Abu Dhabi

Day One: Jan 8, 2024

Arriving in Abu Dhabi felt like stepping into a dream. Having never been outside of Europe before, we were both excited and curious to experience a completely different way of life. We were especially relieved to be away from Athens, where we had faced the distressing experience of being robbed and had generally a bad time (which you can read all about here).

As we disembarked from the plane, the warm, arid air welcomed us—a stark contrast to the chilly weather we had left behind. The airport was shockingly modern and futuristic, with sleek designs and state-of-the-art facilities. After breezing through check-in, which was both prompt and advanced, we set out to find the bus station and get a local SIM card.

Although we promptly acquired a bus schedule and directions to our apartment, we were unable to find a suitable SIM card. The airport only offered packages of 40+ GB for around £30, far more than we needed for our short stay. With that hurdle behind us, we hopped on the bus and headed towards our accommodation.

As the bus pulled away, the city was pitch black, but in the distance, we caught sight of the magnificent Sheikh Zayed Mosque, beautifully illuminated against the night sky. Its grandeur made us vow to visit it as soon as possible.

Finally, we reached our apartment, which turned out to be a spacious hotel unit we had booked through Airbnb. The guy checking us in was incredibly friendly and had an impressive command of English. He took a photocopy of our passports—standard procedure for registration in the UAE—and then showed us to our room. At just over £50 a night, it was absolutely huge!

To our delight, we realized we had arrived just before the day ended, so it was still our anniversary—a wonderful way to celebrate, despite sharing a phone after the unfortunate incident in Greece. This lift in our spirits was exactly what we needed after the miserable time in Athens.

As we settled down for the night, we discovered our first bidet and quickly fell in love with it, wishing they were more common back in the UK. After a long flight and a day filled with travel, we were looking forward to the morning, eager to explore this new city and continent, and to get a better look at our stunning surroundings.

Day Two: 9 Jan 2024

Day two began with our mission to grab a SIM card, essential for internet data on this trip, as we always do when abroad. After a 30-minute walk from our apartment, we arrived at the Al Wahda Mall, marveling at how beautiful and modern a place could thrive in the heart of the desert.

The mall was sprawling and sleek, filled with shops and eateries. However, we quickly discovered that it was also on the pricier side—two bottles of water from Starbucks set us back about £4.50, which felt steep for the region. On a brighter note, we found a SIM card offering 10GB for just £7, a great deal that would suffice for our short stay.

With our connection sorted, we headed to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque. Before entering, we stopped by the food court for a quick bite at McDonald’s. To our surprise, the menu featured a Chicken Big Mac, which was not available in the UK at that time.

Upon reaching the security section of the mosque, we were informed about the dress code. Bob needed to cover his tattoos, which depicted Jesus, while Tammy had to cover her arms and shoulders. Thankfully, there was a shop in the adjoining mall selling arm covers for golfers, and Tammy had a scarf to conceal her neck tattoos. However, her purchase turned out to be more than we anticipated—the equivalent of £150! That was a significant blow to our spending money.

Concerned, we approached the information centre in the mall to inquire about a returns policy in the UAE. When the staff learned how much we had been charged, they were livid. It turned out that the store had a deal with the mall to provide affordable clothing for visitors needing to comply with the mosque’s dress code but had upsold us one of the more expensive options.

The salesperson who seemed friendly at first was actually just buttering us up so he could overcharge and upsell to us. When we spoke to him he told us he was from the Kashmiri side of Pakistan which made us trust him, and for us he had let his side down as apart from him, we have never met a Pakistani who has been nothing less than kind and curteous to us! ❤️🇵🇰

The staff member at the information desk asked us to wait while he fetched a colleague to handle the situation personally. Together, they went into the store with Tammy to protest. To our relief, they exchanged the garment for a much cheaper, yet just as lovely, option for only £10! We felt victorious in outsmarting the scammer, quite literally!

With our attire sorted, we passed through security and entered the mosque, where we were utterly taken aback by its breathtaking beauty. The stunning architecture and the soothing call to prayer filled the atmosphere, and we were met with friendly and welcoming faces who appreciated Bobby’s attempts at greeting them in Arabic.

After our serene visit, we hopped on a bus to another nearby mall to withdraw some cash, as cash is still king in this part of the world, despite the advanced technology. Once we had what we needed, we caught another bus back to our hotel. There, we dined at the restaurant in our hotel, which served Lebanese cuisine. We shared a Lebanese platter that was absolutely delightful—a perfect way to end the day.

Day Three: 10 Jan 2024

On our next day, we decided to explore the Corniche and its beautiful beach. We were pleasantly surprised by the number of rules in place, but a walk along the boardwalk was lovely nonetheless. The sight of the skyscrapers in the distance set against the backdrop of the stunning beach was captivating.

During our stroll, we grabbed a shawarma and some water for under £5—an absolute bargain! However, we quickly discovered that the shawarma was quite spicy, adding a bit of excitement to our meal.

After enjoying the Corniche, we headed back to our apartment to gather our belongings, as we were about to embark on our next adventure: a trip to Oman which you can read all about here!