Christmas first started in Sao Tome and Principe…
Then we moved to Uganda…
Then we moved to Mozambique…
Considered Mauritius but the prices scared us away (lol)!
Then we finally settled with Abu Dhabi!
I love spending Christmas outside Nigeria. My ideal Christmas will be a white Christmas, tucked under thick blankets, singing Christmas carols and eating some of Santa’s warm milk and cookies. This is clearly the effect of “American” movies, lol. As our Christmas plans were quite impromptu (we did not start planning till late November), we opted for green passport friendly countries and went through quite a number of them. For numerous reasons, we kept opting out. It was either a case of long airport lay overs as in the case of Mozambique or ridiculous prices in the case of Mauritius. We also had to consider our restless toddler; a 22 hour journey could not just cut it! We finally agreed on Abu Dhabi and we are scheduled to leave the week of Christmas.
Having been to Dubai three times, I felt like I’ve seen enough of the UAE. But after reading through numerous blogs and following awesome pinterest boards, Abu Dhabi surely has some wonders! From the famous Sheikh Zayed Mosque to the Qasr Al Sarab Desert resort, I’m so excited and cant wait to explore Abu Dhabi this Christmas. I’ll try to do a daily diary so expect 7 Abu Dhabi posts from me! hahaha. Hopefully you don’t get too bored. Here are my top activities for this trip, some cliche, some off the beaten path:
EXPLORE YAS ISLAND
As luck will have it, our accommodation is at the famous Yas Viceroy which is right in the heart of Yas Island. There’s the Yas waterworld, the beach, Ferrari world and the Yas Marina circuit. The hotel also has an amazing craft zone for kids to explore. Best believe the little nomad will be there half the time while we go out to explore, lol!
VISIT THE SHEIKH ZAYED MOSQUE
This one puts the “C” in cliche and I love it! I gotta take that famous Abaya photo and I cannot wait. Apart from taking photos, I’ve also read some interesting facts about the mosques like the it has the world’s longest rug, where the marble was sourced and how the clock is shaped in a particular way. We will be hiring a guided tour for this so we don’t miss out on these interesting facts.
SEA PLANE RIDE TO YAS DESERT ISLAND AND WILD LIFE PARK
This is surely an odd activity choice i.e wild life park in the desert, but we are surely doing it for the sea plane! We were torn between taking a Rigid Inflatable boat (RIB) or a sea plane. We opted for the sea plane because we’ve never been on one before. We’ve tried a RIB adventure in London.
Sir Bani Yas Island is part of the Al Gharbia region of the United Arab Emirates. It’s dominated by the Arabian Wildlife Park, with its roaming giraffes, cheetahs and gazelles. Multiple archaeological sites across the island include the ruins of an ancient Christian monastery. Salt dome hills define the island’s desert interior. The coast features beaches, sea kayak routes and a shipwreck. – wikipedia
Not a sea plane…
QASR AL SARAB DESERT RESORT
The photos of this resort is quite something! I’m not to keen on visiting the desert in Abu Dhabi but for this resort, I will. I’m also open to trying sand boarding here too.
VISIT THE LOURVE MUSEUM
At just over a month old, the Lourve Abu Dhabi is fast becoming one of Abu Dhabi’s top attractions. Its located at the beautiful Saadiyat Island which also houses the Zayed National Museum, the Saadiyat beach club and the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort.
DINNER AT NUSR-ET STEAKHOUSE
Popularly known as salt bae. My husband is a steak lover and the moment he saw Salt-Bae had a restaurant in Abu-Dhabi, he suggested we have Christmas dinner there. Definitely going to be the most expensive steak I’ll ever try!
So there you have it! How I intend to spend my family holiday in Abu Dhabi. Have you been to Abu Dhabi?
