Abu Dhabi, UAE - Random photos

 


I liked Abu Dhabi much more than I thought I would. It's a big, spread-out, modern city, as expected, but it came as a surprise how livable it is. Between the high-rise buldings there are little neighbourhoods, each full of shops, cafés and restaurants, you'll find everything you need right in your block. A mosque is found in each as well, so the faithful also don't have to go far. The high-rise buldings surrounding the little neighbourhoods are very cleverly built: they don't block the wind, quite the opposite. Their bases are rather narrow and there is a small gap between each building, which creates wind channels with a constant refreshing flow or air. Then the public transport is impressively good: buses are very frequent and cheap and the routes cover all the metropolitan area. And you don't have to boil on the sun while waiting for your bus, even if it is only 5-10 minutes, as air-conditioned waiting rooms offer a cool space in most of the stops. Taxis are also quite affordable, if you are in a hurry. Abu Dhabi in general is fairly cheap - you can have, for example, an Indian thali for as little as 2 Brittish pounds! And it's as authentic as it can get, with the waiter just giving you more and more curry when he sees you finished what you had on your plate. Abu Dhabi is indeed very international. You don't see many Arabs, but there are people from all over the World: from Africa, South Asia, the Far East, Europe and North America. Accommodation is probably affordable too, as I paid only 16 Brittish pounds per night for a small room in a flat near the Main Bus Terminal in the centre. It was on the 11th floor of a 15-story building and I could see half of the city, including the Etihad Towers in the distance. I'm not much of a beach lover, but I have to admit the sandy beaches look nice and many of them are free. All in all, Abu Dhabi seems to be a great place to live.


























































































































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