Abu Dhabi

[senator]

I'm thinking of going to UAE this winter for vacation.

Anybody know anything about Abu Dhabi?

Particularly: food, climate, things to do, do I need to rent a car or are there taxis and public transport?

Any info is appreciated.

[shadowjack]

Better transit in Dubai. More to do in Dubai. People still drive fast in AD. That's about as far as my knowledge goes. LOL

[vandsmith]

the "winter" is a pretty good time to be in abu dhabi.

there are many places to go for good food but it will get pricey. there are taxis but you might be better off renting a car - it's inexpensive and easier than calling and waiting for a cab - the answer of when the cab will get there is always "five minutes." there are also buses but they can be crowded and smelly albeit perfectly safe (if you're a woman it could be uncomfortable, but that's true of anywhere in UAE).

the beach and corniche were always awesome during the wintertime though you get looked at as if you're crazy when you go there (since it's the "winter"). at worst you may need a light sweater at night.

good luck!

v.

[nikkor]

You can see most of Abu Dhabi in about 1 day. As a previous poster stated, the corniche is great. Very comfortable and clean. Decent beach and good food for cheap. I would not want to spend more than 4-5 days in Abu Dhabi

[senator]

Thanks, Guys.
Maybe I'll go somewhere else.

[PsyGuy]

Maybe a weekend if your going for a shopping spree.

[senator]

That's funny because I was going to visit a friend at the American Community school. She said that I could fill months with stuff to do in Abu Dhabi and that her school was fantastic.

What's going on?

[vandsmith]

what's going on is that you definitely could fill up your time there, if you have an open mind. of course you could 'hit the spots' of the typical places tourists go. however, 4-5 days isn't really enough time especially if a trip to dubai or any of the other emirates is on the list.

ACS is a great school. if i had stayed in abu dhabi longer i would have pressed hard to get in there. lots of great people.

but you definitely could fill up your time easily there, especially now that it doesn't suck to walk around, i.e. you won't get as soaked in sweat. visit the souqs, visit the corniche, back alley karaoke, go skating, desert safari stuff, check out some of the mosques, check out the church, walk hamdan street, eat some lebanese food, go to the hotels and . it up as much as you want, do a brunch or 6, hear live music, go camping on the beach, go wind sailing, skydiving, go to yas island, go sand golfing - there's quite a lot you can do other than the typical stuff, i.e. shopping, if you have an open mind.

i'd side with your friend, there's tons of shit to do and see. also, it can add up fairly quickly so be mindful of that.

good luck!

v.

[sitka]

Abu Dhabi is a great place to live.

It is easy to drive around.
There are lots of sports leagues, community theatre, etc.
There is a wide selection of restaurants.
There are good beaches.
English is the lingua franca.
The weather is pretty great 8 months out of the year.
There is great golfing.
There are regular musical events, etc.

But while these are great for expats living there, they don't add much to the tourist experience.

YMMV

[PsyGuy]

@senator

Thats just another shill hyping ordinary activities, you can create things to do anywhere, and you dont need to go to Abu Dhabi to do them.

Karaoke = better in JP or SK
Skating = Can do that anywhere its skates and pavement or a rink.
Desert Safari = Go to Egypt and actually see something, otherwise its just driving in sand, want a real Safari go to Africa.
Mosques = Right they love Americans, go to Singapore, and its safer too.
Church = Go to Ireland, Italy (there are some nice ones in Rome).
Walk Hamdan Street = You can walk anywhere, Takashite street in Tokyo, Orchard Road in SG, 5th Ave in NYC. Its walking.
Lebanese Food = Try Lebanon
Hotel Night Life = London, Paris, Rome, Kowloon, Akiha, Roppongi, Bangkok all better.
Brunch = Anywhere
Live Music = Anywhere
Camping on the Beach = Southern Thailand, just about anywhere near the water, its sleeping on sand.
Wind Sailing = Anywhere
Skydiving = You can jump out of a perfectly good airplane anywhere
Golf = Anywhere (and the idea is NOT to get your ball in the sand).
Shopping = Anywhere

[Kby]

You can tour the entire country in 5 days as the major cities are about 1.5 hours drive away from each other. Off the top of my head I suggest:

Abu Dhabi
Corniche
Heritage Village
Sheikh Zayed Mosque
Emirates Palace
Saadiyat Beach Club

Al Ain
Al Ain Zoo
Jebel Hafeet
Al Ain National Museum

Dubai
Sheikh Zayed Center for Cultural Understanding
Dubai Mall
Burj Khalifa
Gold Souk
Day pass to Atlantis
Tea/Coffee at Burj Al Arab

I'm in Abu Dhabi and have been since 2011.This is my favorite time of year as the weather is PERFECT! I recommend checking out Time Out Dubai and Time Out Abu Dhabi to see what events are happening when you arrive.

[senator]

Thanks, all for your help. I appreciate all of it.

[senator]

Some of you might get a kick out of this:

One of the reasons my friend wanted me to go to Abu Dhabi was because she wanted me to apply for a job at the American Community School - they are looking for math teachers.

[PsyGuy]

@senator

Isnt everyone looking for maths ITs more or less?

[sitka]

ACS is among the elite schools in the ME, although it wouldn't rank among them in Europe.

*Non-profit in an area where nearly every other school is for-profit.
*Associated with the US embassy.
*Old (relative to other schools in the area and the country)
*Pays about 10,000 USD higher than other private schools (although ADEC will match this).
*Only 3% national students.