Travel News June 2022
to as you will have the chance to meet and greet some childhood favourites such as Bugs Bunny, Tom & Jerry and Scooby Doo. There is also the opportunity to walk alongside some of the worlds most iconic characters such as Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. For those looking a great family day out then visiting here would be a must.
Yas Island Waterpark is an Emirate-themed waterpark located on Yas Island. It has more than 40 rides, slides and attractions spread over 37 acres which in waterpark terms makes it easy to navigate and you are never far from a sun lounger or indeed the main reception and locker area if you need to return to reapply some sunscreen. NInja Tip - If you are visiting in the hotter summer months, you may consider swimwear shoes for your feet (as the ground is so hot, they will make it a LOT easier walking around) as well as maybe a thin tshirt or long sleeved top …. protection against the sun! Opening hours can vary so always best to check ahead but it tends to remain open until early evening allowing you to enjoy the thrills and spills as the sun is setting. Lockers (additional cost), showers and changing facilities are available so you can freshen up before heading for home, or perhaps nipping across to Yas Mall for some retail therapy or a meal at one of the many NInja dining favourites such as Cheesecake Factory, Chilli’s, Texas Roadhouse or Rainforest Café.
Kayaking in Yas Links
Without question, right at the top of the list of must- see landmarks in the UAE is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Easily one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen and no surprise to read that it welcomes up to 55,000 worshippers and visitors each day. It is, of course, a place of worship and you must follow a specific dress code as a sign of respect. Shoulders and knees must be covered and shoes must be removed at the entry gate. Women are also asked to wear abayas which are provided free of charge. Entry is through a visitor centre leading to an underground walkway (air conditioned thankfully!) which resurfaces at the front of the mosque. The walk around is kept moving by security staff and photographs are to be taken at designated areas only although you will struggle to not take an amazing picture when here as the mosque looks incredible from any angle. The Louvre Abu Dhabi is an art museum located on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi and is the largest art museum in the Arabian peninsula at 260,000 sq ft. Discussions on the Louvre Abu Dhabi were initiated in June 2005 although it wasn’t until March 2007 when the partnership was agreed between the French and UAE governments, and it eventually opened to the public in 2015. Whilst there is no strict dress code, you should still dress respectfully and you definitely need comfortable footwear as there is plenty to see and plenty of walking to be done. Entrance is by timed ticket so try to pre-book your ticket and arrival slot in advance to make the most of your time out here. We were aiming to see and do as much as possible whilst visiting Abu Dhabi and so our trip to the Louvre Abu Dhabi was very rushed. The exhibitions are in chronological order and take you through the ages to show how the world has developed through to current time. We passed through the various exhibitions pausing only for a brief moment to snap something of interest or quirky and it still took us almost 90 minutes. However, you could easily spend 3 hours or more exploring all that this museum has to offer. If you are looking for a fun filled day for all the family then Ferrari World is a must and one of the most iconic buildings in the area (check out a birdseye view if you can). It has everything from toddler-friendly carousels, cutting edge Ferrari race simulators to the worlds fastest roller coaster – the Formula Rossa. In 4.9 seconds those who are brave enough to get on board will be accelerated from 0 to 240 kmph and will experience up to 4.8g throughout the ride which explains why all riders are issued with safety goggles. Not one for the faint hearted …. or, unfortunately for this particular NInja, those of reasonable height as the limit to ride is set at 195cm (approx. 6ft 5in) …. gutted.
The theme park is situated on Yas Island and was opened in 2010. You can enter via its main external entrance or via Yas Mall. And just to be clear, the park is indoors so a great way to have fun and avoid the heat. Despite the obvious connections to Ferrari you certainly do not need to be a car enthusiast or a lover of Formula 1 to enjoy the park with the wide range of rides and attractions for visitors of all ages and whilst in the park you can stop to recharge and refuel at one of the many restaurants and dining outlets
Across the car park from Ferrari World and the Yas Mall is another theme park that is well worth a visit. Warner Brothers World is an indoor theme park that consists of 4-5 themed lands which lead off the central plaza. Visitors can explore Bedrock, Dynamite Gulch, Cartoon Junction, Gotham City and Metropolis and experience 29 state of the art rides which cater for all ages. There are multiple dining and retail options throughout the park and whilst exploring make sure you keep your eyes open
When visiting any of the theme parks at Yas Island I would strongly recommend buying your tickets in advance. Not only will this save you time queuing but you may want to take advantage of a multi-park ticket which would grant access to Warner Bros. World and either Ferrari World or Yas Waterworld. You can aim to blast out 2 parks in 1 day or else opt for a ‘2 day any 2 parks’ ticket allowing you more time to enjoy the attractions at whichever of the parks you decide to visit. If you are planning to set aside time for some retail therapy then Abu Dhabi has you covered with a number of incredible shopping malls. They are filled with everything you would want or need whilst visiting including leisure options such as games, adventure sports and even ice skating making them popular hang-out spots. Some of the most famous malls include Marina Mall, Al Wahda Mall and Abu Dhabi Mall however given its proximity to the theme parks already mention, we called into Yas Mall on a number of occasions. Once inside you’d be forgiven if you momentarily thought you were at a major US shopping mall such is the layout, range of shops and choice of cafes and restaurants – this mall is HUGE! So whether you are buying a present for a loved one or looking for a treat for yourself, you will have plenty of shopping destinations to choose from. One thing that the area has plenty of is, unsurprisingly,
ABU DHABI ADVENTURE 27
sand! In fact some of the motorway warning signs we spotted whilst travelling between attractions weren’t to highlight speed restrictions or construction work, but to warn of sandstorms! I’m sure it can be a frustration for locals but the benefit of the sand is that there are dunes, lots of dunes. So why not get yourself booked onto a Desert safari to experience a 4x4 Adventure up and over the amazing dunes. These trips are very common with multiple tour operators offering them – our trip started with a mid afternoon pickup from our hotel. We quickly left the city behind and headed out of the city toward the Arabian Desert. No sooner had we pulled off the main roads when our driver stopped for what we thought was a safety check of the vehicle when in fact he proceeded to let the air out of the tyres – this meant one thing, the dune bashing was about to begin!
