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UAE mini travel diary | 4 day best friend visit in Abu Dhabi

16/11/2024 | Reageer

Hi everyone! Earlier this month, I flew to Abu Dhabi for less than 4 days to visit my best friend. Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and together with Dubai the largest city in the country. Our friendship is rock solid, despite all the distance. I believe that distance only separates us physically, but not in heart and soul. Abu Dhabi is a place I had never visited before, except for 12 hours between two flights. That was also the last time I saw Roos. Even though I planned to spend this trip less on content and we didn’t have any big plans, I still wanted to make a little travel diary – so I could always watch it again.
Hi allemaal! Begin deze maand, ben ik voor minder dan 4 dagen naar Abu Dhabi gevlogen om mijn beste vriendin op te zoeken. Abu Dhabi is de hoofdstad van de Verenigde Arabische Emiraten, en samen met Dubai de grootste stad van het land. Onze vriendschap is ijzersterk, ondanks alle afstand. Ik geloof dat afstand ons mensen alleen fysiek scheid, maar niet qua hart en ziel. Abu Dhabi is een plek die ik zelf nog nooit eerder had bezocht, op 12 uur na tussen twee vluchten door. Dat was ook de laatste keer dat ik Roos zag. Ondanks ik deze reis van plan was minder met content bezig te zijn en we geen grootse plannen hadden, wilde ik toch graag een kleine reisdiary maken – om het toch altijd opnieuw te kunnen bekijken.

Day 2 – 4-11-2024 – Abu Dhabi

I arrived early in the morning after a 6.5 hour night flight – which left the Netherlands late on day 1, after which Roos picked me up from the airport after a flight (with my crew ticket arrangement) with Etihad. It was still exciting at the airport, because I only got a seat at the very last moment. Instead of sleeping after arriving due to our broken night, we actually started the day right away, had some coffee despite the broken night and went out straight away.

The day started at the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque. The mosque is one of the largest in the world, with a capacity to accommodate 40,000 people at the same time. Women are requested to cover themselves in the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi out of respect for Islamic guidelines, which emphasize modesty and reverence in holy places. That is why I wear modest clothing here. Some hair may be visible, but most of it is neatly covered. I was allowed to borrow this beautiful abaya from my sister. This place is beautiful and definitely worth a visit! Furthermore, it is connected to a large shopping mall, where you can also visit various shops. We also had a Lebanese meal here – one of my favourite cuisines.

Then we went to the Louvre, and you heard it right – there is also one in Abu Dhabi. Unfortunately it was closed on Mondays, so a tip to keep an eye on the opening days and times in advance. It was nice to see it from the outside! Later that day we went shopping, where I found a spray from Lush that I had been looking for for ages, but inadvertently paid 60 euros because it was imported of course and the prices are a lot more expensive (I didn’t pay attention to the price) while it is twice as cheap in the Netherlands, without asking for the receipt.. But hey, lesson learned to convert the currency in my head a bit better! That evening we had a movie night together at home.

Ik kwam s’ochtends vroeg aan na een nacht vlucht van 6,5 uur – die laat in Nederland vertrok op dag 1, waarna Roos me na een vlucht (met mijn crew ticket regeling) met Etihad van de luchthaven ophaalde. Het was op de airport nog even spannend, omdat ik pas op het allerlaatste moment een stoel kreeg. In plaats van te slapen na aankomst door onze gebroken nacht, zijn we eigenlijk gelijk met de dag begonnen, wat koffie gaan drinken ondanks de gebroken nacht en direct op pad gegaan.

De dag begon bij de Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Moskee. De moskee is een van de grootste ter wereld, met een capaciteit om tegelijkertijd 40.000 gelovigen te huisvesten. Vrouwen worden verzocht zich te bedekken in de Grote Moskee in Abu Dhabi uit respect voor de islamitische richtlijnen, die bescheidenheid en eerbied op heilige plaatsen benadrukken. Daarom draag ik hier modest kleding. Er mag wat haar zichtbaar zijn, maar het grootste deel wel netjes bedekt. Deze mooie abaya heb ik mogen lenen van mijn zus. Deze plek is prachtig en ook zeker een aanraden te bezoeken! Verder zit het gekoppeld aan een groot winkelcentrum, waar je ook diverse winkels kunt bezoeken. Wij hebben hier dan ook ergens Libanees gegeten – een van mijn favoriete keukens.

Vervolgens zijn we naar het Louvre gegaan, en je hoort het goed – er is er óók een in Abu Dhabi. Helaas was het op maandag gesloten, dus een tip om de openingsdagen en tijden van te voren in de gaten te houden. Het was wel mooi om het van buiten te zien!  Later die dag zijn we nog gaan winkelen, waar ik een spray vond van Lush die ik al super lang zocht, maar onoplettend 60 euro heb betaald omdat het natuurlijk ingevoerd is en de prijzen een stuk duurder liggen (ik lette niet goed op de prijs) terwijl hij in Nederland 2x zo goedkoop is, zonder het bonnetje te vragen.. Maar goed, les geleerd om toch wat beter de valuta in mijn hoofd om te rekenen! Die avond hebben we samen nog een filmavond gedaan thuis.


