Abu Dhabi: high-rises and no hills, crazy traffic roadworks, green parks and valet parking. And a coastline that most of us get to experience (if at all) by paddling in the shallows. But half of the Emirate is on the sea, and most of us never experience it.

So the new year finds me on a mission to seek out what this picturesque city offers beyond malls, restaurants and clubs. Last Friday I forced myself out of bed at an unaccustomed hour to hop on board one of Belevari’s boats for a day’s sailing complete with BBQ, drinks, and fun in the sun on a modest yet cosy houseboat (one of the simpler seaborne excursions Belevari offers: see www.belevari.com).

What made this trip so great – apart from Captain Berend’s charm, his laidback boat-dwelling friends and signature Lulu Island Ice Teas – was pulling up at Lulu Island itself and finding it still open to the public. There's a hint at building work in one corner of the place, and the ferry boats from the marina have been cancelled for many months, but the beach is still there and still accessible.

I don’t know about you, but I like a peaceful spot on the sand where I can bask without having to worry about getting hit by a football. This was only one cool part of a seriously amazing afternoon in the company of complete strangers – plunging into cool, crystal-clear waters beyond Lulu via the boat slide, helping make chicken burgers on deck, offering up an iPod full of Beatles tracks and psychedelic rock to the speakers, sharing some of the most breathtaking views available of the rapidly expanding cityscape.

There are a lot of people out there trying to make friends in the capital (including me). There are also loads of opportunities for meeting potential BFFs. But this was by far the easiest – probably because being out at sea all day means you have little choice but to get to know the sunblocked passenger next to you. There’s something bliss-inducing in the wind and the sybaritic lifestyle, and you’ll have half a dozen new contacts on your mobile by the time you return to the dock. Even though you’re getting further away from it geographically, somehow this is the perfect way to experience Abu Dhabi.