Things to See in United Arab Emirates

The Heritage Area actually consists of two tiny neighbourhoods, Al Sheyoukh and Al Maraija - they have been fully restored and pedestrianised, and are also now linked. There are a number of interesting little museums around here that come under the umbrella of the Sharjah Heritage Museum; they are worth a look along with the traditional Souq Al-Arsa.

Even for people not interested in buying gold or jewellery, Dubai's Deira Gold Souq is a must-see, if only for the sheer size and indulgence of it all. The atmospheric wooden-latticed arcades of the souq are impressive.

Few places in the UAE are as romantic as Liwa Oasis. With its magnificent apricot-coloured sand dunes, its sprinkling of verdant oases and its star-studded night skies, there's no wonder that it is a popular weekend getaway for locals. Positioned on the edge of Saudi Arabia's Rub'al-Khali (Empty Quarter), it lives up to its name, with the only things disturbing the magnificent horizon of dunes an occasional wandering camel.