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Travelers can kayak around the Louvre Abu Dhabi at sunrise and sunset

Sep 9, 2020

2 MIN READ
The Louvre Abu Dhabi © Lindsey Parry / Lonely Planet

The Louvre Abu Dhabi © Lindsey Parry / Lonely Planet

Lauren Keith

Writer

Kansas City, MO

I'm a US/UK-based freelance travel writer and guidebook author specializing in off-the-beaten-track and underloved places from the Midwest to the Middle East. For several years, I worked as Lonely Planet’s editor for Middle East and North Africa, and I continue to travel the region widely, from scouting out traces of the Islamic empire on the southernmost tip of Spain to walking alongside nomads in the remote mountains of Iran. Originally from Kansas, I also lived in Germany for a year and …
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There’s now an even more beautiful way to explore the serene turquoise waters that surround the Louvre Abu Dhabi: local adventure outfitter Sea Hawk is offering hour-long weekend kayak tours at sunrise and during the evening ‘golden hour’ just before sunset.

"Sea Hawk and Louvre Abu Dhabi decided to launch tours at sunrise and sunset as this is a popular time for recreational activities within the region," Nikki Andrew, Sea Hawk’s Director of Sales and Marketing, told Lonely Planet Travel News. "At dusk and dawn the skies around The Louvre transform to include dusky pinks and vibrant orange hues. It makes the perfect background to take in the Middle East's most spectacular museum."

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The Louvre Abu Dhabi © Lindsey Parry / Lonely Planet
The Louvre Abu Dhabi © Lindsey Parry / Lonely Planet

Designed by Pritzker Prize–winning French architect Jean Nouvel, Louvre Abu Dhabi opened to great fanfare at the end of 2017. The gallery, which bills itself the Middle East’s first ‘universal museum’, contains a world-class collection that traces humanity's artistic achievements from the Neolithic up to the present day grouped by theme and time instead of by geographic location.

Unsurprisingly, the Louvre Abu Dhabi building itself is a work of art, and the geometric domed roof is a particular highlight. The design layers lattices of nearly 8000 metal stars, which filter sunlight to create a ‘rain of light’ that scatters across the interior, meant to evoke the feeling of walking through the labyrinthine alleyways of the medina, the ancient neighbourhoods found at the heart of cities across the Middle East and North Africa.

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In addition to its daily tours, Sea Hawk also runs full moon kayaking sessions, so you can see the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s gleaming white exterior glowing under the bright lunar light. The company provides life jackets, guides, water bottles and changing areas, and the tours are open to all fitness levels ages six and older.

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