"Why Abu Dhabi?" did most of our friends ask us when we told them we would be spending the holidays there.  People usually know Dubai, the more flamboyant and better known Emirates neighbor.

Here are the reasons why we chose Abu Dhabi :

"Father of the Gazelle" is the literal translation of Abu Dhabi.  The legend tells the story of a gazelle lost in the desert and found on an island of the Arabian Gulf. Abu Dhabi has been strongly identified with “oil” since the 1960s. Today, it is a mix of modernity and tradition: skyscrapers, new neighborhoods, a Formula 1 track on Yas Island with the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi area, the Yas waterworld and, recently, the Warner Bros attraction park, the monumental Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in all its oriental splendor; A beautiful culture, with the Louvre by Jean Nouvel, and soon the Guggenheim.

Fiercely guarded customs, a special sense of hospitality; An engaging coffee ceremony and mesmerizing falcon shows. Finally, a generous nature, the safari on Sir Bani Yas Island, the magnificent desert of Qasr Al Sarab, especially at dawn. If people have a fiesta in Dubai, they come to see its big sister Abu Dhabi for nature, culture and finally a certain calm.