Overnight stays, stargazing and the quieter desert

Glamping, Liwa, the night sky, proposals and the parts of the UAE desert most visitors never see because they leave before ten.

36 guides

6 min read

Unique Places to Stay in the UAE, by Format

Desert camps, mountain cabins, island villas, heritage houses and eco lodges. The genuinely unusual accommodation formats in the UAE, and what each one is actually like.

6 min read

The Abu Dhabi Staycation Nobody Books: The Desert

Search for a staycation in Abu Dhabi and you get hotels with pools. Forty-five minutes inland there is a completely different answer.

6 min read

Khayal Al Sahra: A Guide to Our Al Khatim Camp

The camp behind the listing: where it is, how an evening runs, and who has been running it since 2012.

3 min read

Anniversaries in the Desert: Small, Private and Deliberately Simple

The most common brief we get for anniversaries is the one people are least confident asking for: less, not more.

6 min read

Our Abu Dhabi Desert Camp Is Now on Airbnb

Every Airbnb in Abu Dhabi is a city apartment. Ours is a tent in Al Khatim. What the listing is, what it is not, and who it suits.

3 min read

Desert Photoshoot Locations Near Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Where to shoot, when the light works, what permits you need, and why the best spot is rarely the one in the reference photo.

3 min read

A Private Desert Dinner in Dubai: How the Evening Runs

Dinner in the dunes is simple done well and awkward done badly. The difference is almost entirely timing.

3 min read

Proposing in the Desert: Nine Setups and the Logistics Behind Them

A proposal has one take. That focuses the mind on logistics in a way most events do not.

5 min read

Things to Do in Abu Dhabi With Kids: A Family Guide

From theme parks to beaches to a proper desert afternoon with camels, here is what actually works for a family day out in Abu Dhabi.

4 min read

Free Things to Do in Abu Dhabi: A Genuinely Useful List

You do not need a big budget to have a good day in Abu Dhabi. Beaches, the corniche, public art, mosques and free-entry days that are easy to miss.

5 min read

20 Indoor Things to Do in Abu Dhabi When It Is Too Hot Outside

Abu Dhabi in July and August is a two-minute walk from car to door. Here is where to spend the day indoors, and what actually still works outdoors after dark.

4 min read

Weekend Getaways From Dubai: Where to Go When You Have Two Days

From mountain towns to a private desert evening ninety minutes away, the best short trips within reach of the city.

4 min read

Things to Do in Abu Dhabi in 2026: A Complete Roundup

Culture, outdoors, food and the desert evening that closes it out, a broad guide to what the city actually offers.

4 min read

Abu Dhabi's 2026 Events Calendar: A Planner's Hotlist

The recurring fixtures worth building a year around, from the F1 weekend to National Day, and when to book around them.

4 min read

The Best Places to Watch the Sunset in Abu Dhabi

From the Corniche to the breakwater to the open desert, where the light is worth stopping for.

4 min read

Unique Private Dining in Abu Dhabi, Beyond the Desert Table

The desert dinner is the standout, but Abu Dhabi's private dining range is wider than that. A look at the genuine variety available in the emirate.

4 min read

The Best Time to Visit a Desert Camp Near Abu Dhabi

For visitors deciding when to come, not planners booking an event. Time of day, comfortable months, and what changes as the year turns.

4 min read

Hidden Gems of Al Wathba and Al Khatim

The quieter spots in the desert belt near Abu Dhabi that most visitors drive straight past.

4 min read

Liwa and the Empty Quarter: An Orientation Guide

Where Liwa actually sits, what the Rub' al Khali is, and what separates this region from the desert closer to Abu Dhabi.

5 min read

A Dark Sky Guide to Stargazing Near Abu Dhabi

A working guide rather than a description: when in the month to go, where the sky actually goes dark, and what to bring.

4 min read

Camping in the UAE: Your Options, Compared

Independent camping, a serviced overnight camp, or a private buyout. What each one actually requires in gear, permits and cost, so you can pick the right one.

4 min read

Glamping in the UAE: A Buyer's Guide to Choosing the Right Tier

Basic, premium or a full private buyout. Which tier of desert glamping actually suits your trip, matched by occasion rather than by marketing photos.

3 min read

Camping in Liwa: A Complete Guide to the Empty Quarter's Edge

Liwa has the largest dunes in the UAE and a fraction of the visitors. What it takes to camp there properly.

5 min read

Abu Dhabi at Night: The Things to Do Once the Heat Breaks

The Corniche after dark, the skyline from the water, and the one experience most nightlife lists in Abu Dhabi never mention.

2 min read

Liwa Desert Weather: When to Go, Month by Month

Liwa runs hotter than the coast in summer and colder than visitors expect in winter. Planning around both.

3 min read

Overnight in the Desert: What the Night Is Actually Like

The part nobody plans for is the bit between midnight and dawn, and it is the reason to stay.

3 min read

Desert Glamping in the UAE: What the Word Is Hiding

Glamping covers a mattress on a groundsheet and a canvas suite with climate control. How to tell which you are booking.

2 min read

What to Wear on a Desert Safari, Including Winter

The desert is hotter and colder than visitors expect, often on the same evening. What actually works.

2 min read

Desert Safari With Kids: What Works and What to Skip

Children love the desert and are unforgiving about the details adults tolerate. Age guidance, timing and what to avoid.

3 min read

Can You Camp in the Desert in the UAE? The Rules, Honestly

Wild camping is legal in parts of the UAE and not in others, and the difference matters more than most guides admit.

2 min read

Stargazing in the UAE Desert: Where, When and What You Will See

An hour from the city the sky changes completely. What to look for and how to plan a night around it.

4 min read

Glamping in Abu Dhabi: What an Overnight Desert Stay Actually Includes

Glamping covers everything from a mattress in a tent to a suite with air conditioning. Here is what an overnight private desert camp stay really involves.

4 min read

Desert Proposal Ideas in Abu Dhabi That Do Not Feel Staged

Nine proposal setups we actually run, what each one costs in effort, and the logistics that decide whether the moment lands or falls flat.

3 min read

Taking Children to the Desert: What Actually Works

Children love the desert and are unforgiving about the details adults tolerate. What to plan for, and what to skip entirely.

3 min read

A Private Desert Dinner in Abu Dhabi: How the Evening Runs

Dinner in the dunes is a straightforward thing done well, or an awkward thing done badly. What separates them is almost entirely timing.

4 min read

What Sparkling Sandset Is, and What We Deliberately Do Not Do

We run one booking a day at a camp we own, in a country full of operators who run six. Here is what that choice costs us and what it buys you.