Abu Dhabi Travel Guide

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, is the state-of-art Gulf petro-city: unashamedly wealthy, thoroughly contemporary, and decidedly staid. The UAE has changed from an obscure fishing village into a modern, luxurious metropolis within forty years. It’s the most stunning story of oil-driven transformation.

If you visit Abu Dhabi, you will find it perfect for travelers and quite laid back. There is culture and local customs you must keep in mind. Locals are not comfortable with tight or revealing clothing like western women’s clothing. The women like to cover up bare shoulders, knees and avoid clothes with plunging necklines.

Unlike Kyoto, which is for religious visits, you will experience from cultural, historical places to fantastic restaurants and high-end shopping. The Abu Dhabi travel guide will offer you tips for travel, leisure, and exploration in Abu Dhabi.

When to go to Abu Dhabi

It is no surprise for you to know that Abu Dhabi is hot and dry with less rain. The rate of UV rays is high, so you need to have sun cream and drink enough water to remain hydrated. With its desert climate, the best time to travel to Abu Dhabi is more fantastic.

Spring is mild, with temperatures circling nearly 33°C. But you feel too warm with that temperature, visit in winter from 18°C to 24°C. If you want to beat the heat and view sunshine, travel from July to August. The temperature is 42°C.

Orientation

The city of Abu Dhabi is an island that connects to the mainland through three bridges: Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Al Maqtaa Bridge, and Mussafah Bridge. They connect to three main roads leading to the island. It isn’t a vast area but covers a large region. Luckily, you can find many inexpensive taxis to ferry you across the city or a more extended trip to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque.

Orientation or route-finding is often straightforward due to the grid plan, although you get confused with the city’s street names. All roads have a name and a number. Odd-numbered streets go up and down the city, for example, the Corniche Road (1st Street).

In addition, some names are complicated. Most of them get an Arabic word, and different parts of a street get different names. For instance, the city-center 5th Street has Al Nasr Street at the first end and Hamdan bin Mohammed Street at the other.

Aldar HQ building

If you take a taxi to Abu Dhabi along the Dubai highway, you have a stunning view of the headquarters of the Aldar group: the standing-out Aldar HQ building. Named “The world’s skyscraper”, it resembles a giant magnifying glass. You’re free to take a look at its airy interior.

 

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Al Maryah and Al Reem

Not far from downtown, on one side of a sea inlet, a group of gorgeous skyscrapers showcases the city’s financial hub, Al Maryah Island. It’s Abu Dhabi’s substantial urban development. It’s on the way to progress with a crop of skyscrapers, which shows an architectural outbreak yet to come.

 

The main point of the development is the gripping Abu Dhabi Market Square. Four giant skyscrapers surround the market building. Within it, you will find the very cool Galleria shopping mall. Here you can take a promenade along with restaurants and cafés.

Al Reem Island gets a massive transformation and skyscrapers mushrooming daily. You also recognize the Gate Towers at the heart of Shams Abu Dhabi Island from a very far distance - a trio of dramatic towers topped by a big sky bridge.

 

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Al Mina

The ordinary Al-Mina district, extending to the north of Al Zahiyeh, is an area where you’ll see Abu Dhabi’s equivalents to one of the traditional souks. Most factory stock offers low-grade rugs, but some spots give valuable traditional carpets if you take the pain to hunt around.

According to the Abu Dhabi travel guide, after a five-minute walk, the food souk appears with the wholesale trade. If you go to the southern end, you have a chance to buy colorful dates or go for a short distance to the west; you will see Al-Mina Fish Market with the fresh catch sold along the quay.

Between the Bridges

The mainland connects Abu Dhabi through three bridges that cross the narrow sea inlet. You will find Between the Bridges in the middle of Mussafah and Al Maqtaa bridges. Al Maqtaa Bridge in the three has a watchtower standing in the middle of the water. It has become the leading tourist destination with lots of fantastic hotels, for example, Shangri-La.

Corniche Road

Driving in Abu Dhabi’s suburban sprawl, you can’t fail to notice that the city sits on an island. The construction of the Maqtaa Bridge connected it to the mainland. The Corniche is an iconic road in Abu Dhabi with its new promenade and beachfront location. Joggers and cyclists turn this into a bustling and lively spot.

