The coastal capital of the United Arab Emirates is a great winter getaway. For many people, the destination is mainly dedicated to adults, but on the contrary it is also a family perfect place to be because of its largest desert playgrounds in the world, full of activities fun and world class attractions. I have also selected for you Coffee Shops where more precisely coffee has been a symbol of generosity for a while in the United Arab Emirates. And then eating in Abu Dhabi is like having a culinary passport that allows you to enter dozens of countries around the world: the restaurants offer a myriad of choices and atmospheres. Here are the best things to do there.
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Places for the whole family
I could classify this hotel as a place to sleep, but it is much more than that. A secluded oasis in the desert, Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara is magical—you are surrounded by dunes as far as the eye can see. Reminiscent of a traditional Bedouin village, the resort sits among the incredible rolling red and orange dunes of Rub Al Khali, the world’s largest uninterrupted sand desert. Although it’s about 75 miles from Abu Dhabi Airport, this property, one of the most beautiful destinations on the planet, is worth the trip. Website: anantara.com
Ferrari World, located in Abu Dhabi, is perfect for adventure-seekers. The amusement park is entirely Ferrari-branded, which invites a lot of Ferrari fans for fun too! The theme park attracts a diverse audience and has something exciting in store for everyone- right from family to children. With state-of-the-art technology and creativity, the place stands out amidst many others. The park also boasts the world’s fastest rollercoaster ride. Website: ferrariworldabudhabi.com
Umm Al Emarat Park, a meticulously designed public park, blends nature with modern design. Rows of palm trees lead to water features that evoke a man-made oasis, all made to look like a contemporary fountain. The park is home to a number of sites, including an amphitheater, gardens, a playground, and an animal barn. The Wisdom Garden is particularly beautiful, with well-maintained indigenous plants and marble slabs with quotes from the late Sheikh Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Website: ummalemaratpark.ae
The Corniche is the emirate’s best spot. The Corniche beach precinct is split into three sections — families, singles, and a public beach — and offers clean waters, children’s play equipment, bikes and karts for hire, and an Aqua Fun inflatable water park. The promenade and its offerings, available for everyone to use, are great for picnics, an ice-cream, or a rousing round of beach volleyball. Ideal after 4pm.
Museums To Do in Abu Dhabi
Since the opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the city has a magnificent art and civilization museum on the water’s edge designed by Pritzker prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel…
Best Cafes & Coffee Shop
The city is not devoid of place in order to refresh, but here I offer you a very particular selection, Chemex and pourovers with Spanish lattes and matcha in thick ibrik coffee, prepared on hot sand. Read on and head out to meet the best cafes and coffee shop in Abu Dhabi.
Aptitude is a cafe located at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Ethically sourced coffee beans become cold teas and filtered varieties of Aeropress and Chemex, as well as saffron, rose and pistachio lattes. There are also intriguing drinks like the pretzel affogato. Whether it is your first or 14th visit to the museum, you will enjoy some time to stroll around the exhibits over a cup of tea. Website: louvreabudhabi.ae
Decorated in a contemporary Scandinavian style, the Tawa bakery offers a completely gluten-free menu, the cafe attracts a wide range of people, including people who walk around. The menu offers lattes, cappuccinos and espressos as well as tea pots and the Tawa Karak mix.
Where To Eat Well
In a few words, in Abu Dhabi there are restaurants for all tastes, with overall the remarkable food, casual comfort and even a mall kiosk. From Peruvian refined cuisine to high-end Lebanese cuisine, from sophisticated steakhouses to Saudi dining rooms – and of course, local Emirates dishes that use the unique set of local ingredients – the restaurants offer a myriad of choices and moods.
At COYA, it’s balance between high-technique twists and subtlety. Even when dishes veer from tradition, they are executed well. Ceviches like the salmon Nikkei—salmon in celery juice, ginger, and wasabi tobiko—as well as the Buri Ahumado (smoked amberjack, crispy kombu, pomegranate, and aji rocoto) are Peruvian-style seafood at its best, but the veal ribs with sesame and pickled radish offers a reason to stray toward meat, too.
