Ras Al Khaimah

A mountain of 1934m with a sealed road to the top. On winter nights the temperature drops below freezing and frost forms.

From the summit the line runs 2.8km at speeds around 120km an hour. You fly face down, and a weight limit applies, so it is checked in advance.

A coral stone village left as it stood after its people moved away in the 1960s. Many roofs have fallen, so movement stays on the marked routes.

A mud walled fort on a hill, reached up 239 steps. From it the date gardens and the sea fall into a single view.

The tools of the pearl trade that fed this coast before oil are gathered here. The nose clips and ear plugs the divers used are among them.

Iron in the sand turns the dunes red across the south of the emirate. Camels and quad bikes both work the ridges.

Mangroves grow in the lagoon beside the centre and flamingos arrive for the winter. Passing quietly by kayak keeps the birds where they are.

An eighteenth century fort serves as the museum, with its wind tower and cells intact. Local archaeological finds are laid out in order of period.

Pools stand along a dry valley between the mountains with a marked walking route. Rain fills it very fast, so the forecast is worth reading first.

Tents are set among the dunes for an overnight stay. Power is kept to a minimum, which leaves a very full sky after dark.

A tour by boat to a pearl farm on the lagoon off Al Rams to see how oysters are raised. After stories of the old pearl divers, you open an oyster yourself and take out the pearl. The farm hut is raised on posts above the lagoon.

The ruins of an Islamic-era fort on a rocky hill behind Shimal village, known locally as the Queen of Sheba's palace. Climb the stone steps and the palm groves and the sea open up below. Bronze Age tombs are strewn below the slope.

A resort district of four reclaimed islands, with hotels lined along the beaches. Every New Year the fireworks launched over the islands have set Guinness records several times. From the sand at the tip, the Jebel Jais range shows across the water.

An 18th-century mud-walled fort that served the ruling Al Qasimi family as a summer residence. A watchtower and low dwellings survive among date gardens. Set a little outside the centre, it sees few visitors, so the visit is a quiet one.

A waterfront promenade along the creek in front of old Ras Al Khaimah. Mangroves show across the water, and walking and running paths run side by side. Families come out to catch the breeze once the sun drops in the evening.