Dubai used to be the place to be on a trip to the United Arab Emirates, but all the cool cats are heading to a city with a little more slick, the capital city, Abu Dhabi. It’s less touristy, more authentic, and at the same time has some of the best visitor attractions in the Emirates. Oh, and it is named as one of the safest cities in the world!
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Best Time To Go
February is the best time to visit this incredible city. Why? Because the weather is “just right”, go any other time and you are at risk of it being too hot or too cold to enjoy everything there is to offer – comfortably at least! It’s a comfortable 25 °C during the day with lows of 16°C during the night. This means that you can visit the beach, go shopping and tour the local attractions in comfort in the day and it is also still warm enough to enjoy an overnight desert safari, complete with star-gazing.
Things to do in Abu Dhabi
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
A true wonder of the modern world, a stunning marble marvel, studded with gemstones that will fill you with awe. This is considered the most beautiful mosque in the whole of the United Arab Emirates, and visitors of any faith are welcome on the cultural tours so long as they come appropriately dressed and behave respectfully.
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Emirates Palace
It’s actually a hotel, the most opulent, extravagant, luxurious hotel in the world, fitting of it’s name. If you aren’t staying here, don’t fear, tourists are welcome to come see, experience and take snaps of this sublime setting.
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Fossil Dunes
Other worldly petrified stone formations which have had a starring role in blockbuster movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The surreal and fascinating structures at Al Wathba are a wonderful photo opportunity and should be on the list of anyone who likes to wield a camera. Sunset is said to be the best time to go purely to witness the spectacular colours.
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Camel Racing
If you head to Abu Dhabi in February you will catch the tail end of camel racing season, and the track at Al Wathba is one of the main courses out of fifteen across the UAE. It’s a spectacular and seemingly surprising highlight of a trip to this part of the world, and a fitting way to soak up the Emirati heritage.
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Ferrari World Theme Park
Ride the fastest roller coaster in the world, if you can stomach it! Formula Rosa accelerates to 149mph in less than 5 seconds, a real-life F1 experience. Sound a bit much? Why not try the Ferrari simulator and discover what it’s like to take to normal roads in a supercar instead!
Travel Safety in Abu Dhabi
As we mentioned, Abu Dhabi is considered one of the safest cities in the world, but there are still things you should be aware of.
The risk of an accident happening while you are on the road is classed as medium – tips include to pack plenty of water, avoid going “off road” and make sure your vehicle is well equipped. You may want to consider purchasing Car Hire Excess Insurance, an alternative to having to pay for a costly Collision Damage Waiver policy from the car hire rental firm. Our policy replaces the CDW at a much lower price AND covers the damage to any part of the vehicle – often CDWs won’t cover windscreens, tyres and underbody.
Petty crime risks are low, as are scams and any danger from a natural disaster. Criminals are highly unlikely to target tourists, but terrorists do continue to make threats, making risk from their actions a medium threat level. Make sure you are aware of your surroundings at all times, and purchase annual multi trip travel insurance or single trip travel insurance which can cover you in a crisis.