This is another guest post by Neha Singh.
Abu Dhabi has never been content to sit back and be the capital of the United Arab Emirates. No – rather, it’s an ambitious city brimming with youthful energy to expand and diversify and be known as the capital of entertainment, and based on what we know now, the capital of Romance too! So what does Abu Dhabi have that’ll get your hearts racing? How about romantic desert safaris just the two of you, sleeping blissfully under the stars on a dark dune? How about hot air balloon rides over the desert and city, holding hands? There are any number of romantic things to do in Abu Dhabi and we’re only just getting started.
1. Desert Dinner And Romantic Night
How about an ultra-swanky dinner for two in the middle of the Empty Quarter desert? A dinner attended by your private butler, set amidst majestic rolling dunes under a starry sky is just the ticket to bring you both closer together. Indulge in decadent Arabic food just for the two of you, and spend the night under the stars. 
2. Enjoy Tea With A Fabulous View
How about high tea at the Jumeirah at Etihad Towers followed by the chance to enjoy uninterrupted views of the Abu Dhabi skyline and the surrounding waters at Observation Deck at 300? Dip into elegant sandwiches and decadent chocolate cakes and get ready for the wonderful 360-degree views of Abu Dhabi from 300 feet into the sky, the city’s highest vantage point. This is one of the most romantic things to do in Abu Dhabi so don’t miss it! 
3. Go Diving For Pearls!
Only a few remnants of Abu Dhabi’s erstwhile pearl-diving industry survives now, but you can dive for your own pearls on a mangrove tour focussed on finding pearls. Experience this bit of dying Emirati heritage from a traditional Arabic pearling dhow. You will be accompanied by a dive guide, who’ll take you to the best places to find great pearls. Your guide will also demonstrate how to open oysters! Btw, any pearls you find are yours to keep.
4. Picnic On The Corniche
Abu Dhabi isn’t exactly cheap when it comes to vacationing. However, we don’t want you to feel that celebrating love in the UAE can be expensive. So here’s a golden one – how about a totally free, wonderful walk along and picnic on Abu Dhabi’s famous picturesque seafront boardwalk, the Corniche? A lovely sunset stroll on the Corniche, gazing alternatively at the city’s fabulous landmarks and out over the sea and the many guarded beaches is so much fun. There are picnicking areas and plenty of private park areas where you can glean some alone time. Enjoy the manicured beaches and separate pedestrian and cycle paths on this eight kilometre stretch. 
5. Enjoy Ferrari World Together!
If high-octane adrenalin rushes are what you’re after, don’t give Abu Dhabi’s Ferrari World a miss! The world’s fastest rollercoaster, Formula Rossa awaits you with its loops and screaming speeds. Also the world’s loopiest rollercoaster is here to thrill you to bits. Enjoy several rides designed to thrill, and satisfy all your wild intense G-force cravings. Enjoy a friendly go-karting game with your honey, and see who wins! Take a turn at the wheel of a real Ferrari on the race track with an instructor in tow. You’ll never want the day to end at Ferrari World. 
6. Spend A Night At The Cinema
Going to the movies in Abu Dhabi isn’t like anywhere else. It’s all high-end at Novo Cinema, which is a 7-Star movie theatre that offers simply massive reclining chairs, blankets, pillows and a fantastic dining menu on top of it! This theatre literally reinvents the concept of the ‘dinner and a movie’ date. Alternatively, grab seats at Vox Cinemas, Theatre by Rhodes which features food by Chef Gary Rhodes who is Michelin-starred. What’s more, your tickets allow you access to a personal waiter, an exclusive lounge and several other luxuries. 
7. Fly High!
If you’re into flying, here’s another one for you. How about flying over the Sir Bani Yas Island, a conservation reserve that has a vast array of wildlife including hyenas, cheetahs, flamingos and giraffes. For 50 full minutes, you will enjoy flying over the protected island, enjoy views of the wonderful Arabian Gulf on one side and the wildlife on the other. It doesn’t end there – after you land, you can enjoy a four-wheel drive wildlife tour followed by a three-course lunch. 
