TRAVEL SPECIAL
GLAMOUR IN THE GULF
November
WHY NOW? Guaranteed winter sun and some of the best shopping on the planet
PHOTO: FERNANDO GUERRA
The United Arab Emirates used to mean one thing to travellers: Dubai. But as Abu Dhabi – biggest and richest of the Emirates, with a bewilderingly beautiful coastline – opens up to tourism, and hot new hotels open in Ras Al-Khaimah and Sharjah, Britons are broadening their horizons. Add to that November temperatures of 26˚C, white sand beaches, astonishing architecture, magnificent mosques (Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi has the world’s largest hand-knotted prayer carpet), souk shopping, Michelin-starred restaurants and brilliant theme parks, and the region is stiff competition for the Caribbean, Florida and South-East Asia.