Thursday 12
Catch the final day of a sale: Fashion store Mango has been holding a mega sale on all items for the last month or so, and the last day of the sale is today. So, if you want the chance to indulge in a few items from last season’s line of stylish women’s clothing at lower than usual prices, this is your last chance.
Mango, Al Wahda Mall (02 443 7270)
Take an Audio Tonic: With DJs Mr Mr, Soulfisher, Vas Floyd and Raxon delivering a line-up of some of the biggest house tunes of the moment, the now well established Audio Tonic sessions at Saadiyat Island’s ultra-plush Sea Lounge is definitely one of the unmissable fixtures this season.
Entry is free. Sea Lounge, Monte-Carlo Beach Club (02 656 3500)
See the Scissor Sisters: The Scissor Sisters are the last word in catchy tunes and funky beats, and when they come to the capital you’d better feel like dancing if you don’t want to miss out. Have you bought your ticket yet? If not you’d better do it now – why are you still reading this?
General admission tickets are Dhs295, www.thinkflash.ae
Listen to some R&B: Marques Houston is an R&B artist and actor with a relatively small but dedicated following, and his concerts are always a blast. If you like some blues in your rhythm, get your tickets now and enjoy a great time at one of the cooler clubs in the capital – Enigma at Al Raha Beach Resort.
Tickets are Dhs150 and available from www.timeouttickets.com
Friday 13
Have a minty beverage brunch: With unlimited Cuban minty beverages and bubbly, as well as a more than decent selection of food, The Garden at Crowne Plaza could be a fine choice for your brunching needs.
Dhs185 per person, The Garden, Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi, www.cpauhoutlets.com (02 616 6838)
Enjoy brunch with a difference: Assymetri restaurant offers an extremely varied spread, with live cooking stations preparing food from sushi to Arabic favourites. If you want to know your food is as fresh as it gets, this is definitely worth the price of admission.
Dhs150-200, 12.30pm-4pm, Radisson Blu Hotel, Abu Dhabi Yas Island (02 656 2000)
Go nuts! One-stop-shop for all your party-organising needs, The big Moo are organising a unique outdoor event called Go Nuts 2012. Contests, entertainers, food, soft-drinks and shisha are all part of the package.
Dhs180 for adults, Dhs90 for Children, nannies and children under 3 get in free.
The Garden at One to One Hotel – the Village, Al Salam Street (02 495 2000)
Check out Bar Mostro: With the Volvo Ocean race in town for only a little longer, why not enjoy arguably the best view of the Abu Dhabi skyline, whilst sipping a refreshing beverage and reclining on a bean-bag chair in the cool winter air? We wish Bar Mostro could be open all year round.
PUMA Social Club, Volvo Ocean Race Destination Village, Corniche Breakwater
Saturday 14
Get pampered: With the start of a new year you might feel the want to freshen up your look a little. At the luxurious Mosaic Nails & Spa, you can get an excellent mani-pedi, along with a wealth of Oriental and Moroccan bath treatments to spoil yourself that little bit more. You’ll come out looking and feeling like a million dirhams.
Mosaic Nails & Spa, Karama Street, Al Karama (02 445 9660)
Join a photo community: Gulf Photo Plus is an online photography community which holds regular courses and workshops for beginners and more experienced snappers. If need a little extra incentive, or perhaps you want to get some feedback on your work, then join up and share your passion.
www.gulfphotoplus.com (04 360 2365)
Be bewildered: Changing Rooms is an exciting and unusual exhibition at Manarat Al Saadiyat. Exploring ambiguity, disorientation and the power of perception, this exhibition is great if you want to challenge your assumptions about the world around you.
Gardens of Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island (02 643 5781)
Fire a rifle: The Caracal Shooting Club offers you the chance to fire a high-powered weapon in a safe and controlled environment. With a 25m shooting range, it’s exhilarating fun.
Armed Forces Officers’ Club and Hotel, Al Maqtaa, www.caracalshooting.ae (02 441 6404)
Sunday 15
Zumba! Does working out feel like a chore? Well our theory is that everything is fun when put to a Latin beat. Zumba is a worldwide fitness craze that combines a great workout with fun dance moves.
