Decadence in the Desert

While Dubai is the jewel in the crown of the United Arab Emirates, the other smaller and less glitzier Emirates are fast catching up. The closest to Dubai as a destination of contrasting elements is cosmopolitan Abu Dhabi, a place where mosques rub shoulders with modern museums. This capital city showcases a wonderful array of cuisine and a vibrant contemporary art scene. The other independent city-states in the UAE offer a wealth of amazing cultural and adventure experiences – across city, desert, and sea. They include artistic Sharjah, sunny Ajman, a beautifully rugged Ras Al Khaimah, quiet Umm Al Quwain and the busy port of Fujairah. The Emirates may be world-class recreational destinations, but beyond beyond the glitz and glamor lies a rich history, culture and traditions, found in the mesmeric dunes of endless desert framed by distant mountains, where a slower-paced Bedouin way of life is still the order of the day.