Dubai & Abu Dhabi Experience

My trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi was amazing right from the start. As I was flying business class, I got to experience the Etihad First and Business class lounge for some beautiful food and champagne. The lounge includes a children’s play room, prayer room, shower facilities, a bar, and a restaurant with staff to cater for your every need. The food was incredible and it was an occasion where it was sad to leave the lounge to head for our flight but more luxury was to follow. I have never flown business class before but I will definitely do it again. It does not feel like flying at all. The service of 5 star luxury with food and drink on demand, lie flat bed, blanket and a pillow. The perfect way to fly.

We arrived in Abu Dhabi international airport, refreshed from our hotel in the sky and we went straight to our first destination. The first stop was breakfast at the five star St. Regis Hotel on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. After breakfast, we got the opportunity to go around and see what the hotel has to offer. The grounds of the hotel are incredible and everything you could need is catered for on the hotel grounds with 8 Restaurants and Bars along with private beaches, pools and a huge function room. After the hotel visit, we headed to Ferrari world which is the largest indoor theme park in the world. After going on the fastest rollercoaster in the world inside the park, we went for lunch and tour of the Viceroy Hotel to relax and try to calm the nerves after a busy morning of adrenaline pumping rides. We then headed to our hotel in Dubai to drop our bags off and head out for an evening meal. For the duration of my stay in Dubai I stayed in The Jebel Ali Hotel Resort. This hotel is located outside of Dubai and it’s an older hotel but the food service is very good. The pool area is very big and the beach is amazing. It’s a very good family hotel as well as suitable for couples and it’s a 4 star standard. The hotel has live entertainment every night with different themed nights and different drinks promotions. In the evening we had an exhilarating experience Dune Bashing which was located an hour outside Dubai. We then had drinks in the dessert and watched the sunset before we went to a local BBQ in the Sahara Village Oasis. At dinner we were treated to live entertainment and music and a mixture of fine foods to cater for people with all tastes. There is also camel and Arabian horse riding along with henna tattoo painting available at this location.

After breakfast we went for a tour of Dubai city which started off visiting Jumeirah Beach and getting pictures beside the Burj al Arab 7 star hotel as you cannot enter the hotel grounds without a booking of some kind. Bear in mind that afternoon tea would cost around €250 per person so it’s definitely a treat. I also took a trip to the Old Town of Dubai where we took a water taxi (Abra) across the river to the Gold Souk and Spice Souk. This area was amazing to see and was a hectic place with spice and gold dealings going on all around you. A must see for any visitor. The old town is a break from the skyscrapers and hotels and is the real Dubai. We then had lunch at the JA Ocean View Hotel which was a lovely hotel and the food was amazing. This was one of my favourite hotels and I really recommend it for anyone. The area is very nice and you have a shopping centre, beach and promenade at your doorstep. That evening we went for a drink in the Atmosphere Bar on the 122nd floor of the Burj Khalifa! If you’re unfamiliar with the Burj Khalifa - it is the tallest building in the world standing at 2,722 feet tall!

I really enjoyed a night out on a dhow dinner cruise yacht. We had a beautiful evening meal sailing up towards the Burj Al Arab. It is the only dinner cruise yacht which has a licence to sell alcohol so if you or your group like a drink with your meal this is the only cruise for you. The views are truly breath-taking throughout the whole cruise.

After a few days in Dubai, we headed back to Abu Dhabi. We visited the Sheikh Zayed Mosque which is the grand mosque in Abu Dhabi which has a capacity for an astonishing 40,000 worshippers. It is also home to the largest hand knitted carpet in the world. A must see attraction as it is magnificent to see but just be aware of the strict dress code in place for both women and men as this is a fully functioning mosque and visitors must be aware of the strict rules set in place. After the tour, we had lunch in Frankie's Restaurant and looked around The Fairmont Bab Al Bahr which is an amazing hotel with amazing views of the Mosque and private beach with activities for everyone to enjoy. We also went to the YAS Marina Grand Prix circuit for a tour around the Formula One track and buildings including the pit rooms, team villas, the Sheik’s personal area to watch the racing and much more, it was a great experience and a must see for any car or racing lovers. In the evening. We stayed in the Intercontinental Hotel Abu Dhabi for two days and we went to a traditional restaurant called Al Dhafra Restaurant in the fish market area of Abu Dhabi. The restaurant itself was a hidden gem in this area and is a favourite of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan so if you decide to go here; you may even break bread with royalty!

We spent some time at the world famous shopping malls of Abu Dhabi. After a few hours getting lost in the maze that is an Abu Dhabi shopping mall we headed over to the Ritz Carlton Abu Dhabi for a tour of the hotel facilities and lunch. This is a breath taking hotel which would be perfect for honeymooners on a stopover in Abu Dhabi. It is just luxury at its best and the food was delicious. We took the afternoon off to relax by the pool in the Intercontinental.

We flew home economy class and it was very nice where the service was still definitely 5 star and the comfort was also good and spacious.