As my family and I get closer and closer to our mega-vacation to Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Auckland, Melbourne, Cairns, Sydney, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, New York and Vancouver, I have moved from the planning stage to the “what should we do there” stage.
To be honest, one of the things that I am most looking forward to is flying in the Etihad Apartments from Sydney to Abu Dhabi. When I booked it, I actually didn’t care very much about where we were going, just that we would be flying a plane with a shower on board, but now that we are getting closer, I’m discovering that Abu Dhabi has a lot to offer.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi
It came to my attention this morning that the Louvre Abu Dhabi was opening in November. First off, I had no idea that the Louvre was franchising 🙂 but once I heard the name, I was immediately interested. Apparently, this museum has been in the works since 2007 when it was announced and after countless delays, the museum is opening to the public as of November 11th, 2017. We arrive into Abu Dhabi on January 1st so I expect to be among the first Canadians to visit the museum.
Apparently, this museum was announced in 2007 and has faced countless delays due to the financial crisis amongst other things. After these delays, the museum is opening to the public as of November 11th, 2017. As we arrive into Abu Dhabi on January 1st, I expect to be among the first Canadians to visit the museum.
What is striking about the Louve Abu Dhabi is the architecture. The building’s most prominent feature is its dom,e which will be perforated, letting in something the architect refers to as a “rain of light”. It is simply stunning.
What is also exciting are the additional cultural centres that are being developed in Abu Dhabi, including an outpost of the Guggenheim, designed by Frank Gehry, the National Museum of the UAE, a new radical looking performing arts centre, and a Maritime Museum. All told, when completd, this new cultural district will rival those found in New York, Paris and London.
Check out the video that gives a great overview of the project:
To be honest, I was expecting to spend most of my time in Dubai but now that I have discovered the Louvre is opening, I’ll definitely be checking it out.
Are there other things I should check out during my adventure? Leave a comment and let me know!
Be sure to check out the Desert Safari in Dubai. Buy duty free alcohol as it is super expensive to drink in Dubai.
Thanks for the tip AN! I’m very much looking forward to getting out to the UAE!
Cheers
Jayce
Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi is stunningly beautiful – I highly recommend visiting the mosque while you are there.
If you do a desert safari in Dubai and are willing to splurge, Platinum Heritage does awesome tours that are friendly and respectful to the ecosystem.
I’m envious that you get to check out the new Louvre there.
Sounds like it’s going to be an amazing trip for you and your family 🙂
The Louvre is being built on Saadiyat Island (Happiness), be sure to check out the beach there-either the public beach or the St Regis Saadiyat beach as the turquoise water is stunning. NYU’s campus is a 3 minute drive from the beach which is an incredible campus.
Do check out the Sheikh Zayed mosque during sunset. It is the most cultural and most authentic of everything you will see in the Emirates. The pictures are stunning with the minarets. They give free abayas(the long black dress) for women to wear during the visit and if you show up in shorts you will get the kandora(white long dress) for men to use during their visit.
Walk along the corniche in Abu Dhabi and enjoy the city views on one side and the Persian/Arabian gulf on one side!
Hi Ralph!
Wow! Thank you so much for the suggestions. I will definitely check out many of your suggestions! Thank you!
Cheers
Jayce