The hook
Where the UAE's malls and skylines give way to the real Arabia: a crescent of oasis villages at the foot of towering apricot dunes on the edge of the Empty Quarter, including one of the tallest dunes in the country.
01Why it's worth it
A couple of hours south of Abu Dhabi, the built-up coast finally surrenders to the desert proper, and Liwa is the gateway. This string of date-palm oasis settlements, the ancestral home of the ruling family, sits against the northern rim of the Rub' al Khali, the vast Empty Quarter, where the dunes rise into enormous sculpted ridges glowing orange and pink at either end of the day. The giant Moreeb dune, one of the tallest and steepest around, draws dune-bashers and hill-climb racers, but the real reward is simply driving out onto the sand for sunset, or better, spending a night at a desert camp with the silence and the stars. It is the antidote to the glitz of the coast, a taste of the immense sand sea and the older Arabia, close enough to reach on a day trip but far better as an overnight escape.
02How to experience it
Drive down from Abu Dhabi and head out to the big dunes for sunset; a 4x4 (and dune-driving skill or a guide) lets you get among them. Better still, stay overnight at a desert camp for the stars and dawn. Go in the cool months, and carry plenty of water.