For most people, the United Arab Emirates means just one place: Dubai, the sci-fi-esque city of iconic skyscrapers, palm-shaped islands, city-sized malls, indoor ski slopes and palatial beach resorts. But beyond the glitter awaits a diverse mosaic of six more emirates, each with its own character and allure.
We stepped into a world of botanical wonders (🎟️50 AED) and experienced the beauty of over 150 million flowers. The garden covers some 2000 sq meters and is touted as the largest natural flower garden in the world. Once we entered, we felt like Alice in Wonderland; we walked past quirky...
The world’s biggest glow-in-the-dark garden was opened in Zabeel Park in 2015. The $8 million project has different installations illuminated by over 10 million LED lights, creating a mesmerizing spectacle and a world of luminous artistry with breathtaking displays of light and...
We parked at the garage (🅿️10 AED) below The Museum of the Future to admire its fantastic architecture made of stainless steel and glass adorned with poetic Arabic calligraphy. The museum is an engineering marvel and a striking addition to the Dubai skyline. Each part of its design nods...
In the late afternoon, we made a stop at Zabeel Park (🅿️10 AED,🎟️5 AED) to walk around and take photos of a 150m rectangular “picture frame.” It opened in January 2018, right between historic and modern Dubai, and provides grand views of both parts of the city. But we could...
Our first, and for some time, last destination in UAE was Al Ain. We stopped here for a day on the way to Oman. Fed by natural springs and set amid date palm plantations, Al Ain was once a vital pit-stop on the caravan route between Oman and the Gulf and is the birthplace of the United...