Welcome to the Empty Quarter, near the border of the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. The Moreeb Dune (bottom left) is one of the tallest sand dunes in the world. In the Empty Quarter sand rules and despite the beautifully paved roads, the dunes have another idea altogether. Not to mention, no trip to the Arabian desert would be complete without seeing a few camels. 

Liwa is literally an oasis in the desert and the original home to several of the founding families of the UAE. After seeing the lush green amidst the miles and miles of sand, I can certainly understand why they made this their home. The contrasting landscapes really are impressive. 

When most people think of Dubai, they think of skyscrapers, fancy cars, and glamorous malls. Don't get me wrong - there are plenty of all those things in Dubai but if you've done enough shopping and want to take it a little easier ... Then head down to the Creek and relax near the water. Be sure to use the best transportation to cross the Creek - the 1 dirham water taxi.

Abu Dhabi is a wonderful city to live in but, at the end of the day, I am not a city-dweller. I grew up in the country and love to spend time in places where its likely I won't see another person. Here in the United Arab Emirates, that means heading to the desert or the mountains so my husband and I opted to spend Valentine's weekend in the mountains in the UAE's northernmost emirate, Ras Al Khaimah or RAK.