Also, the Abu Dhabi travel guide considers Corniche as a good place in the city to have a nice view of its stunning skyscrapers. You can lie on the golden sands of the beach, or cycle across lush parks, picnic areas, and boutiques, or rent a bike to explore gripping scenes of Corniche Road.

Emirates Palace Hotel

Standing in impressive splendor in the west of the city is the grand Emirates Palace Hotel. Its interior has a large number of giant chandeliers and marble. Spacious corridors seem to stretch out for miles towards rooms in the two separate wings. If you have the cash to drop, you can shop at the gold vending machine in the lobby. It gives out more than three hundred pure-gold lines.

Heritage Village

The Heritage Village showcases a slice of Abu Dhabi’s tradition for coach parties who come here on a whistle-stop trip. The village includes a string of painting-like huts where you can join workshops with the presence of artisans, potters, carpenters, brass makers.

Just a short distance from the Heritage Village, you will see an enormous flagpole. It was the tallest pole in the world until 2003. A small octagonal building next to the flagpole stands the Abu Dhabi Theatre. Its nonreligious function belies its mosque-shaped appearance.

Marina Mall

Dominating the heart of the Breakwater, the enormous Marina Mall is the most popular and most prominent shopping destination in the city. The primary attraction of the mall for tourists is a look at the string of high-rising buildings lining the Corniche. Marina Sky Tower soars behind the mall, including Tiara's revolving restaurant and the Colombiano coffee shop, where you have a bird-eye look at the Fairmont Hotel.

Midtown Abu Dhabi and Capital Gate

About 12k km from the south Corniche, the Midtown area includes the giant Zayed Sports Complex, which accommodates the international tennis center, test cricket ground, other sporting facilities, the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, and the odd Capital Gate skyscraper.

 

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The last building is proud of being one of Guinness World Records as the most tilted skyscraper. And, it is famous for the leaning tower in Abu Dhabi. It amazingly leans eighteen-degree four times more than that of the Italian landmark.

Saadiyat Island

As a chain of islands sitting between the mainland and downtown Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island or Island of Happiness becomes a twenty-first-century pearl in Abu Dhabi’s culture with many attractions. The Saadiyat beach is Saadiyat’s primary draw, a lifeguard-patrolled beach, clear turquoise water, accommodation showers, toilets, and bistro kiosks.

Manarat al Saadiyat on the western site showcases the rapid developments here. The UAE Pavilion, which Foster and Partners designed, held the Shanghai World Expo 2010. It’s not often open but organizes cultural events and occasional exhibitions.

World Trade Center

Dominating on the place of the former souk, the enormous World Trade Centre or the Central Market represents Abu Dhabi’s most captivating recent development. A pair of glassy cylindrical skyscrapers, the Burj Mohammed bin Rashid and Trust Tower. The first is the tallest building with a height of 382 meters in Abu Dhabi.

However, its wonderful souk, designed by Foster and Partners, offers a marvelously postmodern structure that originates from the Middle Eastern bazaar. The design mixes Arabian motifs with intricate latticework and modern materials. If you have time, take a stroll outside of the souk, you discover the artistry and full ingenuity.

If you shop on the ground floor, you will see many souvenir and handicraft shops, spice and honey shops. Furthermore, these things on offer may be pretty mundane. There are some places to have meals in the central atrium.

If you get confused or unable to plan where to travel in the upcoming holiday, worry not. This Abu Dhabi travel guide already shows where you visit and what to do on your visit to Abu Dhabi. It is famous for extravagant sightseeing and a luxury gateway.

Islamic city, Abu Dhabi, gives something special to anyone regardless of their interest and age. The things to do here are often entertaining, exciting, and captivating. You will enjoy the blissful nature, scorching desert, cultural splendor, magnificent architecture, and all-year-round sunshine.

As a multicultural city, Abu Dhabi provides an extensive range of entertainment that fits every individual from dawn to dusk. As a night bird, you find the city as the second Vegas where you can have a blast. Also, it accommodates bars, hotels, jazz and dance clubs, shisha lounges, and more. In other words, all night is a party for you.