Some social media followers thought that perhaps we were allowed to drive the 4x4 but the drivers are highly experienced and I have no doubt that had if I tried to do what they do, the 4x4 would have toppled after a matter of seconds. The fun paused momentarily to allow for photographs before continuing to a camel farm and then on to our camp for the evening to learn about Bedouin desert culture. Before the evening meal was served there was time for sand surfing, camel riding, henna painting and more photographs as the sun began to set. After food and refreshments we were entertained with Belly Dancing and Tanoura Dancing. Now if you don’t know what Tanoura Dancing, it is definitely something to behold! Tanoura means skirt in English and a Tanoura dance is a traditional folk dance where the dancer spins to the tunes of Arabic songs. After a few minutes of this I realised that the dancer hadn’t stopped spinning. He progressed to performing some tricks and moves and before I knew it, 20 minutes had passed and he was STILL SPINNING. All in, it was nearly 30 minutes of continuous nonstop spinning - incredibly hypnotic - and when finished he was still able to walk off the stage in a straight line! Upon the end of the entertainment we were directed back to our vehicles and onwards to our respective hotels. It was after 10pm by the time we were walking into our hotel reception so a long enough daytrip but thoroughly enjoyable and great fun for all ages. NInja Tip – bring a small bag with maybe change of tshirt/top, and consider footwear as understandably sand will get everywhere, especially if its windy!! A different type of adventure, and a much more relaxing one, is kayaking through the Eastern Mangrove National Park. Sea Hawk Water Sports & Adventures have been operating for 8 years and offer a range of excursions including kayaking at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, stand up paddle-boarding, boat cruises and traditional rowing boat trips. We opted for a sunset kayak experience rather
Park Hyatt Hotel, Abu Dhabi
than an early morning trip and it was absolutely amazing. Upon arrival we used the marina restrooms to change into suitable clothing knowing there was a chance we could get wet. Surprisingly however it was just our feet when getting into and out of the kayak - although some may not be so lucky, so dress appropriately. We also brought a waterproof case for our phones to allow for plenty of photographs when out on the water without fear of dropping our devices into the water. After being provided with a safety vest, you will be asked for your choice of kayak - a single or double and since the whole tour lasts 2 hours you may feel more comfortable sharing the work with a friend although a single is very manageable and our group of 7 varied in age but all opted for singles. The tour itself leads you around the mangrove scenery and allows you to enjoy the marine life of the national park. We stopped off at a small beach area for a quick drink and some for photographs before returning to the marina as the sun set ahead of us. This was a really pleasant few hours and suitable for all ages as you quickly leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind to enjoy and understand the unique ecosystem of the mangroves. The UAE has also become one of the most in-demand golf destinations on the planet and now welcomes the worlds best professional golfers for regular tournaments including the Dubai Desert Classic, DP World Tour Championship and the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship which moved to Yas Island for the first time in 2022 when Yas Links Abu Dhabi hosted the opening Rolex Series event of the European Tour’s 2022 season. The par 72 course took 3 years to construct and lies across the highway from the Yas Marina Circuit. From quite a number of the fairways you can spot the impressive Ferrari World and the flumes of Yas Waterworld in the distance.
The Spectacular Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi Heading on a Desert Safari
As amateur golfers the prospect of playing on such a prestigious course was a little intimidating at first, particularly on arrival at the club house and the extent of the quality golfing and sport facilities became apparent. However we were warmly welcome by the golf club pro and provided with our scorecards, directions and some final words of advice … “try and keep it straight!”. Our hired clubs were already with our golf cart which came with the latest in GPS technology and we had some time to use the driving range and putting green before making our way to the first tee. The course was in in absolutely immaculate condition as you would expect however it never felt busy despite tee times being at a premium, especially for those playing early to avoid the afternoon sun. With temperatures rising it was a pleasant surprise to be met by staff on a couple of occasions on the course with a refreshing ice lolly to help keep us cool. Its hard to pick out which hole was best however arriving at the 18th was pretty awesome as the finishing hole hugs the shoreline to the left all the way from tee to green and you really need to play each shot exceptionally well to escape with a par 5 – now, I didn’t manage too many others during my round of golf that morning but am proud to say that I can watch the professionals next year and say to myself that I made par on the last hurrah! There are still plenty of things on the list that we simply did not get time to tick off - Yas Marina Circuit (the venue for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix) the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital and Al Ain Zoo, the Observation Deck at 300, Corniche Beach, The Galleria Al Maryah Island…..I could go on and on! As a destination Abu Dhabi definitely has something for everyone and all ages - from a relaxing beach holiday or an activity packed trip or something in between, I’m already plotting a return in the future!
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