Camp under the stars at a luxury resort
Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara is celebrating its tenth birthday with some new experiences for guests. Head down to the desert retreat, through the stunning dunes along the way, and you can try something a little bit different to your standard staycation. To celebrate, the resort has launched the Bedouin Night Camping Experience. You can choose to arrive at the outdoor camping site by camel ride or by hitching a ride in a 4x4. Once at the site, a majlis will welcome you where you can enjoy some dates and Arabic coffee before checking into your camp room overlooking the dunes. While you’re there you can also have an authentic Emirati meal, watch falconry shows and try activities including archery and dune bashing. We don’t know about you but a night under the stars away from the busy city is sounding pretty good right about now.
Prices vary. Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, The Empty Quarter, www.anantara.com/en/qasr-al-sarab-abu-dhabi
Try an e-scooter for free
E-scooters are popping up around Abu Dhabi left, right and centre, so if you haven't tried one yet, now is as good a time as any. There's a 15-minute free session for any newly registered accounts on Circ if you use the voucher code ‘wecirc’ when unlocking a scooter. You’ll need to download the free mobile app and set up an account beforehand, but you could be zooming about in minutes. Scooters are also available at other locations including the Corniche, Reem Island, Al Maryah Island and Al Dana.We’re definitely trying this.
See a massive Premier League match for free with fans
European Champions and league leaders Liverpool are set to host Manchester City at Anfield in a game that could play a huge part in determining where the league trophy ends up this season. It’s sure to be a tense affair and some of the best players in the world will be involved. Excited for the match? A free outdoor event is set to be held this weekend where you can see the game live on screens in the company of Manchester City fans in the capital. Zayed Sports City will be showing the match on a large screen for Manchester City fans where you can grab a bean bag and watch the match. The game kicks off at 8.30pm UAE time, so there’s plenty of time to head along and soak up the atmosphere on the night.
Free. Sunday November 10, kick off 8.30pm. Pitch 15, Zayed Sports City www.zsc.ae
Visit the newest coffee shop in the city
If you’re looking for another cool place to grab a cup of joe in Abu Dhabi then you’re in luck, as a brand new branch of a popular UAE chain has launched in the capital. The Espresso Lab is now open at Qasr Al Hosn and it’s the first location for the Dubai-based brand in Abu Dhabi. The specialist coffee company, which was originally based in Dubai’s Design District, is now serving up cups of coffee and food every day at the iconic Abu Dhabi location. Plus, the venue roasts its own beans to ensure the best possible taste and allowing you try locally-made produce instead of imported beans from around the world. Coffee lovers can choose from classics such as filter coffee and espresso-based drinks as well as affogato (which comes served with a scoop of gelato), citrus-infused espresso drinks and more.
Open daily 7.20am-10pm. Qasr Al Hosn, Zayed the First Street www.theespressolab.com
Enjoy a free workout at The Room
Fitness studio The Room is hosting one of its regular The Balance Marathon events, and it is letting you join in a whole range of 40-minute classes for free. All you need to do is register in advance and you can try out a great variety of workouts suitable for all abilities. Classes run from 5.30pm until 8.30pm, so there’s plenty of time to get there once you finish work, too. The workouts include outdoor yoga, spinning, boxfit, HIIT and body pump, plus there’s also the chance to attend free seminars on healthy eating and personal development. Between classes you can refuel on healthy food samples from Simple Café and with super friendly staff there to greet you, everyone will be made to feel welcome. Perfect.
Free. Tue Nov 12 5.30pm-8.30pm. The Room, Zayed Sports City (02 444 4945).
Go vegan at Wagamama
Another popular UAE chain is getting on the vegan-train with a host of new dishes. Wagamama is the latest UAE restaurant to launch a new vegan menu to cater to people with a plant-based diet. So if you’re in the market for some animal-friendly noodles then you know where to go. The dedicated vegetarian and vegan menu was launched as part of World Vegan Day on November 1. A total of 13 vegan dishes and 11 vegetarian dishes have been added to the menu. inlcluding kare burosu ramen, yasai katsu curry, yasai yaki soba and yasai pad thai. To be honest, they had us a ramen.
Prices vary. Locations including Abu Dhabi Mall www.wagamama.ae
Check out the augmented reality art exhibition
Bringing a new experience to the city, an augmented reality art exhibition has launched in the capital at Nation Towers. Imagine Nation is an immersive collection of interactive artworks that combine audio-visual art, 3D Projections and virtual effects. The free exhibition, open from 4pm to 10pm every day, will be on display at the shopping destination until January 3 2020. By using Artivive, augmented reality technology that can be accessed using smartphones and tablets, you will be able to explore new dimensions of the art on display as it comes to life in different ways. To interact with the artworks you will need to download a free app to your phone, or if you can’t download the app there are iPads at Nation Towers available to borrow.
