VISIT TO DUBAI/ ABU- DHABI IN DECEMBER 2019.....

I went with my family to Dubai and stayed with my dear cousin in December 2019 and made a day trip to Abu- Dhabi and went to Hatta for kayaking and witnessed the  famous fire works done by  Burj Kalifa on the 31st .

The first visit after landing in Dubai was to Ras- Al- Khor sanctuary famous for its resident Flamingos.

Greater Flamingos

Great Egret

Eurasian Spoonbill

Lesser Flamingo

Grey Heron

This is the direct view from my cousins apartment balcony.

Evening made a trip to The Souk or the old Dubai which is located on the southern side of the creek.

getting about in the Metro which is very effective and punctual and one of the very few trains without drivers.

The 2nd morning we went on an organised day tour to Abu Dhabi.




Ferrari WORLD

Louvre Museum

The Louvre Abu Dhabi is an art and civilization museum, located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The museum was inaugurated on 8 November 2017 by French President Emmanuel Macron and United Arab Emirates Vice President Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The museum is part of a thirty-year agreement between the city of Abu Dhabi and the French government. The museum is located on the Saadiyat Island Cultural District. It is approximately 24,000 square metres (260,000 sq ft) in size, with 8,000 square metres (86,000 sq ft) of galleries, making it the largest art museum in the Arabian peninsula. The final cost of the construction is expected to be about €600 million. In addition, US$525 million was paid by Abu Dhabi to be associated with the Louvre name, and an additional US$747 million will be paid in exchange for art loans, special exhibitions and management advice.

At the Heritage Village..

The Sheikh Zayed Mosque represents a key fixture of the city's architectural patrimony. Its construction was initiated under the administration of the late President HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, a key figure in the foundation of the modern UAE.

The mosque was constructed with materials from countries around the world, including Italy, Germany, Morocco, Pakistan, India, Turkey, Iran, China, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Greece, and the United Arab Emirates. More than 3,000 workers and 38 contracting companies took part in the construction of the mosque. Consideration of durability motivated the choice of many materials specified in the design of the structure. These materials include marble, stone, gold, semi-precious stones, crystals, and ceramics. Construction began on 5 November 1996. The building is large enough to safely contain a maximum of approximately 41,000 people. The overall structure is 22,412 square metres (241,240 square feet). The internal prayer halls were initially opened in December 2007.

As one of the most visited buildings in the UAE, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center was established to manage the day-to-day operations, as a place of worship and Friday gathering and as a center of learning and discovery through its education and visitor programs.

In July 2019, the Grand Mosque was listed amongst the top global attractions by TripAdvisor. As a part of its Travelers Choice Awards, the travel website placed the architectural masterpiece on number three amongst the 750 landmarks considered from 68 different countries.^[48]

On the 3rd morning we went  kayaking at a place called Hatta and the scenery all along was breath taking

 Hatta Kayak is a unique tourist destination in Dubai and UAE.  The vast lake formed by Hatta Dam and its surrounding mountains is  becoming so popular among those who seeks relaxation in a natural place  and looks for a new experience of practicing kayak sport in UAE

We stopped at a public park in Hatta after Kayaking to have breakfast and found some birds.

Indian Roller

Laughing Dove

Masked Shrike

White Eared Bulbul

Pied Wagtail was found in the lawn outside the Louvre Museum

And the fire-works on the 31st night which was mind blowing ...