Car Hire Abu Dhabi
Mini guide to Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is a modern, sleek and shiny destination. The United Arab Emirate's capital is the largest city of all the seven Emirates and has a coastline extending for more than 400 kilometers.
Less than 50 years ago Abu Dhabi was a fishing and pearling village. Now it's transformed into a city with extensive cultural, sport and leisure facilities, together with the wonderfully-engineered Abu Dhabi Corniche which offers many kilometers of risk-free walking, cycling, jogging and roller-blading along the seashore of Abu Dhabi island.
Architecturally speaking, the city is also a fascinating place where older buildings such as small mosques have been preserved and sit comfortably in the shade of futuristic modern skyscrapers.
Abu Dhabi's second region, known as the Eastern Region, has as its capital Al Ain city. This fertile area is rich in greenery with plenty of farms, public parks and important archaeological sites. It is also blessed by substantial groundwater resources which feed into numerous artesian wells.
Try window shopping along Al-Nasr St for carpets and Arabian souvenirs, though most of these are actually made elsewhere. Locally made crafts are available at the Women's Craft Center off Airport Rd, south of the center. There are a couple of good bars and cafes, including one late-nighter which overlooks the water and the city.
The Abu Dhabi Golf Club is a few kilometers out of town, easily accessible by car, and offers international greens at comparable rates.
In addition to the three mainland regions of Abu Dhabi there are a number of important islands within the emirate including Das, Mubarraz, Zirku and Arzanah where the main offshore oil fields are located.
This city's claim to fame, however, is that the UAE Desert Challenge road rally, a dusty, rollicking affair that takes place in November, starts and finishes in Dubai, but revs through Abu Dhabi territory as well. More in the spirit of most visitors is a shopping festival in early March.
The city of Abu Dhabi sits at the head of a T-shaped island jutting into the Gulf off the central western coast of the UAE. Abu Dhabi international airport (AUH) is on the mainland, about 30km from the centre of town and offers regular international flights to major world destinations.
