Day trip to Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is about a 2 hour bus ride from Dubai and makes for an interesting day trip. Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE and seems a quieter and younger city than the bolder Dubai but has many projects in progress and planned for the future.
The scenery on the trip is often barren desert and once your pass over the so called border into Abu Dhabi you notice large plantings of trees. Apparently over a million trees have been planted so far to help the environment.
A new development is being built on a 27 square km natural island just of Abu Dhabi that will become Abu Dhabi's cultural hub with new Guggenheim and Louvre galleries being built. Also being built on the island is the Zayed National Museum that will showcase the regions history and the unification of the Emirates.
Abu Dhabi also plays host to the Grand Prix and has a purpose built track has constructed out on an island called Yas Island which also contains theme parks and hotels. We had afternoon tea at the hotel that has the Grand Prix track running through the middle of the hotel.

The road from Dubai to Abu Dhabi

Almost as many billboards of Sheik Mohammed as the King of Thailand has

New skyscrapers

The city skyline from the cultural village

Spices in the local souk

The Grand Prix track runs through the middle of the Viceroy hotel

Practise laps while we we having afternoon tea