This is the first post from our first ever trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE)! We were very excited to explore this place on our way back home to NZ. It was the ideal location to have a second mini babymoon. It was also the perfect opportunity for some alone time together with just the two of us before becoming a family of three and enjoying what we love best, travelling!
For the first part of our stay we decided to stay in Abu Dhabi at the Shangri-La, which is located across the canal from the stunning Sheikh Zayed Mosque. The second I saw the view of the hotel photos, I was sold! Everything about this hotel exceeded our expectations. From the moment we arrived we were greeted with open arms and offered Arabic coffee, juice and dates on arrival. Our room had to go down as one of the best that I have ever stayed in. After getting settled we went straight to bed as we had arrived quite late at night. Due to the time difference we woke up super early and decided to make use of their infinity pool with a beautiful view of the mosque in the background. The Shangri-La is the only hotel in the area with this view. Totally worth waking up early for!
Later that morning we took a tour of the grounds. In addition to the picturesque views from every angle of the property, the hotel offers their guests a private Abra experience. This is a 20 minute boat ride around the private canals of the hotel. It was like we had found our Arabic version of Venice!
That afternoon we made use of the beach where the water was so nice and warm! The climate was hot so we were very happy to find this gorgesous set up on the beach which offered some shade while relaxing on their beautiful Arabian mats and cushions.
The next day we started the morning off with their famous breakfast buffet which is easily the biggest I have ever seen at any hotel! We filled up our plates and left happily satisfied ready for a full day exploring.
The first thing I wanted to put on our to-do list when I knew we were heading to Abu Dhabi was a trip to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque. This is obviously a must do when visiting Abu Dhabi! I probably could've dedicated an entire blog post to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. I had seen photos of this place on Instagram and the real thing is worth the visit. Besides removing your shoes, woman are required to wear a full covered dress which they provide and let you change into before entering. We did a free guided tour, which I would very much recommend because it gives you access to parts that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to get to. You can also get better photos as you won’t be surrounded by the crowds. I was totally blown away by the Sheikh Zayed Mosque. It’s not hard to see why, right? I couldn’t recommend visiting this beautiful temple enough. It’s worth planning a trip to the UAE just to see it!
Tip: Make sure to check the tour schedule before you go and go on a tour, so you are able to see the whole thing without being restricted to roped off areas or having to fight giant crowds.
More UAE adventures coming soon!
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