By Lesi Lee

Hello travelers,

does still anyone read these blog posts? If yes, welcome and keep reading please. If not, I guess it’s all just for me to keep a diary of my voyages when I get older and senile:). I visited UAE at the end of January 2025 and I must say that it impressed me a lot! It was a first time for me and my mum to come to this part of the world, but we truly enjoyed it.

I’m not gonna go into too much detail about the flight and accommodation because you can google it anytime, but let me just give you a tour of the places we visited and liked the most.

1. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

This has probably been one the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Just a few interesting facts that I actually remember: The white marble comes from Macedonia, the gold is from Italy, crystals from Austria and all the chandeliers are decorated with Swarovski crystals. Oh and there is the largest hand knitted carpet in the world. I mean… yeah! Definitely a masterpiece of Islamic art and culture.

Definitely a must visit but keep in mind that you need to book a slot in advance or in the underground mall nearby to get in, it’s free, just don’t forget to dress appropriately.

2. Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental Abu Dhabi

The hotel was opened In 2005 as the Emirates Palace. It is one of the most expensive hotels ever built (3 billion US dollars). Traditional Arabic architecture is combined with modern luxury here and it might not look that posh on the pics, but I felt like a princess strolling around the place. The hotel has a private beach, spa, 12 restaurants, cultural venues and much more. 1 night costs around 750 eur but you can visit and have coffee there anytime.

3. Louvre

Yes, you read correctly. There is Louvre in Abu Dhabi, but a completely different one from the one in Paris. Edgy and minimalistic building floating on the Arabian gulf totally blew my mind. When it comes to the exhibition, I must say that it is not comparable with the French Louvre at all of course, but the architecture and the outdoor area truly is unique. This place is a bit further from the city so you can take a taxi (which is very affordable here). The ticket is around 16eur.

4. Downtown and the beach

We stayed at Beach Rotana hotel which has a nice small beach and a promenade as you can see on the pics. The city centre is just 10-15 mins from the hotel by walk. It has a completely different vibe than Dubai- less busy, less crowded, more peaceful. That is probably the reason why I like Abu Dhabi more. Important info: it feels very safe, you can get a taxi anywhere and the food tastes delicious whenever you go.

5. Elan cafe and Forever rose

For those who don’t know me, I have an obsession with cute pink places, so when I found out there is Elan cafe in Abu Dhabi, I just had to go. It was actually much further than I expected (45 mins from the hotel by taxi), but totally worth the insta vibe. This company has cafés all around the world and when I lived in London, I went for a cake there quite often. Another must visit is Forever rose café which was featured in the reality show Dubai bling. This was pretty close to our hotel and because it is a part of the luxurious shopping mall, I highly recommend trying it out too:).

6. Dubai: Miracle gardens, Burj Kalifa, Ain Dubai

First things first, we rented a car with the driver to go for an all day trip to Dubai. The plan was clear: to visit the most beautiful garden in the world with million of flowers, to see the city centre with the famous Burj Khalifa and then anything else we have time for. The Miracle garden was like a fairytale and I couldn’t get myself to leave. Therefore, I would highly recommend spending at least 2 hours here. Then we went to the Dubai mall, did some window shopping and grab a lunch outside next to the Burj Khalifa. I don’t know what is all the fuzz about, but the centre was way too crowded and expensive for me to be honest. On the other hand, views from the Ain Dubai attraction were stunning. Much better than London Eye or Paris wheel. The whole trip takes around 30 mins, so you can really enjoy the sea views or admire the confident architecture from your cabin. The ticket costs around 45 euros and it’s better to book it in advance. We also went to the Golden souk after and our day trip ended with the dinner on the Palm Jumeirah beach.

I can’t really compare these 2 cities, but I still feel like Abu Dhabi got under my skin the minute I arrived opposed to Dubai. It’s just the atmosphere, peace, different air or the mixture of all of it. Let me know, if you’re planning a trip there:)!

Until next place,

Lots of love

xx by Lesi Lee xx