Abu Dhabi, UAE & Sultanate of Oman

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Just returned from a fantastic trip to Abu Dhabi & Oman! This was a wonderful itinerary which was put together in conjunction with Explore Holidays & Abu Dhabi Tourism. I was the Etihad Airways escort for a group of Travel Agents on a trade mission to expericence what the region has to offer to the Australian travel market.

Day 1 - Departing Brisbane
Our Group flew from Brisbane to Abu Dhabi arriving at about midnight, so our group headed straight the Millennium Hotel, Abu Dhabi for a good night sleep before the adventures began!.

Day 2 - Abu Dhabi - UAE
I woke up bright and early to a stunning view from my room over Abu Dhabi's Corniche (esplanade) overlooking the Capital Gardens and the Arabian Gulf. Our first day we headed out on a sightseeing City Tour with Arabian Adventures which was an ideal introduction to the UAE and the Island of Abu Dhabi.

We drove along the riveriera style Corniche and continued on to the 3rd largest Mosque in the world, The Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque (mostly referred to as Sheik Zayed Mosque). The mosque is open to visitors of all nationalities for educational tours in order to reflect the spirit of Islam, a religion of peace, education and tolerance. The building is stunning and a must see for anyone visiting Abu Dhabi. Public tours are also available which start at 10am avery day except Friday & Saturday. The mosque combines the many different styles of the Islamic world and creates the most increible and impressive interior, including the World largest handmade carpet and the world's largest chandallier.

We headed off to see the Cultural Foundation and the markets around Port Zayed, which includes a date market, iranian market and fish market. Then drove back along the Corniche to the Heritage Village, which gives you an insight into how the Arab community lived in Abu Dhabi before the discovery of oil.

We finished the tour at the InterContinental Hotel, Abu Dhabi for lucnh at the Yacht Club (with its fantastic Vodka bar) and an inspection of the Hotel's facilities. We had some time to drop into the Marina Mall for some shopping before heading back to the Hotel to get ready for dinner.

We had an inspection of Emirates Palace and then a hosted dinner at Le Vendome Restaurant within the Palace and what an increible hotel and the meal itself was stunning! I think this was an evening that none of us would forget. The hotel is listed officially as a 5 star hotel however they consider themsleves a 7 star property and is managed by Kapinski and is the hotel of choice for many diplomats, presidents, moview stars, rock stars etc. The architecture is beautiful and encompasses the spirit of Abu Dhabi and the cultural influences of the region.

Day 3 - Muscat -Sultanate of Oman
Our group took a short flight from Abu Dhabi to Muscat where we took a day tour around facinating Muscat. We drive through the beautiful embassy quarter enroute to the Muttrrah, visiting the fish markets and strolling along the Corniche, The Palace of MH Sultan Qaboos and a visit to the Bait Al Zubair Museum. We also had some time to visit the Muttrah Souq with its silver crafts shops, perfumes, souvenirs etc.

We were then taken to the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah which is siutated about 15 minutes drive from Muttrah Corniche and has a stunning view over the Bay and Gulf of Oman. The resort has 3 hotels and is spread over 124 acres. Our group enjoyed a casual lunch by the pool at the Al Bandar resort and enjoyed the opportunity to cool down with a swim and cocktails to celebrate our arrival in Oman! We all refreshed for dinner at the Al Tahnoor Restaurant hosted by Omani Tourism which was the best buffet I think I have ever seen, before a stroll around the resort to walk off our enormous meal!

Day 4 - The Mountain of the Sun - Full Day Nizwa & Jebel Shams tour - Orient Tours (Explore Holidays)
Today we took a drive back into Muscat to visit the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque before heading out to Nizwa & Jebel Shams.

Day 5 - Desert & Wadi - Full day Safari Whahiba & Wadi bani Khalid (4WD)- Orient Tours (Explore Holidays)
Our group took 2 4WD's to head out into the Hajar Mountains and the town of Ibra and Wadi Bani Khalid, one of Oman's most beautiful wadi's famous for its green oasis, eater pools and deep canyons. We then headed off to Al Wasil in the Wahiba sands to the Desert Nights Camp, the only 5 star desert camp in Oman.

Day 6 - Muscat

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