Where to stay

While Dubai draws visitors with its exceedingly lavish hotels and futuristic skyscrapers, Abu Dhabi is where travelers come to see a different side of the UAE. The country's administrative capital is also its cultural heart, now home to the superb Louvre Abu Dhabi as well as the magnificent Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The best beaches are within easy reach of the city center, great restaurants can be found in almost every neighborhood, and desert safaris offer sunrise experiences unlike any other. The standard of Abu Dhabi's accommodations is also exceptional: places to stay range from palace-like complexes to beachfront properties with their own private strips of sand.