The impressive Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

6 things you must do in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi has charm and attractions that are a revelation to many… with golden beaches, fabulous water parks and desert drives, the emirate is a perfect holiday destination, says Gareth Huw Davies

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STROLL THE PROM

The Corniche is an epic four-mile promenade with many places to stop off and enjoy a picnic. You can stroll the entire length in an afternoon, or to speed things up, why not hire a bike instead? Two things catch the eye. The emirate’s flag, as big as a bus, atop a 360ft pole, and the remarkable Capital Gate building, with a built in lean of 18 degrees. (The slant on Pisa’s tower is only four degrees.) The Avenue at Etihad Towers is a new mall dedicated to high-end fashion. Then turn in a few blocks to visit Qasr al Hosn fort, the oldest building in the city. As for eating out, the choice is colossal, from Ethiopian, via the kitchens of the Middle East and Europe, to Iran.

2 ISLAND OF ADVENTURE

3 THE ART OF SURPRISE

Yas Island, near the airport, is a frantic, red-hot centre of adrenaline rides. Sit back, cling on and watch your knuckles turn white. Waterworld, which opened this year, is said to be the world’s biggest water park, with a dizzying choice of raft rides, slides, terrifying ravines and endless wave machines. Ferrari World is the first theme park dedicated to the illustrious racing car. The outstanding ride is the world’s fastest rollercoaster, Formula Rossa, which touches 150mph. Abu Dhabi’s Formula 1 track is here. Feel free to run or cycle around it every Tuesday for free. The Du Arena is the island’s other big feature, drawing such stars as Sting recently.

4 DESERT BLOOMS

Just an hour from the busy city, we peered over the razor-sharp crest of a 100ft sand dune. There’s a good choice of 4x4 tours into this pristine golden world, empty apart from the odd oil well or power pylon. Al Ain, dubbed the Garden City because of its greenery, is the place to visit in the desert. And at the Al Jahili Fort, there’s a permanent exhibition to the great British travel writer and explorer Wilfred Thesiger, who crossed the region in the 1940s.

5 STAY ON THE SANDS

We stayed in the five-star Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island. It opened in 2011, and is particularly attractive for the European winter market. Our villa had a private pool, where we enjoyed that rarest of treats - a pre-breakfast dip in February. After breakfast we took the boardwalk to reach the beach, thus keeping off the dunes where endangered hawksbill turtles lay eggs. That evening, after cocktails in the hotel’s Beach House bar, we headed for the Park Bar And Grill, which offers an intriguing mix of Vietnamese starters, Australian beef and French wine.

6 CITIES OF THE FUTURE

Abu Dhabi saves its most surprising attraction to last. Masdar City, next to the airport, is definitely worth a visit. Cars are not allowed into this pioneering zero-carbon development (still only the size of a village but there’s much more to come) powered entirely by the sun and the winds that blow hot and strong off the desert sands. We entered the area in a four seater driverless pod which runs on guided rails. Buildings cram together over narrow alleys, mimicking ancient Arabian streets, down which cooling breezes blow. Students and researchers are working on the technology that we could well see in towns and cities not too far into the future.


Original article published in Oct 2014. All info and prices correct at time of publication.

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Get an adrenalin rush at Ferrari World

Relax on the beach at Saadiyat Island

This prosperous emirate’s latest bold idea is to bring some of the world’s greatest art to its new cultural district on Saadiyat Island, a ten-minute taxi ride from the city centre. Frank Gehry is repeating the gleaming silver sinuosity of his Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. The Louvre Abu Dhabi, showcasing loans from its Paris namesake and other French museums, follows next year. A permanent exhibition, the Saadiyat Island story, explains the vision. The shock of the new continues in the vast Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. There is room for 40,000 worshippers and the mosque boasts the world’s largest carpet and largest chandelier. The columns are faced with marble panels inlaid with precious stones.