Al Hosn Palace and other Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Things to Do Tips

The Al Hosn Palace is situated at the corner of Khalid bin Al-Walid St. and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed St. The main entrance is through the gate on Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed St. Also known as the White Fort, this is supposedly the oldest building in Abu Dhabi. The building was formerly the residence of the ruling family and the seat of the government. Now, it is part of the Cultural Foundation.

It is a nice place to snap some photos, especially within the courtyard area. Walk up to the stairs to the towers to enjoy a view of Abu Dhabi city. This old building provides a contrast to the modern city skyline which is so characteristic of Abu Dhabi. Sadly though, the courtyard is no longer well maintained. The fountains are not working and the courtyard is over-ridden by weed. I did not see the nice green grasses and flowers as I've expected from the travel brochures. All in all, the place looks dillapidated and abandoned which is quite sad considering that the building would have looked very nice. Anyway, it's still worth the visit to catch a glimpse of the old Abu Dhabi.

Opening Hours: Sat - Thurs 7.30 am - 2.30 pm & 5pm - 9pm. Closed on Friday. Admission is free.

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Address: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed St.
Directions: Corner of Khalid bin Al-Walid & Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed St. Just take a taxi and tell him you want to the Al Hosn Palace. Or just tell him Khalid bin Al-Walid St., by the time you reach there you'll recognize the place!

Abu Dhabi is basically all about parks and gardens. There is one known as Al-Ittihad Square (Cannon Square). Here you could enjoy a nice view of the nearby city skyscrapers and several monuments in this square - giant tea pot, giant cannon, etc.

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Directions: Walking distance from Cultural Foundation and Al Hosn Palace (towards the Corniche).

A visit to Abu Dhabi will not be complete without taking a stroll down the famed Corniche. The Corniche stretch along the sea is the best place to take in the view of the entire skyline and beautiful sea. The pedestrian walkway provided was superb and you could see many locals jogging or cycling in the evening. You may also find a stretch where some locals will picnic or camp.

All along the Corniche you will also pass by some parks and gardens. These are nice place to chill out and spend a weekend.

A nice place to snap some photos while you are on holiday in Abu Dhabi. Good idea to catch a taxi and ask him to take you all the way along the Corniche so that you can have an overview of the place. Stop anywhere you wish and take a stroll from there till you think you've had enough!

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Address: The Corniche
Directions: Ask any taxi driver and he'll know where the Corniche is.

One thing everyone should try while in the UAE is the desert safari. I did a half-day desert safari from Abu Dhabi. For Dh250, I was taken out into the desert somewhere between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. The tour starts with sand dune bashing which is basically a terror ride on a 4WD bashing against the beautiful sand dunes! Definitely not for the faint-hearted. Somewhere mid-way we stopped to visit a camel farm. The camels were very mild-mannered and were such nice animals. Then there was another round of sand dune bashing. Just before sunset, we reached a Bedouin camp where we can do camel riding and sand skiing. Then we could put on some traditional Arabian costumes to snap some photos. Tried some Arabian coffee and even had henna painting. Dinner was an Arabic buffet with belly dancing as entertainment. After that, I tried shisha smoking while chatting with other tour-mates! The safari was really fun... so try it!

There are many tour operators doing it. I did it with Desert Adventures and came back a satisfied customer.

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Phone: +971 2 635 2788
Website: http://www.desertadventures.com/html/abu_exc_safari.html

This foundation is home to a library and art gallery. Various cultural events are also held here from time-to-time. The building is in the same compound as the Al Hosn Fort.

Opening hours: 8am - 2pm & 5pm - 8pm

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Directions: Same compound as Al Hosn.
Website: http://www.cultural.org.ae/e/

The Heritage Village is located at the Breakwater (near Marina Mall). Run by the Emirates Heritage Club, the village attempts to showcase the culture and life of Bedouins before the discovery of oil. It has a small museum exhibiting various Bedouin costumes, weapons, agricultural tools, pearl diving tools and some nice pictures of the old days. But I think the biggest emphasis here was the handicraft section. This showcases the various crafts like pottery, carpentry, bronzeware etc. with life handicraft making in process. Next to them is a handicraft shop selling their products. For those who do not have the time to visit Al Ain Oasis, you can also see a mock ‘Falaj’ irrigation system as well as witness how water is raised from the well to irrigate the farmland. The place would also be an excellent place to do some souvenir shopping as there’s a re-created souq selling souvenirs. You can also get a nice view of the Abu Dhabi corniche from here.

But in comparison to the heritage village in Dubai, I felt that the one in Abu Dhabi was rather small and lacking in things like Arabian food. But it was still a nice and quick way to get a glimpse of Bedouin life.

Entrance is free. It is open at 9am (I think it’s opened quite late in the evening on Friday).

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Directions: Drive (or take a taxi) towards Marina Mall. The Heritage Village is right next to the giant UAE flag pole.