It was probably Dubai's grandiose extravagance which first led to the United Arab Emirates showing up on most travel radars. But there's a lot more to this collection of seven emirates and many of the best places to stay in the United Arab Emirates can be found in lesser known spots.

In recent years it's become a lot easier for visitors to see more of the UAE, outside the confines of the Western style resorts, so the UAE is now a lot more than a destination for winter sun and shopping.

Visitors should definitely shop in Dubai's souks, ride a camel in Abu Dhabi and go snorkelling or diving on the coral reefs of the gulf. Some of the western-style resorts are still the best places to stay in the United Arab Emirates: but it's also worth heading out into the desert to see the amazing desert dunes and the grand wadis of the north-east, or into the photogenic Hatta mountains.

The real magic of the UAE is how an Islamic state can find its peace with the nightclub parties which finish just before the calls to prayer, and the rampant fantastical consumerism. But the balance holds. And all this exists alongside traditional Bedouin customs and oceans of sand. This is probably one of the world's most diverse and interesting nations.

Where to stay - which emirate?

• Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE and its second largest city. It offers visitors a good combination of beach and culture, and this is where you'll find the huge Grand Mosque, the Louvre's middle east outpost and of course the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It's a big business destination too.
• Dubai is the largest city in the Emirates and probably the best known. It is a hugely family friendly destination, with so much to do from water parks, to souks, to shopping malls and watersports, that you are completely spoilt for choice. But it also has a certain authentic charm - just take a trip to the Deira district and the Dubai Museum and you'll find out more.
• Ras al Khaimah is the most northerly emirate, and is best known for its beaches. It is far less glamourous than its ritzier siblings above, but it has a certain Arabian charm and a much more unspoiled feel. If you want the sun and sand, but without all the bling, then this is the emirate for you!

What Not To Miss

• Abu Dhabi's hugely impressive Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque boasts more than eighty domes, four minarets over a hundred metres high, one thousand pillars and prayer space to accommodate forty thousand. And that's just the outside; inside is all gold, marble, semi-precious stones and crystal.
• The Deira Souks - situated in the heart of Old Dubai, stroll the labyrinthine souks and pick up a bargain from gold to spices and much more besides.
• The Burj Khalifa is, needless to say, an enormously impressive experience. Standing at 830m tall, head up to the observation deck to tick off a classic bucket-list experience!
• If you're interested in the UAE of pre-oil days you'll probably find the abandoned fishing village of Jazirat Al Hamra fascinating. This spot was first settled in the 14th century, its inhabitants surviving on fishing and pearl diving, but the entire population upped sticks in 1968, leaving everything spookily empty, but well preserved.