Also known as “Expat central”, the area of Khalidiyah boasts a host of vibrant attractions, of which its eponymous garden is simply one brilliant takeaway. Park yourself at a stylish Abu Dhabi hotel to make the most of your experience here, and the Grand Millennium Al Wahda is one example of a splendid hotel Abu Dhabi UAE has to offer you. A rather close knit community exists in Khalidiyah, largely comprising of expatriates who have made the area home when on assignment here, on long term or short term stints. The lush environs of the Khalidiyah Garden are a welcome oasis to relax and unwind within, as a getaway from the harsh desert climes that peak during noon, extremely so in the summer months. Drop by the Abela Supermarket (a life saver for the expatriates as it features all the comforts of home) and pick up a few items for a peaceful picnic beneath the trees as you watch the whizzing crowds flow past the park. People watching is a fun sport here, especially since nowhere else in Abu Dhabi are people consciously on foot, connecting with the earth that raised them. This area is profoundly pedestrian-friendly, so savour those moments. All this happy foot traffic means that parking is challenging to say the least, with cabs being more valuable than diamonds on weekends. But if you’d rather be inside an air conditioned mall, sipping on a latte and checking up on email, then Khalidiyah offers easy access to the city’s bustling downtown area, where soaring steely towers carve the skyline in shards.
Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.