Introducing United Arab Emirates
While the United Arab Emirates (UAE) these days appears to be little more than a stage for Dubai to strut its increasingly crazy stuff, there’s far more to this fabulous little federation than Disneyesque dioramas. The UAE is a contradictory destination, an Islamic state where the DJs’ turntables stop spinning just before the muezzins’ morning call to prayer can be heard, and where a traditional Bedouin lifestyle and customs continue alongside a very Western version of rampant consumerism. While many visitors marvel at the fantastic (in the true sense of the word) hotel and real estate projects, the real wonder is how the savvy sheikhs manage to harmonise such disparate and seemingly opposing forces.
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For Western visitors, the UAE is a very safe Middle East destination, with the comforts of home and a taste of the exotic. Here you can max out those credit cards at designer clothes shops, laze on a gorgeous beach and sip a cocktail as you plan which fine dining restaurant to book and which international DJ to dance to until the early morning. On a less hedonistic stay, you can soak up the atmosphere of the heritage areas or the magnificent mountain scenery of Hatta, haggle over souvenirs in the souqs of Sharjah, head out to Abu Dhabi's desert sands for a camel ride under a star-filled sky, or dive the coral-filled waters of the Gulf (the beaches near Ras Al-Khaimah are as unspoilt as you'll anywhere in the region). Or simply mix up a blend of everything; after all, that’s what makes the UAE unique.
Ready to go?
These tours & activities make it easy:
- Travel by 4WD across the deserts of Dubai
- Join an early-morning hot-air balloon flight to the heart of the desert
Last updated: Feb 21, 2012
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Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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Re: Day trip to Iran from Doha - IS IT POSSIBLE?
by ansanziah 27 May 2012
Hi, I can only recommed you that Oman (Muscat and some places nearby) and UAE (Dubai, Abu dhabi) are good choices for touring in this…
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RE: Which city???
by genghis_caterpillar 27 May 2012
I was going to send you a PM Vera, and ask you to step in here. You beat me to it. Kira, I know you're very familiar with expat emplymen…
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Re: How to get from Dubai to Ramallah and back
by jepperobert 26 May 2012
> {quote:title=dork wrote:}{quote} > Background: USA passport, UAE resident visa inside plus stamps from Lebanon, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrai…
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