Free. Daily 4pm-10pm, until January 3 2020. Nation Towers, Corniche West
Check out the Wonder Maze
The world's largest mobile maze is back in the UAE. Last December the maze took up temporary residency at Umm Al Emarat Park, challenging children to find their way out of the massive labyrinth and now the experience has moved to the Garden City of Al Ain. The Wonder Maze, consisting of a series of paths made out of thousands of metres of rope and tarpaulin is now open at Al Ain Zoo. Think you can conquer it? The configuration of the maze will be changed regularly, so if you figure it the first time you try it the chances are next time you visit you will have to find the right path once again. At the centre of the maze there's a five-metre tall viewing platform, meaning you can see how to get out more easily. Good luck.
Dhs35 (free for children under one metre in height). Zoo entry Dhs9.45 for children and Dhs28.25 for adults. Until April 22 2020. Al Ain Zoo: 9am-8pm. Riverland Dubai: Sun-Thu 9am-8pm; Fri-Sat 10am-10pm.
Enjoy an aperitivo on the beach
We think there are few better things than listening to the waves lap as you relax on a deck chair, and now the Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi is helping us to combine the joys of beach days with a chilled out aperitivo session. Throughout November the spritz on the beach deal is offering sparkling beverages for Dhs50 per drink. You’ll also get a mix of Italian antipasti to enjoy while you are there too. With a spot on the pretty Grand Canal, sipping a refreshing drink on this private beach is the ideal way of making the most of the cooler weather.
Dhs50. Until Nov 30. Daily 11am-11pm. The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Khor Al Maqta (02 818 8888).
Enjoy 50 percent discount at Circo
We love a good deal here in Abu Dhabi, especially when it involves paying less for delicious food. So we’re super excited to see that Italian restaurant Circo has introduced a great daily promotion, which is designed to reward us for stepping out a bit earlier to eat. The early bird offer is on every day between 5pm and 7pm, and it offers 50 percent off food and drink. This means that those crispy pizzas, fresh pastas and authentic mains can be yours for half the usual price, and it would be rude not to wash it all down with a glass of grape really wouldn’t it? So next time you get off work early, you know where to go for a good feed. We never liked going to bed with a full tummy anyway.
Prices vary. Daily 5pm-7pm. Circo, InterContinental Abu Dhabi, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud Street (02 666 6888).
Try an Indonesian menu at Cho Gao
Cho Gao at the Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi is celebrating the joys of Indonesia food with a month of special themed nights. Every Thursday you can try traditional and authentic Indonesian delicacies such as qbeef rendang, nasi goreng, mie goreng and more, and there’s also a special Indonesian welcome drink thrown in, too. The event is available every Thursday from 6.30pm and 11pm. If you’re craving a trip to Bali but you don’t really have the money or the time, this may be the next best thing.
Prices vary. Thu 6.30pm-11pm. Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Street, Al Markaziyah (02 304 8287).
See the world’s oldest natural pearl
The oldest known natural pearl in the world has been discovered in the capital. The ‘Abu Dhabi Pearl’ is thought to date back nearly 8,000 years to 5,800 to 5,600 BCE. Found at the Neolithic site on Marwah Island, the pearl is proof that pearls and oysters were being used nearly 8,000 years ago and is one of the earliest known evidence of pearling in the world. Pearls, even thousands of years ago, were considered precious and used for adornment. In reflection the status of pearls as a luxury item, the Abu Dhabi Pearl will go on display at Louvre Abu Dhabi as part of the exhibition'10,000 Years of Luxury. On display for the first time, the pearl, on loan from the Zayed National Museum collection, will be open to the public from October 30 to February 18 2020. We look forward to seeing it on display.
Dhs63 (adults), Dhs31.5 (ages 13-22), free (under 13). Oct 30-Feb 18. Saadiyat Island, www.louvreabudhabi.ae (600 565 566).
Try one of the newest restaurants in town for less
Rasoi by Vineet Bhatia is now open at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers and you can get a massive discount on your bill when you visit. The restaurant is in the soft opening stage and it will be open for business daily between 7pm and 10.30pm. Right now you can also enjoy a 25 percent discount off the entire bill. Bhatia, who has successful restaurants all over the world, is credited with being the man who took Indian flavours to another level and achieved global acclaim in the process. In 2001 he became the first Indian chef-proprietor with a Michelin-starred restaurant. We’ll see you there, we’ll be the ones stuffing our face.
Prices vary. Daily 7.30pm-10pm. Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, Corniche West, www.rasoibyvineetad.com
Get tickets to the first Ultra Music Festival in the region
Ultra Music Festival is coming to Abu Dhabi for the first time in 2020. The massive dance festival, founded in 1999 in Miami, Florida, is coming to the capital on March 5 and 6. Tickets to the festival will go on sale next Thursday on November 14 for all those who registered their interest on the site. If you have registered, prices to the festival start from Dhs480 for general admission and Dhs680 for premium general admission tickets. For non-registered users tickets will start from Dhs560 for general admission and Dhs700 for premium. The exact location of the festival in Abu Dhabi is yet to be confirmed, but is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. This year in Miami performers included Carl Cox, The Chainsmokers, Deadmau5, Marshmello, Martin Garrix, David Guetta, Afrojack and others. We’re looking forward to March already.
Mar 5-6 2020. For more information visit www.ultra-abudhabi.com
