Santoshi Shetty
- Feb 9, 2017
- 7 min read

First trip of 2017 with VISIT ABU DHABI!

It's been a month already! Damn! I've been extremely excited about sharing my first travel story of 2017 which was Abu Dhabi with Visit Abu Dhabi tourism. Truly a great start to my year, these trips drive me to do more of what I'm already doing, learn extensively & keep myself positive & ready for what's coming ahead! Exploring different places, experiencing different cultures & meeting people from all around the world is the whole essence and purpose of travel.

The first day of my trip was quite interesting. My drive from the airport to the hotel was full of fog. I checked in at S t. Regis Hotel, Abu Dhabi & got some time to myself to laze around before I decided to head out and explore the beautiful property; along with Yas Marina Circuit, which was my plan for the day. What really amazed me, though, was the fog outside my window! Before I stepped out, it took me a while to detach myself from the window. It was that magical. Everything was full of fog, the only view I got was just the top part of the buildings! I feel really grateful to experience such things, which is exactly what I like about traveling. You go with a mind set, and you end up experiencing some beautiful things that you would have never even thought you would feel!

WEARING: Bomber Jacket - Nasty Gal, Bottoms - KOOVS, Shoes - Converse

View from the 36th floor

I was supposed to have lunch at the hotel and ended up cheating on my diet by taking a plunge into the nicely set buffet with a very extensive main course, loads of desserts and mostly a wide variety of options to choose from. The hotel was fancy and considering it being a renowned and appreciated one, I was not surprised to see their excellence in service and the warm hospitality. We headed to Yas Marina Circuit which turned out to be one of the best experiences I possibly had in Abu Dhabi! I have always been fascinated with car racing video games since childhood and I was always obsessed with winning the race. Like most girls I played with Barbie but at the same time I dreamt of driving a sexy car and reaching the finish line first. So the anticipation of sitting in the Mercedes Amg was driving me crazy. Even though I didn’t really get to drive the car myself, the whole ride was exhilarating, fast and full of speed.

This done, I returned to the hotel and through a tunnel from St. Regis we entered a beach club called the Nation Riviera Beach Club. The weather was pleasant and that helped me relax and unwind completely. There was a slight breeze and at times it even got a little chilly. The location was something that added to the appeal; not being a conventional beach place, I could sit and enjoy my cup of coffee while also observing the building and taking in the architecture. The hotel houses multiple restaurants and cafés for you to choose from. I picked a classy and authentic Italian place for my dinner Villa Toscana that claimed to be serving hand crafted recipes from Italy! I ordered a mushroom risotto and a pizza and it was the perfect end to the day! It was just as delicious as I expected it to be and I was left content and happy.

WEARING: Top - Boutique (Singapore), Bottoms - F21, Boots - Asos

The next day begin with a scrumptious breakfast at the hotel followed by a trip to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. This is a place which you absolutely need to visit, while in Abu Dhabi. I visited this place for the third time and I was just as happy and appreciative of the beauty and its majestic appeal, as I was when I visited it for the first time. It was peaceful and serene. I know these are two adjectives which are extremely over used for a religious place. But it goes beyond the words and the description; the feel of the place is something I could never put down on paper. It’s stark white, carved beautifully and the domes add to the royalty of the place.

WEARING: Top - F21, Bottoms - KOOVS, Boots - F21, Stole - Shirrin

A total contrast to this visit was followed by my short visit to the YAS Viceroy Hotel at YAS Island. We lunched at this hotel and must say it was so delicious that I ended up having a little of everything. Right from the appetizers, to desserts, to a cup of coffee, I had them all.

Post lunch we headed to Marina Mall, which was near my hotel and was full of shopping and guilty pleasures! I shopped to my heart’s content and spent some quality time by myself as I took a quiet stroll back to the hotel with a great waterfront view along the way.

