Abu Dhabi - ideal winter break
We stayed at the Bab Al Bahr Hotel which is part of the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts group who were also a sponsor of our event and have hotels in a worldwide portfolio of locations. The contemporary Bab Al Bahr Hotel has a prime beachfront setting right on the Grand Canal with fabulous views across to the spectacular Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the newly opened Ritz Carlton Hotel. It is essentially a business hotel with very good conference/meeting facilities. Situated just 15 minutes from the international airport it also has easy access to the city centre and the tourism development areas of Yas Island and Saadiyat Island.
Our events began with a guided tour of the Yas Marina Motor Racing Circuit which staged its first Grand Prix in October 2009 after two years of planning and construction. In addition to a tour of the track, we were able to see the circuit’s high-tech facilities, including Race Control, the unique air-conditioned Support Pit garages, the state-of-the-art 500-seat media centre and the exclusive paddock. We even got to pose for photos on the Winner’s Podium! Following the tour we were treated to a private buffet dinner party in the Skylite- Rooftop lounge at the iconic Vicerory Hotel which straddles the racing circuit and alongside the Marina. We felt like the Grand Prix glitterati at a post-race celebration party! The futuristic design of the hotel includes an LED canopy which constantly changes colour at night making it a spectacular landmark in the area.
We had a choice of excursions for the next day and chose to visit Ferrari World. Located on Yas Island, Ferrari World is a Ferrari themed amusement park situated under a 200,000 square metre roof making it the largest indoor amusement park in the world. In addition it boasts the world’s fastest roller coaster ride located outside the main building…….which I went on… never been so scared in my life!! Indoors it offers more than 20 Ferrari inspired rides and attractions for adults and children plus a variety of food outlets and large Ferrari clothing, gifts/souvenir shop.
Other excursions offered were a city tour which we had already enjoyed on a previous visit to the UAE or a day at Yas Waterworld which has 43 rides, slides and attractions in a huge area of Water Park.
In the evening we visited the newly opened Ritz Carlton Hotel for an excellent gala dinner. This spacious and elegant Venetian style is located in a luxury beach setting along the Grand Canal and opposite the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr Hotel.
I spent the following day relaxing on the beach/in the pool while my husband enjoyed a round of golf at Yas Links Golf Club.
For dinner we visited another new hotel, the Park Hyatt. It is located on a long stretch of pristine beach adjacent to Saadiyat Golf Club on Saadiyat Island a tourism, cultural and residential development project. We ended the evening with drinks at the nearby Monte Carlo Beach Club which is a really up market hideaway for celebrities/VIP’s.
On our final morning we visited the stunning Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque the largest in the Emirates and the eighth largest Mosque in the World. It can accommodate 40,000 worshippers and features 82 white marble domes, 1,000 columns in the outer area and 96 columns in the main prayer hall.
After an afternoon topping up my tan on the beach and a relaxing dinner, it was time to head off to the airport for our night flight back to the UK.
With a great climate, luxury hotels and a variety of excellent attractions Abu Dhabi is a superb destination for a winter holiday away or a shorter stopover break on the way to or from an even more distant holiday destination.