Located in the verdant Umm Al Emarat Park, Parkers is an space that feels like a greenhouse. Plants dangle from rafters, natural light floods in, and the tables are lined with individual flower arrangements. The menu features dishes that would be right at home in Los Angeles, like organic quinoa with roasted beetroot and sunflower seeds, chicken tacos with cured lemon slaw, and smoothie bowls with açai, chia seeds, and granola. There are also chicken sliders with guacamole, hummus, and tahini.
Here everything is done to offer you a complete change of scenery, but above all a divine cuisine grilled to perfection. Intimate ocean gazebos directly on the sand provide a romantic outdoor setting just steps from the water. At night, the illuminated palm trees and alleys, as well as the starry sky, are unforgettable. If you choose the menu, the duck carpaccio with foie gras roulade and the line grilled sea bass with fennel compote are sure choices. Website: kempinski.com
We might as well be in Santa Monica, for example. Yes but no, you are in Abu Dhabi, except that the burgers come from a shiny vintage Airstream trailer and an Astroturf patio is lined with communal tables, striped umbrellas and string lights. The burgers are all the size of a slider and come with the staples (cheese, pickles, sauce and jalapenos optional).
Mezlai‘s located in the Emirates Palace hotel. A traditional Gulf menu such as zaatar, saffron and rose water and whips them in elegant and upscale interpretations. Highlights include couscous with scallops, garlic and saffron; barley with cardamom and veal; and lamb machboos, a popular dish of Persian Gulf meat and rice with onions, turmeric powder and dried lemon.
The most beautiful Spas
It is almost impossible not to speak of well-being here. Because it is true and completely normal to indulge in a session into one of the many spas in Abu Dhabi at the time of the day when it is the hottest. Some have overwater villas, while others will truly relax you with snow caves, there is even a refreshing experience right at the airport. Here are my favorites.
Definitely, this article talks a lot about Qasr Qasr Al Sarab and for good reason, not only this autonomous property is of technical prowess, but the diversity of services like the Fusion Fusion massage, the therapies which include the Arabian Desert Rose ritual of 240 minutes and the Hammam experience means that you can come and spend a moment at Qasr Al Sarab on the pretext that … It’s up to you! Website: anantara.com
The Emirates Palace Spa is luxurious and sumptuous, but above all, it illustrates well-being in a Middle Eastern way. With a separate entrance to the Emirates Palace hotel, the spa offers a Moroccan-inspired setting; think of dark lanterns and bubbling bodies of water. Enter the wonderland laden with marble and you are brought to a soft suede sofa. A refreshing towel and a brass tea pot materialize; Then, it is in the private suite via the changing rooms for men and women, which have jacuzzis, hammams and an ice cave.
Here you are directly inspired by Asia. The space is autonomous, accessible from the nearby souk or via a buggy from the hotel lobby, you enter another secret world. The intimate space has dark wooden furniture with touches of burgundy: a truly enchanting setting to explore the ancient methods of healing. Some treatments use locally inspired products such as camel milk, lemons from Fujairah, sun salts from the Arabian Sea and dates from Ras Al Khaimah. Website: shangri-la.com
Best hotels for 1 night or more
During the past 40 years Abu Dhabi has gone from a fishing village in the desert with one hotel to more than 170. From locally-grown brands like Jumeirah and Rotana to some of the most lavish of lodgings and recognizable names in the world, they all call Abu Dhabi home, and one thing is for sure, they’re all out to impress. Even the less expensive hotels have some flash to them. Of the incredibly elaborate offerings, Emirates Palace provides the ritziest of stays and a taste of palatial opulence, while Ian Schrager’s Abu Dhabi EDITION hotel, the first for the brand in the Middle East, is luxury boutique at its best.
Inspired by the beauty of the Arabian Sea and which evokes a feeling of true relaxation in the middle of the city. The hotel offers a series of luxurious rooms, but also sumptuous exclusive suites. The hotel has a golf and beach club, as well as a fitness center, swimming pool and spa. Dining options are varied and include nine bars and restaurants to choose from, there is something for everyone. Website: rosewoodhotels.com
At least you know where you are, here always more luxury and opulence. Located in a collection of 200 islands, The Four Seasons attracts business travelers, but is also a destination for vacationers and buyers. The rooftop pool offers panoramic views of the city. Each room is carefully decorated and ready to welcome you in a relaxing place to relax and enjoy some downtime. Website: fourseasons.com