"AbuDhabiأبوظبي" Top 5 Page for this destination Abu Dhabi by MM212
Abu Dhabi Travel Guide: 490 reviews and 1,054 photos
Built on an island off the main coast of the UAE, Abu Dhabi is a compact, modern, orderly and civilised city. I first travelled to Abu Dhabi on business in November 2005 and have since returned on many other occasions. The capital city of the UAE would strike you as more conservative than Dubai, though the hotels offer a very liberal haven for locals and westerners alike. All of this is quite a contrast from Dubai which is more flashy, super liberal and spread out.
The former ruler of Abu Dhabi is rumoured to have dictated that not a single particle of desert sand remain in the city. Abu Dhabi has since been planted with beautiful gardens and completely built up. In recent years, the government provided low interest (or no interest?) loans to landowners to destroy the ugly old buildings from the '70s/'80s and to replace them with nicer modern towers. The result has been this pretty and uniform city (despite some of the modern structures still lacking in aesthetics).
There are only about 35 hotels in Abu Dhabi (compared with Dubai, which has around 400), though many more, perhaps 100, are planned in the coming years. More recently, a Shangri-La resort hotel opened at the southern end of the island-city. Abu Dhabi is reinventing itself with mega projects to become an alternative to Dubai. Some of the islands adjacent to the main city are being developed into residential and business centres to attract businesses and tourists alike. The island opposite the swimming pool in these pictures is in the process of being developed into one such project, the new Pearl Island district. Other planned projects include a branch of Le Louvre and the Guggenheim museums.
- Pros:Scenic and very calm city, nice beaches
- Cons:Not much to do, though slowly developing
- In a nutshell:Better quality of life than Dubai, but less fun
Reviews (18)
Abu Dhabi's ever changing skyline
Things to Do
(12)
Construction in Abu Dhabi has exploded since around 2008 that the city's skyline is changing as fast as Dubai's once... more travel advice
Bird Watching!
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(12)
Well, if you happen to be bored in Abu Dhabi and to like birds, you may want to consider bird watching as an activity.... more travel advice
Saadiyat Island
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(12)
Little more than an architectural drawing on a map, Saadiyat Island is another ambitious development project in Abu... more travel advice
Khalifa bin Zayed Street
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(12)
Khalifa bin Zayed Street (known as Khalifa Street) is a main artery that cuts through the heart of the business district... more travel advice
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Hotels (2)
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Travelogues (2)
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Written Mar 22, 2007
8 photos
Abu Dhabi in Pictures
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Written Nov 2, 2008
8 photos
Abu Dhabi in October 2008
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See All Friends (43)Latest Abu Dhabi hotel reviews
- Novotel Centre Hotel Abu Dhabi
- 131 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 9, 2012 - Beach Rotana Hotel And Towers
- 439 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 22, 2012 - Hilton Corniche Hotel Apartments
- 43 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jan 15, 2012 - Sands Hotel Abu Dhabi
- 53 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 13, 2012 - Intercontinental Resort Al Ain
- 72 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 19, 2012 - Khalidia Palace Hotel
- 74 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 20, 2012 - Mirfa Hotel
- 10 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 12, 2012 - Al Diar Dana Hotel
- 12 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Feb 22, 2012 - Danat Resort Jebel Dhanna
- 118 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 29, 2012 - Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort
- 196 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 19, 2012 - Hilton Al Ain
- 86 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 21, 2012 - Emirates Palace
- 399 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 21, 2012 - The Yas Hotel
- 207 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 23, 2012 - Abu Dhabi Hilton
- 310 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 18, 2012 - Howard Johnson Hotel Diplomat
- 16 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 26, 2012

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Comments (2)
Beautiful page on AD. I look forward to see how much it changed over the last years. I'm moving there as of July 22, living next to the Shagrila you mentionned on your page :)
Good page- I think that I would prefer this city to the very ostentatious Dubai. The Grand Mosque is magnificent.
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