Abu Dhabi holidays

Abu Dhabi scores highly when it comes to its beach scene – the swathes here all sport soft white sand and glass-clear water. Many are fitted with exclusive beach clubs, with a fee to enter, while others offer up free-to-use spots of sand.

Yas Beach wraps around Yas Island’s western wing, and it’s fitted with a list of family-friendly facilities. If sea swimming’s not your bag, you’ll like that there’s a swimming pool and a separate spot for little ones close to the sand. Plus, you’ve got a collection of cafés and food stalls nearby for when it comes to loading up on lunch.

The city’s central beaches tend to draw in big crowds, so you’ll need to cast your net a little wider if you’re after a quiet day on the sand. It’s just short of a two-hour drive to Mirfa Beach, but it’s well worth the journey time for low-key beach days. There’s no fee to pay for beach days here, and thanks to its out-in-the-sticks setting, the sands tend to see fairly low footfall, if any at all.

Souvenir shoppers should head for Central Market, where a string of stalls selling low-priced handicrafts wind around the souk-style shopping centre’s narrow alleyways. That’s not the only thing it’s got up its sleeve though – all sorts from boutique buys to Middle Eastern spices are all on offer from this place.

Nowhere does shopping quite like Yas Mall – this place’s shop count stacks up to an impressive 400. Everyone’s kept happy at this place – beyond its selection of shops, it’s also got a huge cinema complex and a family entertainment zone.

With names like Jimmy Choo and Alexander McQueen all finding a home here – The Galleria is one of the city’s premier shopping spots. It’s got a high-end dining scene to match, too – so you can finish up your designer-shopping trip with a fine-dining style dinner.

If you’re looking for a night away from the city’s bright lights, Al Quaa could be just the location you need. This secluded spot’s one of the darkest places in the UAE, so it’s a perfect place to don your binoculars and set your sights on the stars. From the centre of the city, you’re looking at around a 90-minute drive.

Yas Marina’s well-known for its entertainment and nightlife scene, and it’s all with good reason. You can kick your night off here with a meal in a waterside restaurant, looking out over the super-stylish Yas Marina. After, you can hit one of the island’s bars for handcrafted cocktails, and then continue your evening in a beat-pumping nightclub.

This dish is the country’s national dish, so it’s a cert on menus right across the city. Roasted lamb is laid out on a bed of saffron-spiced rice and topped with nuts, raisins and potatoes.

Try out this dish if you’re looking for a healthy lunch, or a small-plate dinner. It’s made with lettuce, sliced tomatoes and cucumber. Mint leaves, garlic, onion and olive oil are all in the mix, too.

You can choose your own flavour when it comes to this dish – options usually include chicken, lamb or mutton. It’s got a thick, soupy texture and the meat’s mixed with a healthy helping of seasonal veg. Traditionally, it’s served up as breakfast during Ramadan, but it’s usually got a spot on restaurant menus throughout the year.

This dessert dish is made with deep-fried dumplings, drizzled in a sweet, sticky syrup and rolled in sesame seeds.

These tasty wraps hail from Lebanon, but they’re a popular sight on street-food stalls in the UAE. You can have them stuffed with any type of meat – from beef fillet to tender chicken slices.