For me, the beauty of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is its combination of guaranteed fly-and-flop winter sun and the multiple attractions of a city break. 

I stayed at the wonderful, 5* Shangri-la Qaryat Al Beri for 7 nights, alternating between lazy, book-devouring beach days and exploring this city-of-islands’ many attractions. 

November through March is the ideal time to visit Abu Dhabi with daytime temperatures averaging in the low thirties, balmy evenings in the low twenties and little humidity.

With one of the world’s best airlines operating out of Abu Dhabi, many people choose to break a long-haul journey with a stopover in the city, but this is a destination than deserves more than a couple of days to experience it. 

Abu Dhabi is a city of distinct districts spread across several islands, separated by broad ‘canals’ and connected by sweeping bridges. Where you decide to stay will be dependent on whether you are looking for beach (there are plenty), culture (museums & mosques), activities (indoor skydiving & the F1 track), theme parks (Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld & more), nature (canoeing in the mangroves & turtle conservation) or some combination of these. 

Beach lovers can head for Saadiyat Island where low rise oceanfront luxury resorts sit on some of the best beaches in the UAE. Saadiyat it also home to the burgeoning Cultural District with the architecturally striking Louvre Abu Dhabi, fascinating Abrahamic House and Manarat Al Saadiyat.  More museums are set to open soon turning this into a mini version of the Smithsonian zone in Washington. 

Yas Island is the city’s key entertainment hub and is exceptionally popular with families. Theme parks include Ferrari World Abu Dhabi (cue the fastest roller-coaster on the planet), Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi and Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi. It’s also home to the F1 circuit and a host of other family attractions. 

I chose to stay at the Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri as its central location on the Grand Canal (Qaryat Al Beri means ‘between the bridges’) offers the best of all worlds. 

This excellent hotel offers superb service levels and many facilities including an excellent beach and views of the Grand Mosque. Additionally, it’s only a 20-minutes taxi rides to Saadiyat, Yas or the Corniche and there are numerous restaurants a short walk from the hotel in the Souk at Qaryat Al Beri or the newly-opened Al Qana district.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi is a must visit for the architecture alone - a 180 metre dome that appears to be woven rather than built. Bursts of sunlight penetrate the large open spaces and these transform into horizontal orange bars as the sun sets. The collection is a manageable size and is supported by an excellent app that allows you to tailor you visits to take in the highlights.

In Abu Dhabi, rooms that include access to a hotel’s club lounge facilities offer excellent value.  I stayed in a Horizon Club Deluxe Room and benefits included breakfast in the club lounge, snacks and soft drinks in the lounge from midday to 11pm and cocktails and a very generous luxury buffet between 5.30-7.30pm as the sun sets.

For more inspiration take a look at our Abu Dhabi Holidays pages.