Abu Dhabi - Escape from the desert

Would you believe it? I've been in UAE for almost 2 months and now only have I actually made a holiday trip to Abu Dhabi! Although it conincided with a violent sandstorm, nothing would have stopped me from going to Abu Dhabi! I stayed at International Rotana Inn Hotel in the city center. It was a budget hotel which offered reasonably good rooms and service. Hotel rates are high here compared to Malaysia. I paid RM320 for this room and that was almost the cheapest in town. The lack of budget accommodation in Abu Dhabi is quite apparent (even when compared to Dubai!)

Of course after a long time in the desert, I was glad to re-visit civilization! There was a sandstorm and I couldn't do much sightseeing on Friday. So I went to the shopping centers. First up - Abu Dhabi Mall! This mall is something like the old-wing of 1-Utama. I headed to the food court to search for anything Chinese! Hehehe.... I needed a bite of Chinese food even knowing that it'll probably taste horrible. I found this place called Manchow Wok. It serves 'chap fan' (I'd expected noodles or something else). Nevertheless, I had rice with chicken, mixed vege and spring roll. Together with a soft drink, that cost me Dh23! Expensive! I would get the same thing for less than RM10 at most in Malaysia. Taste was nothing great but it gave me some Chinese feel - so I was satisfied. In fact, the spring roll was quite good. After the meal, I walked around the mall. Pretty much the standard fare - G2000, Bossini, Nautica, Bata, Giordano and some expensive high-end shops. From Abu Dhabi Mall, I took a taxi to Marina Mall. This was a nicer mall with more selection of outlets - retail & food. There was no coffee bean but I had starbucks. There was an Ikea and Carrefour here too. Marina Mall is newer and had a better ambience. There is also a large selection of food outlets with quite nice ambience.
Later in the evening I took a stroll along the Corniche. There were alot of weekend campers out on the beach, picknicking and smoking shisha. Some were playing soccer while others are jogging or brisk-walking. There were many who just simply came for a stroll with their family to enjoy the cool sea breeze. The parks were great and very refreshing. Every Arabian city has a corniche and I think Abu Dhabi has one of the best.

The next day, I went to Al-Ittihad Square to have a look at some monuments - giant tea pot, giant cannon, giant perfume bottle and things like that. This is the so-called Emirati art! The weather was cool and it was nice to have a walk around the square. There are also many nearby parks and gardens to walk around. I think Abu Dhabi is famed for being the 'City of Gardens' because of the many parks around.

I also visited Al Hosn Palace and the Cultural Foundation. The Al Hosn Palace is the oldest building in Abu Dhabi and was formerly the residence of the ruling family. It has retained its original courtyard and architecture. Sadly though it was rather dillapidated and poorly-maintained. The courtyard was over-ridden with weed, the fountains were defective and some floor tiles have come off. For its historical role, the building would have deserved better. The Cultural Foundation was next door. The building has the look of a typical government complex. Not much to see unless there is some art exhibition.

After that I enjoyed the city scenery. It's true that Abu Dhabi is rather souless compared to its more exciting neighbor - Dubai. The greatest past time would probably be marvelling the skyscraper skyline and enjoying the busy street scene. There's not much to do in Abu Dhabi - but it was a great place to hang-out for me after almost 2 months in the desert. A respite from all the isolation. I enjoyed the calm and peaceful trip and wouldn't mind coming again for a short weekend. But next trip on my agenda would be Dubai!

For my Abu Dhabi Virtual Tourist tips, please click here.