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8 Fantastic Photos of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is one of the most important mosques in the United Arab Emirates. It is located on Airport Road in the capital city of Abu Dhabi. It is a beautiful structure that is lit up after sunset to reflect the changing moon phases.

I highly recommend that you take a free guided tour in English. The tour will give you a better understanding of the architectural details of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and some basic knowledge of Islam.

It is also important to remember that Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a religious place and that you must be modest at all times. Please feel free to visit the official website for Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque before you visit.

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Tree Of Life Bahrain

Hello beautiful people! It’s been quite a while since I last travelled. The United Arab Emirates celebrated National Day on December 2nd and my employer gave us 3 days off during the week. I wasn’t planning on leaving the country but then the itch started one evening as I was dreamily gazing out my apartment window.

I opened Google Maps and Skyscanner and did a quick check of short-haul flights in the Middle East. BAHRAIN came up. Safe – yes. Warm – yes. Historical and culturally aware – yes. Cheap flights – YES!

So, I booked my 45-minute flight (!) and 5-star hotel room (I like to spend more on hotels when I travel alone because it makes me feel safer) and I was off to a similar-yet-different Middle Eastern Gulf country.

Bahrain had a drier climate than the UAE’s but it was about the same sub-tropical temperature. Clear blue skies and warm breezes would make the daytime highs enviable to anyone whose experienced a Canadian winter.

I spent 3 full days in Manama City, Bahrain and tried to do as many touristy things as possible. Through the hotel’s front desk I was able to hire an unlicensed taxi (driven by Indians and Pakistanis) to take me around for much cheaper than the metered cabs (driven by Bahrainis).

He took me to Manama Souq (market) where I could haggle a decent price for a SIM card. I needed one for emergencies and to get in touch with my driver when I would be ready to be picked up. I didn’t stay at the souq for very long because I wanted to get to the Tree Of Life.

I’d read about this mysterious wonder-flora and its claim to fame as being the only tree in the area and as an ancient Dilmun civilization ritual site. So once we got there I was awed and disappointed at the same time. It was a big, big tree in the middle of a desert and oil pipelines and makeshift local camping sites. It’s a beautiful tree but it’s just a tree. The driver said they light it up at night and people camp around it.

Unfortunately, Tree Of Life has been damaged by people’s scribbles on its branches. It also felt extremely remote and desolate. I felt as though my driver, the 2 random men (caretakers??) and I were the last people on Earth.

The best part about the journey to see Tree Of Life was the anticipation.

 

[map width=”200″ height=”200″ lat=”26.0572″ long=”50.6164″ zoom=”8″]

Hello beautiful people! It's been quite a while since I last travelled. The United Arab Emirates celebrated National Day on December 2nd and my employer gave us 3 days off during the week. I wasn't planning on leaving the country but then the itch started one evening as I was dreamily gazing out my apartment window. I opened Google Maps and Skyscanner and did a quick check of short-haul flights in the Middle East. BAHRAIN came up. Safe - yes. Warm - yes. Historical and culturally aware - yes. Cheap flights - YES! So, I booked my 45-minute flight (!) and 5-star hotel room (I like to spend more on hotels when I travel alone because it makes me feel safer) and I was off to a similar-yet-different Middle Eastern Gulf country. Bahrain had a drier climate than the UAE's but it was about the same sub-tropical temperature. Clear blue skies and warm breezes would make the daytime highs enviable to anyone whose experienced a Canadian winter. I spent 3 full days in Manama City, Bahrain and tried to do as many touristy things as possible. Through the hotel's front desk I was able to hire an unlicensed taxi (driven by Indians and Pakistanis) to take me around for much cheaper than the metered cabs (driven by Bahrainis). He took me to Manama Souq (market) where I could haggle a decent price for a SIM card. I needed one for emergencies and to get in touch with my driver when I would be ready to be picked up. I didn't stay at the souq for very long because I wanted to get to the Tree Of Life. I'd read about this mysterious wonder-flora and its claim to fame as being the only tree in the area and as an ancient Dilmun civilization ritual site. So once we got there I was awed and disappointed at the same time. It was a big, big tree in the middle of a desert and oil pipelines and makeshift local camping sites. It's a beautiful tree but it's just a tree. The driver said they light it up at night and people camp around it. Unfortunately, Tree Of Life has been damaged by people's scribbles on its branches. It also felt extremely remote and desolate. I felt as though my driver, the 2 random men (caretakers??) and I were the last people on Earth. The best part about the journey to see Tree Of Life was the anticipation.   [map width="200" height="200" lat="26.0572" long="50.6164" zoom="8"]

Would you like to visit the Tree Of Life?

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Island Hopping Abu Dhabi Style

This weekend (Friday and Saturday in the United Arab Emirates) was a hot one! The daytime high averaged around 40 degree Celsius. People tell me this is only the beginning!

Abu Dhabi is situated on the Arabian Gulf and includes an archipelago of man-made and true islands. They are fairly close to one another and joined by bridges. Yas Island is famous for its Formula One race track (The Fast And Furious franchise was filming on the track while we were in the hotel next door but no one had access – boo hoo)

My friends invited me to laze around with them at Park Inn by Radisson’s pool on the island. Apparently, all you need to do is go to any hotel and ask for a day pass for access to pools and alcohol! Know the right folks and you’ll get discounts too 🙂

The latter part of the weekend brought me inside the new Galleria Mall on Al Maryah Island. It’s a high-end luxury shopping centre that is practically void of shoppers but has an amazing view of Abu Dhabi. I highly suggest Godiva Cafe for people-watching and live piano music.

I used to think that Tokyo had dibs on public cleanliness, sleek luxury, materialism and skyscrapers. Sorry to bust your bubble Edo, Abu Dhabi beat you on all of those points! Public bathrooms that are so well-kept that you wouldn’t mind eating in them. Workers to re-sweep and re-wipe floors and windows, hour after hour…Abu Dhabi is a beautiful city.

Have you visited Abu Dhabi? What would you like to see while you’re here?

 

[map width=”200″ height=”200″ lat=”24.5000″ long=”54.3900″ zoom=”12″]

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