The moment you debark the plane, adventures await in overwhelming enormity. Go ahead, embrace your inner tourist and start off with a double-decker bus tour of this grand city. Stop off at the Souk Central Market, the heart of Abu Dhabi, and experience the rich culture of this modern city and its people.
Stand in awe of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, an architectural marvel at the entrance of Abu Dhabi City Island. This immense structure holds 41,000 worshipers and boasts more than 80 domes and 1,000 columns, all swathed in an unassuming white and gold complexion, but the interior ignites with an astonishing display of light, color and breathtaking spectacle.
Later, rent a bike and cruise Corniche Seafront Boulevard for miles of fresh air, green plants, palms and quiet reflection before heading further out into the mystifying landscape. Much of Abu Dhabi is made up of islands. In fact, the city itself is an island, and there are more than 200 of them, large and small, scattered throughout the blue Persian waters off the coast of the UAE.
Yas Island, home to the Yas Marina and Yacht Club, offers visitors a glimpse of the super yachts before taking in the fun at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. Ferrari World is the world's largest theme park and is based around one of the world's superlative car companies. Yas Island offers a world-class golf course and a water park the kids will love.
More than half of Sir Bani Yas Island – one of the UAE's largest natural islands – is home to 10,000 free-roaming animals populating The Arabian Wildlife Park.
Further inland lies the city of Al Ain. Known as the garden city, Al Ain is Abu Dhabi's second largest city and home to the Al Ain Oasis, a 3,000-acre refuge of palms and gardens fed by an irrigation system more than 3,000 years old. Some 10 million flowers call the Al Ain Paradise Garden home along with enough hanging baskets to claim a Guinness World Record. The limestone crags of Jebel Hafeet rise more than 1,200 meters over Al Ain to reach the highest peak in Abu Dhabi.
Lodging options around Abu Dhabi are as endless as the desert that surrounds the emirate, but there are a handful of obvious reservations you don't want to forgo. First is the unforgettable Yas Viceroy. Straddling land and sea, this massive resort lies cloaked beneath a vast canopy of more than 5,000 color-changing LED panels. At night, the canopy comes to life with a light show you don't want to miss.
One of Yas Viceroy's few rivals, Emirates Palace, stretches almost a mile wide and expands across more than 2.5 acres of gardened landscape. Decide at which of the hotel's 10 award-winning restaurants you'll dine while taking in the panoramic view of the Arabian Sea from the comfort of your luxurious suite. On the other hand, if your spa treatment at Anantara Spa has left you surrendering to the comfort of your private terrace, ring for your personal butler to deliver a snack.
This is just the beginning to comprehending the breadth of this exceptional oasis and the world around it.
