A Day Out on the Water in Abu Dhabi, UAE

Our boat for the day

Captain Billy.

We set off with our friends, Lisa and Billy, for a fun ride around the sea off Abu Dhabi.

We picked up our boat in the marina by the Presidential Palace.

The best thing for me was the unusual view of the city, and the opportunity to photograph the glorious palace as it fronts on to the sea.

The magnificent buildings of the Presidential Palace.

The new Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi is the most beautiful and prestigious building in the UAE. The palace houses the offices of the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, together with the offices of the Vice President, and the Crown Prince.

The tall complex on the right is known as the Etihad Towers. To the left are

the Regent Emirates Pearl and the Millennium Bab al Qasr Hotel.

Our trip along the coast gave us a great view of some of the iconic architecture in Abu Dhabi. I find many of the modern skyscrapers quite fascinating, and I intend doing a project on it, showing the buildings both close-up, and from afar.

After circling the bay, Billy drove us to an area by a beach where we could swim. The water was a beautiful turquoise colour, but very salty, so we tended to float upwards, and it was difficult keeping our feet on the bottom. It was also unusually windy, so we were occasionally smacked by waves.

Enjoying the sea

Clare, floating in the water

We spent some time at the beach, and I decided to try my hand at some minimalist photography, which is becoming very popular at the moment.

 Just how minimalist can you get?

On the way back, we passed this magnificent sailing ship…

…and sailed closer to the Presidential Palace.

We had such a fun time with Billy and Lisa. When we returned, we repaired to the Sheraton Resort, where we had more swimming, lunch, and not a few drinks.  Great day out!

Elizabeth Coughlan