets) to explore, and the Old Souk in the northwest of the city offers the chance to indulge in a spot of bartering and haggling over pretty much anything that you fancy buying. With so many glitzy malls under construction, and the ongoing Arabian fetish for modernity over history, it may be wise to pay the old souk a visit before they build over it.
You can get cheap flights to Abu Dhabi year round, and since the hotels tend to be in fierce competition, the accommodation in the city is usually excellent value. Also, since Abu Dhabi is no more than an hour or so from the hotels and attractions of Dubai, it's fast becoming a popular entry point into the UAE. You will often find cheaper fares to travel into Abu Dhabi than you can for flights to Dubai.
Top Abu Dhabi Attractions
Around Abu Dhabi itself, the main attractions are the mosques, beaches, and the Corniche, where the locals tend to meet and socialise in the evening. The Al Hosn Palace contains a museum, and there are a number of impressive monuments around the city including the iconic volcano fountain.
The desert is a beautiful place to spend an evening, and it is possible to arrange an excursion that includes dinner at sunset and an evening filled with traditional entertainment if you book in advance.
Shopping in Abu Dhabi
Although it might not have the reputation of its near neighbour Dubai when it comes to shopping, Abu Dhabi still offers a great opportunity for getting a few bargains while you visit. The two largest malls are the Marina Mall and the Abu Dhabi Mall - where you can find internationally known brands and high street stores alike.
At the Fotouh al Khair centre, you can get some amazing jewellery deals, while at the Khalifa centre, you can get the best antiques and art in town.
Hamdan Street is the centre of the clothing trade in Abu Dhabi, and the best place to go to buy a stylish pashmina or a dish-dash, while the Old Souk is great for spices and carpets.
Abu Dhabi Sporting Events
Horse racing and golf are very popular in Abu Dhabi, and there are plenty of places where you can watch or join in. The local sport of choice is Camel racing, and an evening at the track watching as these seemingly ungainly animals charge around in competition with each other is great fun.
All the hotels offer water sports such as water skiing and sailing, and there are several PADI certified diving institutes in Abu Dhabi that can arrange a day's scuba diving off the coast.
