Bored of the cinema and trawling the malls? Then break out of the ordinary and try something different
Unlock your inner Sherlock
You’d think that being locked in a room with colleagues or friends for an hour would be a disaster waiting to happen. But Challenge Chambers makes it a fun experience and you’ll walk out laughing and recapping the past hour.
We can’t tell you much about Challenge Chambers because that would spoil the surprise – but what we can tell you is that you and your team of up to five players will walk into a room and have to decipher a series of clues in order to find your way out.
There are three experiences: The Mystery Challenge, The Escape Challenge and Trapped, which is a 30-minute teaser. Each room has a different story – think kidnappings and murder mysteries.
You’ll be racing against the clock, too – no pressure but some people break out in 30 minutes.
Starting from AED 100 per person. Over 10s only. Third floor, Al Wahda Mall extension. Sun-Wed 10.30am-9pm, Thu-Sat 10.30am-10.30pm. Contact: 02 445 2522 www.challengechambers.com/AUH/
Take a couple’s massage class
Want to impress your partner with master massage skills? Then try the couple’s massage lessons at Zen the Spa.
A therapist will teach you and your partner essential techniques as you take turns giving each other a massage – expect plenty of giggles and awkward strokes along the way. You can also learn lingo like sweeping, palm and thumb slides and effleurage – a technique that skims the surface of your skin.
The massage covers the back and legs, and you can choose a 90-minute or two-hour session. From AED 600. Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi, next to Abu Dhabi Mall. Contact: 02 697 9333 [email protected]
Learn to scuba dive
Okay, Abu Dhabi’s underwater life may not rival that of Australia or the Maldives but it’s a great place to learn to dive as the water is usually calm and you’re not likely to come across a great white shark – although there have been sightings of whale sharks and sting rays.
There are various dive centres around town that offer courses by certified masters
from PADI – the Professional Association of Diving Instructors – but we recommend
Al Mahara Diving Center.
You’ll start with the four-day PADI Open Water Diver course, on which you’ll read
the textbook, watch DVDs and take a few quizzes all in your own time, before completing skills in a pool and then in open water.
Not ready to take the plunge? Discover Scuba Diving is a good way to test the water before committing to a full course.
Dive centres will provide all of the gear from the tank right down to the mask so you don’t have to shell out for any equipment.
Discover Scuba Diving from AED 525, Open Water Diver $130 (AED 477) for e-learning material plus AED 2,050 for training. Contact: 02 643 7377. www.divemahara.com
Soar over the sea
Ever seen the film The Rocketeer? Well you won’t be flying around the skies with a jetpack strapped to your back like its lead character, but when you flyboard you will feel like you’re flying.
You’ll strap your feet into a wakeboard-type unit, which is connected via a 50ft tube to a Jet Ski. Thousands of gallons of water are then blasted from the unit, propelling you skyward.
The team at Flyboards UAE will adjust your position to keep you upright, before teaching you turns, dives and spins. It will take several attempts to get comfortable, but once you’re up, it’s like riding a bicycle… sort of.
AED 300 for 30-minute session, AED 500 for one hour. Cassells Ghantoot Resort. Contact: 050 123 4611 www.flyboards-uae.com
Walk on air
Don’t have the guts to dive out of a plane? Then consider giving indoor skydiving a try.
Abu Dhabi Country Club is home to Spacewalk, the capital’s only indoor skydiving facility. You don’t need any previous experience, as you’ll start with a quick training session in the classroom.
You then head to a vertical wind tunnel where you stand in a doorway, lean forward and let the wind lift you up. The instructor stands with you in the flight chamber correcting your position so don’t worry about falling – but if you do, there’s a net to catch you.
The sessions are suitable for people under 85kg, aged three or over.
From AED 180 for intro ticket including two one-minute flights to AED 1,700 for party package. Abu Dhabi Country Club, Al Saada Street, Al Mushrif. Daily noon-9pm. Contact: 02 657 7601 www.adcountryclub.com
Fly a jumbo jet
If you’ve always wondered what it’s like to control a jumbo jet, you need to check out iPilot. You can sit in the cockpit of an Airbus A 380, the world’s biggest plane, for a flight simulator experience. Take off and land at your choice of over 24,000 airports around the world including Hong Kong’s former Kai Tak Airport and the Dutch island of St Maarten.
No previous flying experience is necessary, as you’ll be guided by a trained pilot. You can choose a 15, 30, 60 or 90-minute flight, change the weather conditions or practise an emergency situation.
From AED 349 to AED 1,499. Yas Mall, Yas Island. Sat-Wed 10am-10pm, Thu-Fri 10am-midnight. Contact: 050 507 5660 www.flyipilot.ae
Vertical flex
They say vertical flex – or pole training – is an awesome workout and after trying it for ourselves we have to agree.
Expressions of Dance & Drama recently introduced the class, which takes place at One to One Hotel. We’ll admit, we were apprehensive at the thought of pole training but the instructor put us at ease.
You’ll start with a warm up to limber up and stretch your muscles. You then take to the pole, where you can try various moves from the chair to the crab. The class ends with a choreographed routine that combines the moves.
You might end up with a few bruises the next day, but it’s worth it because the class is fun and a great way to sculpt your core muscles and upper body.
AED 100 for one hour, advanced registration required. Ladies only. Tue 7.15pm or 8.15pm. One to One Hotel – The Village, Salam Street. Contact: 02 493 0115
www.expressions-dance.net
Block n’ roll
Every since Abu Dhabi Roller Derby hit the scene, the group has been gaining more derby girls who are keen to work out, have fun and meet new people.
In a nutshell, roller derby sees two teams of women skate in the same direction around a track. Games are made up of jams, where a designated jammer from each team tries to pass opposing team members to score points. The other team tries to block the opposing team’s jammer from getting past while making room for their own.
Derby girls have quite the reputation for being rough but we can tell you from experience this group of gals is great fun, and welcomes new team members with open arms.
The group practises on Sundays and Wednesdays at du Forum from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. You’ll need skates, a helmet, wrist guards and elbow and kneepads – but you can loan gear from the group.
Free. To find out more search for Abu Dhabi Roller Derby on Facebook.
