Alluring Abu Dhabi

It was the morning of the 15th April and myself, husband Carl and daughter Laila were off to Abu Dhabi. Our journey started at London Heathrow's Terminal 4 where we checked in with Etihad. It was a smooth check in and we soon passed though security to go and enjoy a nice breakfast whilst waiting to board our flight. The flight took approximately 7 hours and we landed in Abu Dhabi at 8pm. It took about an hour from landing to getting in a taxi and we were on our way to the hotel. Wow, what can I say! The approach to the hotel which was the Mandarin Oriental Emirates Palace was jaw dropping! It's a huge and very opulent hotel We were warmly welcomed by the staff and directed to our Deluxe Garden View room. The view was more than a garden as we could also see the pools. The room was large and had all the amenities we needed. Our first day was not what we expected it to be! We woke up to the sound of heavy rain. I had to think for a moment, was I still in the UK! We past time by having breakfast and a wonder around the hotel trying to find our bearings. The weather wasn't showing any sign of improving so we decided to take a taxi to the louvre Museum. The Louvre Museum, which is on Saadiyat Island, is about a twenty minute drive from the hotel. Unfortunately, most of the museum was closed due to the heavy rain so only had access to certain parts but got in for free. I must admit, our first day was a little underwhelming and we were wondering if we were going to enjoy Abu Dhabi. All I can say is, it just got better and better! For the rest of the holiday the sun was shining and wasn't a cloud in the sky. One place I really wanted to visit was the Grand Mosque. I had read on Trip Advisor that you need to pre register your visit before you go and download the QR code. I expected to have to pay on arrival but it was free to enter. This would have been great value but i ended up paying for some outfits for Laila and I to wear as women need to be completely covered up. On arrival at the Mosque, we got out of the taxi and were pounced on by a vendor selling the cover ups we needed. He immediately picked out a beautiful pink outfit, which he dressed me in. (over the clothes I was wearing)! I was immediately sold! Laila chose her outfit and then it came to the price! I have to say, I was not expecting the price to be so high and bartered a little. We agreed on half the original price! I still think I over paid massively but I'm not great at bartering and the outfits were so lovely! The Mosque is out of this world. I've never seen a more intricately designed structure. It was absolutely mesmerising. You really do need to see it in person to appreciate it. Every morning, we would have our breakfast in the Vendome the buffet restaurant. Loki, the Falcon would be there from 9am to scare off the crows. Her owner would go around everyone asking if they would like to hold Loki and have their picture taken. It was such a lovely experience and we learnt a lot. If you didn't know, Falcons are the national bird of the UAE. After breakfast, we would head to the beach and we were very well looked after by Koffi. Koffi would have sun loungers already made up for us when we got the beach with towels and water. We never expected this kind of treatment as we aren't the type of people to claim sunbeds but he did it anyway. Koffi really went the extra mile to please us and talk to us. On the last day, there was a letter on the sunbed from Koffi thanking us for our smiles and kindness. We were speechless. In the evenings, we would go and watch the sunset at the beach lounge bar before dining at one of the fine dining restaurants within the hotel. We were on a Half Board basis so we had an allowance towards the bill. My favourite was the Indian Restaurant Martabaan by Hemant Oberoi and Carl and Laila's favourite was Hakkasan the Chinese Restaurant, which I later found out, there is one in London so will be visiting there in the future! There is a lot to do at the Emirates Palace. One morning, we hired bikes (free of charge) and rode around the grounds of the hotel. The hotel is 1 km long and has a Marina. We rode to the marina to see the yachts and on the way back, came across a Bedouin Camp where we were invited in for Arabic Tea & Coffee. I had the tea which tasted like Honey, it was delicious. By this point, Laila had made friends with the occupant of the tent and he took her on the second camel ride of the holiday! What initially drew us into the camp was the two month old camel. I never thought camels were cute until I saw the baby! Being arty, Laila was disappointed that she didn't get to fully experience the Louvre Museum on the first day so she and I went back. As Laila was 17, she got in for free so only I had to pay. It cost me around £13. Laila thoroughly enjoyed the museum and really appreciated the art and sculptures. We also came across a Turtle rehabilitation area. After the museum, we decided to take a taxi to the Galleria Mall and do some shopping before heading back to the hotel to have dinner. Another activity which is highly recommended is the Presidential Palace. . It is right next to the hotel but because the grounds are so huge and its very hot, it is still advisable to take a taxi. Wow, another stunning, intricate building. Again, women had to cover their shoulders and knees but it wasn't as strict as the Grand Mosque. After eight nights, the end of the holiday came and we all felt sad to be leaving. We chose to visit Abu Dhabi because we have been to Dubai eight times and wanted to see how they compare. Our main observations were that Abu Dhabi is a lot calmer than Dubai. The roads are less busy and there are a lot less sky scrapers. However, you still get the same high standards as Dubai. I would highly recommend Abu Dhabi if you want a more chilled holiday.