8. Sunset Sail
There’s something about sunsets and boats that just spell romance. So why not try a sunset sail down Abu Dhabi’s Eastern Mangroves? Hold hands and watch as the sun dips down over the waves and feel the cool breezes as they blow over your boat. Check out a traditional Emirati village as your sail boat passes the UAE Heritage Club, and enjoy fabulous views of the sea on all sides. If you want to make it more romantic, how about chartering the boat for a moonlight dhow cruise along Al Raha Beach? 
9. Enjoy a Hot Air Balloon Ride Over The Desert
Do you fancy floating over the majestic sand dunes of the Arabian Desert on a hot air balloon with your honey? We certainly do! So how about signing up for an early morning, sunrise hot air balloon ride over the desert, spotting gazelles and Oryx through a pair of binoculars? There’s something about being on top of everything that makes you feel a bit like a God, so enjoy every minute of it. 
10. Horseback Riding For Two
Abu Dhabi’s coastal scenery is a romantic saga of winding, paths lined with mangroves. You can explore the mangroves via kayak but here’s something even more romantic. Horseback riding for two! Share the same horse or ride two horses, but take in the blissful scenery from on top of a horse. Trot a bit, canter a bit and stop to share a delectable kiss. If you want, you can even enjoy a riding experience through the protected wildlife reserve at Abu Dhabi. 
Conclusion
There’s no dearth of romantic things that a couple can do and enjoy in Abu Dhabi. The city is not as busy or hurried as Dubai is, and there’s plenty of opportunity to enjoy a laid-back, romantic time with each other, against the backdrop of the wonderfully-blue Arabian Gulf, the mystical red sand dunes of the desert and the pristine blue skies that barely ever see a raincloud. If all of these appeal to you, then head out to Abu Dhabi for the romantic rendezvous of your lifetime.
Wow these are great tips for a romantic vacation in Abu Dhabi. We would love to enjoy a dinner in the desert, or ride a hot air balloon for the fantastic views. But unfortunately same-sex couples are not welcome in the UAE, so we won’t go there as long as they don’t change their laws… But we’ll share your post with the people we know who might want to visit Abu Dhabi. 😉
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Oh wow, would love to do a desert dinner. That really does look romantic. That would be my number one thing to do there (when I get there one day) 🙂
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True, Dinner under the stars is one of the most romantic things to do in Abu Dhabi. Hope you get there soon
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I’ve been to Dubai only and would love to explore Abu Dhabi next time. If I had limitless money, I would in a heartbeat experience this all! Night under the stars, high tea, flying over a wildlife conservation, hot air balloon…gosh so hard to choose only one! I gotta save some blocks of gold starting from now, lol.
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Wow a desert dinner with private butler sounds just amazing for a romantic night. We are huge Ferrari lovers too and love going to F1 races. So Ferrari world will definitely be on our list. Thanks for these recs!
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Abu Dhabi as a romantic destination is least expected, but you have done a great job highlighting the things that are possible as a couple there. My fav of course in hot air balloon ride. Hope to to get there for this.
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Thank you Indrani, I so glad you liked it. 🙂 Hope you get there soon.
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Wow, those are all swanky experiences – might as well go for broke with a loved one in this destination and have the experience of a lifetime.
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Another solid list from Neha. I would love to take a luxury caravan out into the desert. I didn’t know diving for pearls was a thing in Abu Dhabi, either culturally or currently. During our honeymoon in the Bahamas, we heard of a pearl diving island and really wanted to go, only to learn that it was 100% owned and accessed through the cruise lines. We’ll have to pick up this activity somewhere, somehow.
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Thank you Jenn and ED 🙂
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What a great selection of things to do in AD. I have only visited once and never managed to get to the MOsque so would like to return for the mosque but would love to try a bunch of these also.
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Love all these romantic things to do. But most especially that desert dinner! We had one at the beach and high up in the mountains. That desert dinner picture? I’d like to be in it. Plus the hot air ballooning which I haven’t done. Must be awesome in the desert!