Classes available every Sunday and Tuesday. 7pm to 8pm, Crowne Fitness, Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi (02 616 6200)
Get some kids books: It can be hard to get children to read a good old-fashioned book these days, with all the other forms of entertainment on offer. If you want to remedy the situation, pop down to Al Bateen Children’s Library, where children from five to 15 are catered for.
www.adach.ae (02 657 6034)
Try the Y-Bar: With its stylish red-brick walls, tasteful decor, televised sports and breezy outdoor area, the Y-Bar is a great place to have a laid-back night out. As a bonus, their Scotch eggs are delicious.
Happy Hour 6pm to 9pm, Yas Island Rotana, www.rotana.com (02 656 4000)
Buy a new handbag: It’s a new year, a time for reinventing yourself and your look. Why not accessorise your way to fabulousness with a flash handbag? The new Suzy Smith collection, available at Lifestyle stores, caters to most every taste.
Lifestyle, Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi Breakwater (02 681 2310)
Monday 16
Enjoy fresh food: Try the hottest new organic food station in Abu Dhabi. Slices offers sandwiches, assorted snacks and freshly squeezed fruit juice. It’s a healthy alternative to the coffee shops that are all over the capital – and no less indulgent.
Slices, Al Mamoura, Muroor Road, Abu Dhabi, www.slices.ae
Go kayak fishing: We’ve mentioned kayaking before on this list, and we’ve recommended fishing as an enjoyable day out. How does the idea of doing both at the same time strike you? Catch a whopper with the water only inches below you.
Noukhada Adventure Company, Al Meena, Meena Street, (050 721 8928)
Knock down some pins: Bowling is great fun. Put on some silly shoes, pick the right ball for you and vent your frustrations on ten defenceless pins. What a wholesome way to spend an afternoon.
Bowling City, Al Mariah Mall, Al Markaziyah (02 676 0444)
Go to the Yacht Club: With an achingly cool look, a pleasant waterside setting and some really good food, this place has a little of everything. That said, don’t just stand mesmerised by the silent movies projected on the wall; mingle!
InterContinental Abu Dhabi (02 666 6888)
Tuesday 17
Have happy hour at Cho Gao: This classy South-East Asian restaurant, with a pleasant lounge/bar is a great place to chill out, enjoy some beverages, and maybe have some delicious Peking duck.
Happy Hour 4pm-7pm, Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi, Al Markaziyah, (02 616 6149)
Get the kids climbing: Hidden away in Abu Dhabi mall, Kidoos may not be the biggest kids’ zones in the capital, but it’s climbing wall is a unique attraction that your children will love. A great place to bring a budding adventurer.
Abu Dhabi Mall, (02 645 9070)
Enjoy a cheap and cheerful treat: Kwality is a decent little Indian restaurant hidden in Salam Street. It’s not the most glamorous place, but the food is good and the prices are more than reasonable, and as far as we’re concerned that’s the most important thing.
Kwality, Al Salam Street, Al Markaziyah (02 672 7337)
Play touch footy: The Abu Dhabi Harlequins Coopers Touch Series is beginning its Winter Leg. This great sport for the whole family to get into with players old and young, male and female on the same team.
www.abudhabiquins.com (050 257 1139)
Wednesday 18
Paint with the sun: Solar printing is one of the precursors to modern photography and involves covering materials in light-sensitive chemicals and leaving them exposed to the sun, creating beautiful, often haunting images. Workshops in this unique art form are being offered to teens with artistic tendencies as part of Emirati Expressions. Places are limited so book now.
4.30-6pm, Manarat al Saadiyat (02 406 1400)
Have cake and coffee: Al Finjan is an attractive café in the lobby of one of the older hotels in the capital. If you’re in the area and feeling peckish, this is as good a place as any to rest your tired legs.
Le Méridien, Tourist Club Area (02 644 6666)
Have a massage: Sheraton Abu Dhabi is offering a very tempting deal for January, with discounts on Thai Massages, with 50 minute sessions available at Dhs185 instead of the usual Dhs250, and 80 minute sessions for Dhs205 instead of the usual Dhs290.
Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort (02 697 0270)
Try North Italian Cuisine: Give your palate an education by sampling the new menu at Bice, featuring 14 new dishes, from a yummy salmon tartare to risottos.
Bice, Hilton Abu Dhabi (02 681 1900)