Day 3 – 5-11-2024 – Abu Dhabi

The next day we went to a super nice beach spot that reminds me of La Mer in Dubai. This spot is called Marsana Beach, a really nice and quiet spot where you can enjoy the sea and nice restaurants. I think the safety in Abu Dhabi is fantastic. Although I would normally never do this anywhere – you can leave your stuff here. At Marsana beach, we had lunch at Drvn Coffee – to eventually cook at Roos’s house.
De dag erna zijn we naar een super leuke strand plek gegaan die me doet denken aan La Mer in Dubai. Deze plek heet Marsana Beach, een hele leuke en rustige plek waar je van de zee en leuke horeca kan genieten. Ik vind de veiligheid in Abu Dhabi trouwens fantastisch. Al zou ik dit normaal nooit ergens doen – kun je hier prima je spullen laten liggen. Bij Marsana beach, hebben we nog gelunched bij Drvn Coffee – om uiteindelijk bij Roos thuis zelf te koken.
Day 4 – 6-11-2024 – Abu Dhabi

After an extensive breakfast together at Roos’s house, we finally left for the airport at the beginning of the afternoon, I was quickly offered a seat at Etihad ‘ipb’, so I could go home again in peace. It was nice to be with her again, and to spend some time with her for a while.
Na uitgebreid samen ontbijten bij Roos thuis, zijn we uiteindelijk aan het begin van de middag rustig richting de luchthaven vertrokken, ik kreeg al snel een stoel aangeboden bij Etihad ‘ipb’, waardoor ik weer rustig naar huis kon. Het was fijn weer bij haar te zijn, en kort wat tijd met haar door te brengen.

Thank you for reading my travel diary!

Tips for Visiting Abu Dhabi

  1. Visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
    • Women must dress modestly; an abaya is required.
  2. Check Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Opening Hours
    • The museum is closed on Mondays, so check ahead.
  3. Relax at Marsana Beach
    • A safe, peaceful spot with great cafes like Drvn Coffee.
  4. Watch out for currency conversion when shopping
    • Imported products can be more expensive.
  5. Explore Dubai, just 1.5 hours away
    • Easily make a day trip to Dubai for more attractions.

Related posts:

Outfit | Tulum

Portugal Travel diary | Solo travel to Porto part 1

Indonesia travel diary (extra long) | 3 week solo trip to Bali - part 3 (Ubud)

Categorie: Dubai, The Middle East, Travel Tags: abu dhabi travel, friend visit, uae travel

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✨ Growth looks different on everyone. I’m proud of mine. I’m 28 and not scared to admit it (part 3) 💭✨ It’s easy to curate perfection online — harder to admit what shaped you. This year, I’ve been more honest than ever. With others, and with myself. Some things still hurt. Some things still heal. But growth? Growth looks good on me. #NotScaredToAdmit #28AndEvolving #AuthenticityFirst #GrowthSeason #RealIsRare . . . . . #stewardess #flightattendant #cabincrew #missnetherlands #cabinattendant #elegant #missgrand #missgrandnetherlands #beautypageant #shertogenbosch #missnederland #missgrandinternational #missnetherlands
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Happy international flight attendant day ✈️ Some past pics from the last 1-3 out of 7 years 📸 (Disclaimer: All colleagues in the pictures have been asked permission for a social media post in the past)
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Happy international flight attendant day ✈️ Some past pics from the last 1-3 out of 7 years 📸 (Disclaimer: All colleagues in the pictures have been asked permission for a social media post in the past) . . . . #stewardess #flightattendant #transavia #transaviacrew #cabincrew #missnetherlands #cabinattendant #missgrand #missgrandnetherlands #beautypageant #shertogenbosch #missnederland #missgrandinternational #missnetherlands
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4 different looks. Which hair style do you think fits me best? 👑👱🏼‍♀️ (hair by my friend @aline_emmanuelle_ @_alinehairdesign_ 🤍)
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4 different looks. Which hair style do you think fits me best? 👑👱🏼‍♀️ (hair by my friend @aline_emmanuelle_ @_alinehairdesign_ 🤍)
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A throwback ☀️🍋🍋‍🟩 @miss_grand_netherlands by @blckhyped @jerschreverphotography . . . #stewardess #flightattendant #cabincrew #missnetherlands #cabinattendant #elegant #missgrand #missgrandnetherlands #beautypageant #shertogenbosch #missnederland #missgrandinternational #missnetherlands
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Shoot of some years ago but still GRAND 👑 @miss_grand_netherlands By: @ozveld.fotovideo Make-up: @latifelatifey Dress: @chicandholland . . . . #stewardess #flightattendant #cabincrew #missnetherlands #cabinattendant #elegant #missgrand #missgrandnetherlands #beautypageant #shertogenbosch #missnederland #missgrandinternational #missnetherlands
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