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Who would have every thought. These are really good ideas. A couple of them stand out to me including the Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi’s Eastern Mangroves, Horseback Riding and a visit to Ferrari World.
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I loved visiting Abu Dhabi. I think visiting the mosque would have been a great addition as well – its so gorgeous there. The one thing I wish I had did when I was there was the desert – I did not have enough time to visit .
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I’d love to try some of these someday. Like having dinner in the desert with a private butler. Or riding a horse in that blissful scenery. You make Abu Dhabi seem like a dream destination. I never thought about visiting it before, but now you made me want to.
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A romantic dinner in the middle of the Empty Quarter desert sounds incredible – I had no idea that Abu Dhabi was so romantic! Hot air ballooning and horse riding would be incredible ways to spend some romantic time, and thanks for the tip on Sir Bani Yas Island – we’re huge wildlife fans so sounds like a great day trip for us 🙂
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That is a great list of romantic things to do in Abu Dhabi. The desert dinner looks most romantic to me. Other things that attracted me are Sir Bani Yas Islands, sunset sailing, hot air balloon ride, and spending a night at the cinema.
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There are surely so many romantic things to do in Abu Dhabi. The Desert dinner interested me the most. Other interesting things are hot air balloon ride, evening sailing, and spending the night at the cinema.
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I really wan to to go to Abu Dhabi and experience all of these things with my hubby! Especially the Desert Dinner, we did something similar in Dubai, but not on our own. Also the hot air ballon ride and diving for pearls! The one experience my husband would like to do is the Ferrari ride though!
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I had a friend just return from a visit to Dubai. Her pictures were amazing also. This place really looks so incredible and so many things to do! Adding yet another one of your adventures to my list. 😉
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To be honest, I never thought of Abu Dhabi being a romantic place. But the picture of the dinner in the desert proves me so wrong – it’s so, so beautiful! I also can image doing the hot air balloon trip – although I’m afraid of heights. However, I would do that trip rather before dinner…. 😉 Great, interesting post – thanx for sharing!
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There’s so much that you can do in Abu Dhabi, especially with your partner. I think these are beautiful ideas. A hot ai balloon over the dessert is just perfect!
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The ultimate for me would be the hot air balloon ride. Although Justin hates heights. I might have to convince him to get up there with me. I’m a bit afraid too, but I’d be willing to face my fears. Abu Dhabi looks like a very romantic destination, especially for this one half of a couple travel blog!
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I am looking forward to visiting Abu Dhabi, it does look romantic. Just need to find someone to take along haha.
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Desert dinner sound like my ideal date night for sure. #3 seems like an incredibly fun experience too. I guess I gotta start putting up Craigslist ads to find a boyfriend to do all these awesome ideas with hahahaa.
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I have lived in Dubai for more than five years and I have still not explored Abu Dhabi…. I admit going to admit that I have done few of the things you’ve mentioned but still, there is so much more to explore. 🙂
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Now I have to share this post withdraw someone. Abi Dhabi looks like a place I will like to spend my honeymoon, don’t blame me. Is your post. The hot air balloon activity and been on my mind, and it looks so good in the desert. This is a wonderful list, I’m adding Abu Dhabi to my bucket list this year.
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I have never been to Abu Dhabi but it sure does look exquisite. I like the idea of dining out with a view.
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wow!!!!! i love the photos, Abu Dhabi is a very beautiful and nice place to be, can’t wait to be there.
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I so wanna go abu dhabi . It’s a magestic place . I fall in love with it when I saw it in the movie ” sex and the city”. Perfect destination for a holiday .
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Reblogged this on Random Repeat.
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Unfortunately compared to Dubai, Abu Dhabi does not offer too much option. My favorite on this list is dinner under stars.
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That was so cool and first time I see some thing as like romantic. Abu Dhabi is a famous city in the world. There you share some romantic things that was awesome.There the best things is the tea idea.
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