We flew from Düsseldorf to Dubai on a night flight and arrived in Dubai very early the next morning. After a three-quarter hour drive in the dark across the runway, we arrived at the gate. On the bus, jokes were already being made about how if we drive a little further, we'll be back in Düsseldorf. Then it was time for the transfer to Abu Dhabi. A little tired because I can't sleep on planes, we finally arrived at the hotel. However, I didn't want to sleep, so we explored the area around the hotel. Our hotel was almost directly on the Corniche, a beautiful promenade right on the beach.
In the evening, you could also watch a beautiful sunset from there. Although we were there in February, which is supposed to be winter, the temperatures were already very warm, especially at noon. I don't even want to know what it feels like there in the summer. I was surprised to find that food prices there were very low. You could get a cola from a vending machine on the beach promenade for the equivalent of 20 cents, or pizza, salad, and drinks for 10 euros. To get an impression of the city, we booked a city tour. Just as it started to rain, which I really didn't expect...Our first stop took us to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque.The mosque is incredibly huge. Unfortunately, the sky was initially cloudy, so the white mosque did not create a beautiful contrast to the sky. Then we took off our shoes and visited the mosque from the inside. From the moment we entered the premises, women had to cover their hair and wear long clothes. Inside the mosque, it was just as impressive as outside; the huge Swarovski chandeliers are meant to represent the fruits of palm trees.When we returned outside, the clouds began to clear, so we were able to take some nice pictures in the sunshine. Afterwards, we made a short stop to get a glimpse of the Presidential Palace and then continued to the Heritage Village, where you have a beautiful view of the Abu Dhabi skyline. The next day, we did some shopping and visited the port of Abu Dhabi. On the return journey, fog appeared, which is apparently so rare there that even our taxi driver took pictures of it. In the evening, another highlight awaited us - a desert safari with a sunset. I had different expectations of what awaited me and was a bit surprised, but it was a lot of fun. We were picked up at the hotel in a jeep and drove into the desert. At the entrance to the desert, our driver let air out of the tires, which surprised me a bit. We drove a bit further and made our first stop at a camel farm. Once all the drivers had gathered there with their jeeps, the fun began. We raced up the sand dunes to songs like "Gangnam Style," tipped over the edge, and then slid down the dune. Once I realized that it didn't make me sick, it was a lot of fun. Afterwards, we had a traditional dinner in the desert and watched the sunset from the dunes. Then we made our way to Dubai. Travel period: February 2014 Hotel: Millennium Corniche Hotel Abu DhabiI can only recommend the hotel. It has large rooms, a beautiful view of the Corniche, and a great breakfast.
