TO ABU DHABI

Abu Dhabi brings its own brand of culture and tradition to the UAE formula of sparkling waterfront, opulent architecture and desert distractions. A world away from the frenetic bright lights of neighboring Dubai, the capital of the Emirates has fostered a somewhat more genteel pace, pouring huge investment into its extravagant outpost of Paris’s Louvre museum and the breathtaking Sheikh Zayed Mosque. There is excitement — the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is an F1 fixture and theme parks like Ferrari World Abu Dhabi inject some adrenaline — but the best attractions are served at a slower pace: the oasis tranquility of second city Al Ain, the panoramas of Jebel Hafit mountain and the boundless desert dunes of the Rub al Khali Empty Quarter.