Two years ago when we moved from Dubai to Abu Dhabi I didn't think there was a whole lot to do in this city, showing guests the Sheikh Zayed Mosque and Emirates Palace only. But the tide is turning and slowly Abu Dhabi is getting on the tourism train with more and more (quality) activities popping up.
One of these activities is the Jalboot Water Taxi Service. From our apartment we see it going past a few times a day and after finding out it was a fully air conditioned boat we decided to give it a go in my ongoing quest for summer appropriate things to do.
If like me you thought that Dubai had a big beautiful skyline with it seems every world record building, you would be right. But so I learnt from seeing Abu Dhabi from the water that it also has a beautiful skyline filled with lots of interesting architecture, but it's just not as over the top as Dubai. A little more quiet and subtle if you will but that's what makes it enjoyable and a little surprising.
Essentially the water taxi is a hop on hop off service (map below) but we chose to take it most of the way around in one trip. We hopped on at the Abu Dhabi Mall and to our delight realised we were the only passengers on board and it stayed this way throughout the entire trip.
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| Leaving the dock and heading towards Yas Island you get a fantastic view of the constantly under construction Reem Island along with some islands you didn't even know existed. |
At Yas Island we stopped for 20 minutes and you're free to get off and walk around if you wish. Come November this marina will be full of fans watching the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix, the race track goes right through the Yas Viceroy hotel behind me!
Hopping onboard again and gratefully accepting the complimentary water bottles offered, we departed the marina heading back towards the city passing many of the cities landmarks along the way.
The haze was thick and so the sky is basically grey, but it was still a great sight seeing the Abu Dhabi skyline come into focus.
Our final stop was the Etihad Towers, a cluster of buildings housing apartments, hotels, restaurants, bars and beaches.
After docking we made our way through the beautiful hotel lobby in search of a glass of champagne, but sadly the lounge wasn't serving alcohol so we went on our way after a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.
Thanks for following along, be sure to let me know if you try this out!
Amy
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