Abu Dhabi

We flew with Ethiad Airlines from Heathrow overnight. The direct flight took seven hours. It was the first time I’d flown with Ethiad and I was extremely impressed. Nothing was too much trouble for the cabin crew. Free drinks were available throughout the flight and the standard of food was excellent. We travelled in economy but I was given the opportunity to look round business and first class. In the latter I was able to try out the beds in one of the enclosed compartments. I was shown all the meal options and the cabin crew talked me through everything that’s included and available. The Eithiad staff went to a lot of effort to show me all the facilities on board so I was able to have first-hand knowledge to pass on to my clients.

On arrival in Abu Dhabi we were met by the chauffeur of the private transfer I had pre-booked. It took just 20 minutes to reach the Emirates Palace.

It is an extremely palatial hotel. We felt like royalty driving up to the sweeping entrance of the hotel. We were greeted at the door by staff who immediately opened our doors, helped with the luggage and welcomed us in. I could tell we had arrived to complete luxury just by looking at the foyer and that was before we had even seen the main area or the rooms in the hotel.

We were given hot towels on arrival and I was presented with a fresh flower. All these little touches made things that little bit more memorable. As we arrived quite early in the morning our room was not quite ready but our bags were taken care of. We were able to use the Palace Lounge where we had breakfast. When our room was ready our Butler came and got us and escorted is to our amazing room. Ours was a Coral room and overlooked the main pool. All these rooms offer Butler service and the mini bar is replenished with free cans of soft drink and water each day which was a welcome bonus in the hot weather.

The hotel offers different meal plans but we had opted for half board which was a wise choice as food and drink are not cheap in the hotel. Therefore I would highly recommend either half or full board. There was a choice of 4 restaurants, an international buffet, fish restaurant, one serving local dishes and the Italian which was my favourite. It offered excellent food and was in a beautiful spot overlooking the fountains that were lit up. We were also treated to live music while we ate.

There are 2 pools, a larger one which is more family orientated with 2 water slides, a lazy river and a spacious sunbathing area with one to one service direct to your sunbeds. The other pool area is at the other side of the complex and is for adults only. As it's quite far between the two pools golf buggies ferry guests between them. The adult pool has a swim up bar, is right on the beach and has the most amazing water hammocks plus luxurious garden hammocks.

The Private beach offers water sports and free camel rides. The private marina is again a beautiful part of the hotel and it is well worth spending some time there. For the more active the hotel also offers a football pitch and tennis courts.

Taxis are extremely cheap in Abu Dhubi and we used one to get to the Marina Mall . It is a modern shopping centre. We also visited the Central Market which is an indoor bazaar selling all the souvenirs, herbs, spices, and local gifts at reasonable prices .

Abu Dhubi has lots to offer including Ferrari world with the marina circuit & world’s fastest roller coaster Yas Waterworld with over 43 rides Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque - one of the world’s largest Mosques Arabian wildlife park Al Ain Zoo Yas Beach & Marina

Overall it is well worth a visit!

If you’re interested in visiting Abu Dhabi I’d love to have a chat with you about my tips and experiences. I look forward to hearing from you.