Stay At:The Shangri-La Hotel
A mere 10 minutes from the airport, the 8.5-hectare (21-acre) Shangri-La is about as far removed from the standardised city hotel as you can imagine. Planted on a 1km stretch of private beach, the 214-room, five-star hotel boasts not only an unprecedented view across the straits towards the Grand Mosque (Abu Dhabi is part mainland, part island), but an internal creek, on which abras (water taxis) transport you from reception to your room.
Shangri-La Hotel
10am: Cross the river (via the bridge) to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Its size alone is breathtaking (22,412 sq metres to be exact) and, apart from being a spectacular place of worship, it houses the world's largest hand-made carpet, which is more exciting than it sounds: woven by 1,200 specialists in Iran, its valued at around £5m. Free guided tours at 10am every morning except Fridays.
Abu Dhabi
11am: Hit the beach before it gets too hot; in the summer it will already be 30C and rising by 11am, so early morning or late evening are your best times to visit. Try the Corniche Beach, which has lifeguards, a host of cafes and shops on its walkway. Visits costs just AED 5 (£0.90) each.
12pm: Tour the edges of the city by jetski. Empros Watersports runs a two-hour tour along the Corniche and out to the lush mangrove swamps – a part of the emirate sadly often overlooked by mall-loving tourists (don't worry, we're going shopping soon). A two-hour tour of Abu Dhabi costs AED 560 (£99) – AED 280 per jetski per hour.
Empros Watersports
2pm: Late lunch at Hakkasan
The Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant has only recently opened its doors at the opulent Emirates Palace hotel, and while this offering definitely nods towards its London counterpart, it also has some UAE-only specials, such as Peking duck with Royal Beluga caviar.
Emirates Palace hotel
4pm: Find the world's first gold bullion vending machine: it's in the Emirates Palace hotel, and dispenses either 5g or 10g gold bars according to a price determined by the built-in computer that tracks the international gold market. While at the Emirates Palace, gain an insight into Arabic culture by viewing the changing exhibitions in Gallery One.
Emirates Palace hotel
5pm: Shopping!
With everything from Burberry and Dior to Valentino and Chanel, Marina Mall is everything a fashionista could look for, and more. If you have cash to splash in S*uce – AED 28,705 (£5,069) to be precise – treat yourself to an 18-carat-gold diamond ring from bespoke jeweller Ola & K. Or, if you've had your fill of window shopping, jump in a cab and head for the Liwa centre. Just behind it, between Hamdan Street and Sheikh Zayed, 2nd Street is a haven of dinky shops selling every kind of knick-knack you can imagine – perfect for gifts to take home.
Marina Mall
Or, if you're curious to see the future of Abu Dhabi, head out to Manarat Al Saadiyat (the purpose-built 15,400 sq metre visitor centre in the middle of the Saadiyat Island Cultural District), to see large-scale models of how the capital will finally look when developers finish tinkering with it. Make a beeline straight for the touch screen that lets you explore the life of Sheikh Zayed – there's enough to keep you occupied for hours. This dedicated exhibition centre also includes architectural designs and concepts behind museums such as the Norman Foster-designed Zayed National Museum, Louvre Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, which are all in development.
Saadiyat Island Cultural District
7pm: It's back to the Shangri-La and the oriental-themed Chi spa (the No 1 destination for a spot of pampering). Enjoy the Arabic coffee scrub and rose and honey body wrap, before having easily the best massage in town – perfect after a hard day's shopping.
Shangri-La hotel
9pm: Yas Island is on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi (think Windsor to London) but is already known on the world stage, thanks to the Yas Marina F1 racetrack. It's free to the public on Tuesdays (to walk or cycle around only), or you can pay AED 7,500 (£1,300) for a two-lap blast in custom-built two-seater F1 race car.
Yas Marina Circuit
10pm: With its iconic fishing-net roof, views of the marina and racetrack and sumptuous range of restaurants, the Yas Hotel is the perfect location for almost anything – stay here, eat here, or just wander around aimlessly – you'll never get bored. However, we recommend the "whodunit package" – a murder-mystery evening (F1-themed), with three courses, half a bottle of wine and an overnight stay. Not bad for AED 880 (£155) per person.
Yas Hotel
NEXT TIME YOU VISIT:
Come 28 October, you can head to Ferrari World. Hailed as the world's biggest indoor theme park, it will boast F1 Ferrari simulators, the world's fastest rollercoaster (you'll need goggles, it's that quick) and a museum containing "some of the most significant race and road cars ever made".
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
Conversions are approximate and at the rate of AED 1 = £0.18
