Abu Dhabi Capital of the UAE 🇦🇪 Yas Island, Ferrari World & Grand Mosque

Join us as we explore Abu Dhabi - the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Our first stop aboard the Bellissima was Abu Dhabi - another UAE technological and architectural marvel born from oil and paved with gold.

Located on an island in the Persian Gulf, the city of Abu Dhabi is home to almost 1.5 million Emiratis.

We started our tour with a visit to the Heritage Village. This family-friendly spot gave us an idea of the desert way of living and what Abu Dhabi looked like before discovering the oil reserves back in the 1960s.

Despite having a market, a museum, a mosque, an archeological site, and a few other interesting areas, it was quite small and easy to go through. We even got the time to snap a few cool selfies with a camel.

And while we did expect a history lesson, we were pleasantly surprised by the turquoise waterfronts overlooking the central City area.

Once we got acquainted with Abu Dhabi’s culture and traditions, we quickly moved to the famous Marina Mall. With Christmas just around the corner, it was the perfect time to shop for gifts for our girls.

Just an hour and a few small shopping bags later, we were ready to go back to the Bellissima for lunch and a few fun activities.

We spent some time at the pool, which was absolutely crowded, and then moved to the arcade to play a few games and surprise, surprise… We won the Jackpot!

On day 2, we took a taxi to Yas Mall. It might be the biggest shopping spot in Abu Dhabi, but it offered so much more. From authentic restaurants and movie theaters to fine-dining and rock climbing - you can expect the unexpected here.

Chloe was excited to discover KidZania among the countless shops. The cool thing about this family entertainment center is that it allows kids to try hands-on role playing of any career.

But grown-ups need some fun, too, so we quickly moved on to the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. This engineering masterpiece was created for adrenaline junkies with an appetite for G-force and velocity.

And no, it’s not only because of the insanely fast cars but also because Ferrari World is the home to the fastest rollercoaster in the world. It goes from 0 to 150 mi/h in 4 seconds. Jaw-dropping, right?

The adrenaline rush got us hungry, so we sat down for a nice traditional lunch at the Al Fanar restaurant right outside the Ferrari World.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a full meal with a dessert, so we treated ourselves to some delicious Menchie's ice cream cups.

Our last stop of the day was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Constructed between 1996 and 2007, this edifice is large enough to accommodate over 40,000 worshippers, while the main prayer hall can hold over 8,000 people!

It features four minarets, 82 domes of seven different sizes, and the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet. Also, the famous Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque chandelier is among the biggest ones used in mosques, weighing over 12 tons.

Entry to the mosque was through the mall-like dome across from the main entrance. All we had to do was register, print out a free ticket, and we were good to go.

There was also a designated changing area with special cover-up garments for women to wear when inside the mosque.

Thank you for watching, and stay tuned for more exciting content from the Persian Gulf.

0:00 Let’s Explore Abu Dhabi
1:56 Heritage Village Abu Dhabi
6:50 Abu Dhabi Marina Mall
7:26 Back on Board the MSC Bellissima
8:55 Arcade Jackpot
9:41 Shop, Shop, Shopping at the Yas Mall
10:20 KidZania
10:36 Ferrari World
11:31 Al Fanar Traditional Emirates Restaurant
12:46 Menchies Ice Cream Treat
13:43 Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque