My cousins have been living in the UAE for the last 4 years and working for Etihad Airlines. Many times over the years they’ve told me to come visit them, and they would arrange my flights and show me around. I knew when I booked this trip that Abu Dhabi was a guaranteed stop on my adventure. 

I was apprehensive before arriving in Abu Dhabi, considering it is a primarily Muslim country. I say this because I didn’t know how I would be viewed by the clothes I wore, etc. Needless to say, I was worried for no reason. Besides the drastically different landscape and the CRAZY heat, it didn’t seen as far away from home as it actually is. Everyone speaks English, many of the brands and shops we have at home they have here, and I felt very very safe. 

One thing you need to understand about Abu Dhabi is that in the summer, it’s hot. Unbearably hot. Like I’m talking, +55 degrees hot. It wasn’t that hot while I was there (thank god) but it did get up to 40 degrees on certain days. So, what does one do when it’s too hot to go outside? According to my cousin Tasha..you go for brunch. This is not like brunch in Canada where you go have some waffles or eggs at a restaurant. No no, this was some next level brunch. 
Basically, it’s all you can eat and drink for one price and 4 hours. Not to mention…there is every type of cuisine you could possibly imagine. Chinese, American, French, Indian, Japanese, Italian. You name it, it was there. Oh! And don’t even get me started on the desserts! 
Tasha, Aymeric had a awesome afternoon of drinks, great food and fabulous conversation. 

Day 2 was a day spent relaxing in the AC while watching a movie and then a quick visit Dubai in the evening to see the Atlantis Hotel, the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world), and to watch the fountains. 

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Most of the remainder of my time in Abu Dhabi was spent relaxing. Having been on the go for pretty much 3 months, I was ready to be lazy. To sleep in, watch movies, relax by the pool and just be for a bit. It was great! I did however, bike the Formula 1 Track, 3 times in 1 hour! My ass hurt after, but it was a lot of fun!

Mid-way through my stay I went on a Desert Safari. I was picked up at 4 pm by a man dressed in traditional Emirati clothing driving a Toyota 4-Runner. It was me and 5 other people on the tour. We drove for about an hour before we stopped and our driver (I believe his name was Sameer) got out to “let out the air in the tires.” Following this, he got back in the car, instructed us to fasten our seatbelts and asked one more time “Are you ready?” When it was a unanimous “Yes” from the group, he hit the gas! We were doing 140+ km/hr on gravel/sand roads and swerving left and right. I for sure thought these would be my last moments, but luckily, I was wrong, because what came next was incredible.

After driving for about 5 mins down the road (at +140 km/hr) we turned and started driving on the sand. It was dune bashing time! WHAT A THRILL! I swear there were times I thought for sure we would tip, but we didn’t. I wish I could accurately explain what it was like, but words just don’t do it justice, but it was SO much fun!

After a quick stop for some pictures and then another stop at a Camel farm for some pictures, we headed to camp. Here we got to ride camels, get a mendhi tattoo, have dinner, smoke shisha, watch a belly dancer, and just chat with the other people on the tour. In the end, it was a night I’ll always remember! Such awesome fun!

On my last day, my cousin Sommer, Aymeric & Sommer’s daughter Safya took me on a tour of Abu Dhabi itself. We saw the fish market, drove down the Corniche, had some Lebanese food, wandered through Emirates Palace and Sommer and I visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in the evening. Visiting the Mosque was an amazing experience. I had to wear an abaya, and the inside was stunningly beautiful and entirely worth it. 

There is no wonder why my cousins have fallen in love with Abu Dhabi and the UAE. Something about it draws you in, and I can’t wait to visit again.

Tasha, Aymeric, Sommer, & Safya – Thank you for making my stay truly amazing. I can’t thank you enough for all your hospitality and helping my my trip just that much better. I’m so happy I got to experience Abu Dhabi with you! I love you all so much.

Now it’s off to Thailand for the remainder of my trip! Land of Smiles, here I COME!

‘Till later…

Ciao!

-A