| I wanted to sleep on the 12-hour flight home from Abu Dhabi last month, but my mind was busy flipping through all the sights and sounds and tastes that populated my brief sojourn there. I spent five days exploring this emerging metropolis, zigzagging from one site to the next. I was always doing something: eating, walking, spectating, kayaking, swimming, shopping, sight-seeing. The pinnacle of the trip? The final Formula 1 race of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which takes place each December at the Yas Marina Circuit. With or without the main event, a trip to Abu Dhabi is as adrenaline-pumping as it is fascinating. If you've been thinking about traveling to the United Arab Emirates, I hope my experience will inspire you to turn thoughts into action. | | | | | Senior Director of Content | | | A Cali-raised Brooklinite, I'm a food-obsessed travel writer/editor who is happiest in a hotel bathrobe, getting lost in a new place or floating in the sea. | | | We were given a car and driver for the duration of the trip, but you can easily taxi or Uber anywhere you want to go (or you can rent a car and drive yourself). You can also use the Abu Dhabi Taxi booking app or car share Careem for local rides. Everything seemed to take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes with very little traffic. | | | I stayed at the stunning Erth Hotel, housed in the former Armed Forces Officers Club. The color palette is earth tones (naturally) with airy interiors and spacious guest rooms. Outside, there's a beautiful pool and beach area. | | | | | What I wish I knew before | | | I didn't need to bring only conservative clothes. While there are places where you need to cover up, like the mosque, I noticed a lot more skin than I was expecting, particularly at all the race-related events. | I visited Abu Dhabi as part of an organized trip introducing a handful of international journalists to the multiple and varied allurements of the capital of the United Arab Emirates. | | | I woke up and went straight to the breakfast buffet at Erth's Al Rimal restaurant. This smorgasbord is almost worth the 12-hour flight! We're talking benedicts, fruit, yogurt, cereal bars, fresh eggs and omelets, a selection of breads of all kinds, plus dreamy little jars of creamy iced coffee.
| Because we were guests, we were given gratis Paddock Club access to the race track and pitlane prior to the race in Yas Island. This included boarding a flatbed truck and taking a lap around the track. Afterward, we got the chance to see the cars and crews up close, watching the race teams calibrate each vehicle and practice tire changes. (Tickets for this experience are available, but they can run close to US$1000.) | We had lunch at CÉ LA Vie, a pop-up (the original restaurant is in Dubai) at Yas Marina Circuit. With a bird's-eye view of the track, we could hear the blaring sound of the race cars whizzing by whilst sipping on ice-cold wine. I got up frequently to watch the drivers take their practice runs. | | | After another delicious breakfast at Al Rimal (you'll notice a trend), we drove to Jubail Mangrove Park for a kayak tour. Our guide, Fai, explained the importance of these mangrove forests to maintaining biodiversity and the integrity of the local ecosystem, protecting against tidal surges as well as the bird species and marine life that populate the park.
Quick tip: You can and should pack activewear. The "lightest" clothes I brought were floor-length dresses and white jeans. Word to the wise: don't wear jeans while kayaking. That's a wetness I can't recommend. | Erth Restaurant (affiliated with our hotel) is one of two Michelin-starred dining establishments in Abu Dhabi. The cuisine is modern Emirati, with other Middle Eastern influences like hummus. Every single thing we ordered was delicious, with ingredients sourced from local purveyors. Stand-outs include pistachio rahash, a beverage of camel milk, pistachio and vanilla, sweetened with rahash; braised lamb; Emirati shrimp taquitos; and luqaimat (donut balls) stuffed with dates for dessert. | We visited Qasr Al Hosn. Only a few steps from the restaurant, it is the oldest structure in Abu Dhabi. A former watchtower with a stunning courtyard, this fort dates from the mid-18th century and was, until 1966, the royal residence of the ruling Al Nahyan family.
Be sure to go into all the rooms on the upper level overlooking the courtyard to get a crash course in local history and customs. Of particular interest is a blown-up black-and-white photo of a lone Qasr Al Hosn with nothing but sand surrounding it. | Don't overpack - your schedule. Doing one or two things per day is ample. While it is tempting to maximize your time on the ground with many sights, activities and meals, sometimes it's better to just relax at a cafe or enjoy the pool or the beach. | | | Just in: 25% off all books | Start planning your 2025 adventures today with 25% off guidebooks, maps, and art and photography books.
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