Stays from Dh975 ($265), including taxes and fees Best for wildlife fans: Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Resorts, Abu Dhabi Reachable ... a summer staycation at JA Hatta Fort Hotel.

December 31; doors open 8pm; Dh4,000 per person; Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi Join the 20th anniversary ... Drive up to Hatta for the last leg of its winter festival.

On the sun-baked roads from Hatta to the busy highways of Dubai ... including a 100-kilometre run from Abu Dhabi to Dubai five years ago and multiple endurance runs in Japan, Spain, Portugal ...