Middle Eastern Travels
23rd March 2017
The best way to kick the January blues is to find some sun! My friend is working in Abu Dhabi at the moment so another friend and I hopped on a plane to visit her and the 26°C sunshine at the end of January! When we arrived in the evening the warm air hit us and the modern cityscape was bright across the horizon. Winter was instantly forgotten and I couldn’t wait to get on the beach.
Image from http://www.yasbeach.ae/
One of my favourite experiences in Abu Dhabi was visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque during sunset. Its bright white appearance is spectacular in any light and the intricate details throughout the place of worship are breath-taking. Natural materials were used to create this beautiful building in order to age well with time. The floral mosaics in the courtyard intertwine between white marble which glitters in the light. The floral design was created by Kevin Dean, an Englishman, who trained at the Royal College of Art. It was definitely one of my favourite parts of the whole building. The mosque and grounds are stunning and even though there are many visitors it’s such a calming place and the call to prayer was such an impressive experience.
Image from www.thenational.ae/
We also went on a desert safari which entailed “dune bashing”, dune boarding, camel rides, shisha, and henna. The dune bashing (being driven in a 4×4 across sand dunes very quickly and erratically) was so much fun! It’s not for the faint hearted and probably not the best option for those who get travel sick. We stopped at different sand dunes along the ride and were able to see the sunset across the desert.
During our trip, we also visited Dubai which is just as modern and impressive as Abu Dhabi. We ate dinner across the water from the tallest building in the world, the Burj Kalifa. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to go up to the top but I will certainly make sure I do next time I visit. On the Friday, we experienced one of Dubai’s famous brunches, this is where you go to a fancy hotel and it’s all you can eat and drink for a few hours. The amount and array of food was incredible! There was a room dedicated to sweets and tables upon tables filled with cheese. You name a cuisine and it was there! Needless to say, we had an amazing day and we carried on into the night where we ended up at fun beach party.
On our last day in Abu Dhabi we spent most of our time at the waterpark soaking up the last rays of sunshine. In the evening, we went kayaking around the mangroves at sunset. The sea was so calm and we saw lots of eagles and other wildlife. It was such a beautiful end to such an exciting holiday!
Image from http://www.abudhabiconfidential.ae/home-and-escape/kayak-through-abu-dhabi%E2%80%99s-mangroves-at-night/
