Fall Escape to the UAE

Grab a direct flight into Abu Dhabi with Etihad, one of the few airlines to be considered luxury. Head directly to your hotel, St. Regis Saadiyat Island. The hotel is great for families or couples traveling. It's also in one of the most beautiful clear waters in the UAE. You can rest the remainder of the day beachside or poolside, what ever you prefer. At night, head into town for dinner, you can have your pick between world famous Nobu, Zuma, Cipriani, Hakkasan among other.

After enjoying a delicious breakfast at your hotel, head towards Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. In the center of Abu Dhabi, this grand mosque that took over 11 years to build is ready to impress you. Be warned that you will have to dress very conservatively in order to respect local traditions. If traveling with kids, you can then head to Umm al Emarat Park, where they can relax, run around and enjoy the parks playgrounds. There is a splash area and even an animal barn. If hungry, you can't miss Abu Dhabi's best burger joint, SALT. If your up for the ultimate luxury experience, you can't miss Emirates Palace Hotel. You can either book a day pass or tour for the full experience or just enjoy a 24 carat gold cappuccino. Your last stop should be the Louvre Museum, the architectural masterpiece designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. The kids will love their children's building, which always changes in regard to the different exhibitions presented. It's a great place to wonder around, take great pictures and enjoy the sunset. You can also hire a very cute small pedal boat to relax in.

Spend this last day relaxing and enjoying your hotel.

Transfer to your desert oasis resort, the Ritz Carlton Ras al Khaimah in the Al Wadi desert. Your private tented villa with a private pool will make your stay unforgettable. The hotel is inside a 1,235 acre gated private Nature Reserve, frequently visited by local oryxes and gazelles. Have a complete bedouin experience with a camel sunset drive into diner in your private tent in the middle of the desert.

The hotel offers many activities and day excursions, like bird watching, horseback riding, yoga desert experiences, falcon or boogie dune expeditions. The kids club is also superb if you need a minute to relax.

Have a quick 1:15 ride to Dubai for your last days in the sun. I recommend you stay at the One & Only Royal Mirage or the Jumeirah Mina A'Salam Resort. Both not only give you a local sense of the traditional architecture, but are ideally located close to all the different attractions.

Depending on how many days you have, these are some of the attractions that shouldn't be missed.

Burj Al Arab, you can admire it from the beach near your hotel, but you can also book drinks in the Sky View Lounge.

Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. I would say it's best seen from around, rather than booking an overly priced dinner inside one of their restaurants. You can also enjoy their fountain show from the Dubai Mall.

Al Fahidi and Old Souk: one of my favorite areas. Dubai is far from the small fisherman town that it used to be, but to get a sense of how things where head back here. Stroll around their cute streets and amazing art galleries. You can also hire a private Abra boat ride you give you a quick tour of the seas. Cross to the gold souk for silks, spices and golf. Then head back to al Fahidi and have dinner at the only local food Michelin star restaurant, Al Khayma.