Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is the second largest city of United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is both the federal capital and the capital of the UAE. Situated on the T-shaped Island and surrounded by desert coast of the Persian Gulf, this is the second most populated city of Emirates and home to futuristic skyscrapers.

Before the discovery of oil reserves, the pearl industry flourished in the city. Abu Dhabi is stretched along the harbour, and traditional wooden dhows that were used for pearl diving as well as fishing can still be found there.

Various direct flights from the major cities of India take around 2 to 4 hours to reach the Abu Dhabi International Airport and the Al Ain International Airport. Eithad Airways, the prime airline of the UAE, along with international carriers like Air India Express. Jet Airways and Air India, takes numerous passengers year long to this desirable tourist destination.

The city has preserved its rich cultural heritage in the form of various historical sites like Al Maqtaa Fort, Bateen Shipyard, Heritage Village, Sheikh Zayed Mosque and The Corniche. Moreover, it boasts of popular tourist attractions like Qasr Al-Hosn, Cultural Foundation centre, Al Ain National Museum and Women's Handicraft Centre to name a few that are regularly visited by tourists.

Hajar Mountains, Wadis, garden city of Al Ain and Corniche are other famous tourist destinations in the city.

While these older remains have been preserved, the city has also seen massive development in the form of luxurious international hotels, leisure facilities, shopping malls and entertainment joints. The advanced convention centre, popular museums like Louvre and Guggenheim, advanced golf courses, local Bedouin handicrafts and souks in Abu Dhabi are a great treat.

The city has various restaurants and world-class hotels that offer local Arabian cuisines as well as almost all kinds of international food on the platter. These eating joints are usually operated by popular hotels in the city, and the prices depend upon the type of hotel and the location they are in. Foodies can relish any type of food be it is purely Arabic, Indian, Egyptian, Mexican or any other global taste.

People travelling to Abu Dhabi have various places to shop, including the traditional souks and well developed shopping malls. Rotana Mall, Abu Dhabi Co-operative Society Complex, Foutouh Al Khair Centre and Liwa Centre are some of the places where one can not only engage in shopping but entertain themselves as well.