WEARING: Top - F21, Bottoms - KOOVS, Boots - F21, Stole - Shirrin

The next POA was a dinner at the Emirates Palace. Now Emirates Palace is a place I have always wanted to visit, being an architecture student and also having tremendous interest in the history of this hotel. The hotel is iconic and set the tone for a fabulous dinner ahead. Consisting of almost 92 VIP suites and magnificent rooms that overlook the dunes, this hotel boasts of state of the art technology combined with ultimate luxury. I chose a Lebanese place Mezlai for dinner that had open air seating and candle lights that changed the ambience from pretty and classy to exude romance and calm your senses while you took in the enormity of the Palace. The weather was the cherry on the cake! It was cool, kept us on our toes and relaxed our body entirely. I got a hotel tour following my dinner, taking me to the best suites and rooms available across the world. I will never forget the grandeur of the Palace and the majestic rooms with their top notch service. It was a check on my bucket list to be there, out and about, casually strolling around the royal Emirates Palace Hotel. I almost had to pinch myself to believe where I was.

WEARING: Top - F21, Bottoms - F21, Boots - Asos, Coat - Tailored

The last day started with a breakfast and some hard core chilling at the St. Regis. I was sad about leaving this hotel, but super excited to see what lay ahead on this trip. We left the hotel by car and it took me an hour to reach the next destination. Now I have already been to Abu Dhabi twice and Desert Safari and the dunes was something I had already had the chance to see. But there is something magical about travelling to a different place and letting your mind float, your body and senses relax and just taking in the beauty that every new destination brings with it. I checked in at Telal Al Ain Resort which was not exactly at the heart of the city, but a little on the outskirts. A beautiful property with a huge background of the Emirates, with heavy and rich history to back it up, the place boasted of treating its guests with a dose of entertainment and culture. The USP of this place was the infinity pool which overlooked a desert, unlike the conventional pools that give a view of the ocean. I found that incredibly fascinating and it held my attention for a long, long time. :D

I was waiting to take a dip in this pool and the desert view kept coming up in my mind till I finally took the plunge! The swimming was also accompanied by the setting sun and the entire sand was shining beautifully till the sun finally set and I finally got out of the pool!

The resort had a place that extended to a bonfire, with a view of the desert. I sat at the place thinking of all those things I did in 2016 & what I plan to do this year. It was a perfect spot for me to sit and visualise things; it was surreal to be sitting there while I watched the twigs crackle up on the flames. I had a couple of people with me who kept me company at the bonfire. The warmth of the fire felt good on the body and since we were well fed and well taken care of, I had the happiest glow on my face!

The last day was a day filled with activities like camel rides and fat biking, which I ended up skipping completely. :P

I can be extremely lazy if I choose to and the third day got the whole brunt of it. I wanted to sit back and have a day filled with absolute peace and inactivity. Taking a good look around at the Telal Resort was on the cards and I did just that!

I had a lot of people from my family and friends asking me why I did not choose to go to Ferrari World or the million other places one can go to when they visit AbuDhabi. And my answer is plain and simple. I have been here twice before, which rules out a lot of places for me to visiting again. I especially made it a point to revisit the Grand Mosque, that being a place of serenity and something that I really intended to go to. But the entire trip proved to be a great and fantastic start to 2017. It gave me a lot more energy that will help me to perform and keep pushing myself to achieve better and bigger targets not just throughout this year, but for the rest of my life. Travel is essential for your mind, body and soul. It realigns your mind with your body, soul and reinforces positivity. I bank on travel a lot to keep my energies high and running for the rest of the year. Abu Dhabi was one such trip. It has beautiful architecture and yet a lot of the modern restaurants and cafes keep the place alive and buzzing with young vivacious crowds. Abu Dhabi is underrated and deserves a complete stay of 5 to 7 days to explore the city in its entirety. I hope you enjoy the pictures. The pictures will give you a glance into my stay and my beautiful visit to Abu Dhabi! :)