Although the United Arab Emirates, often shortened to ‘Emirates’, has long been a destination for travelers from surrounding areas, only recently has it attracted a significant amount of international tourists. Emirates is made up of seven self governing emirates; Abu Dhabi, Ajman Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Qaiwain. The development of advanced communication and infrastructure has allowed the opening up of Emirates to the world, and subsequently tourism has seen a significant rise. Emirates’ hotels are known to be extravagant and pricey, in fact, Abu Dhabi is home to the world’s most expensive hotel, the Emirates Palace. The Emirates Palace features corridors painted with gold, numerous exquisite chandeliers, lavish ballrooms, and access to kilometers of pristine beaches where you can sit and eat desserts sprinkled with edible gold. This is why searching for cheap hotels in Emirates beforehand is very important; consult www.YayEmiratesHotels.com for affordable accommodations so you can spend your money on all the other amazing things Emirates has to offer. Abu Dhabi, being the capital and the largest city of the UAE, has much to offer, including the Abu Dhabi Cultural Center and the Shiekh Zayed Grand Mosque; the largest mosque in the world. For a different experience, visitors can explore the day-to-day life of locals in the smaller towns of Kabla and Khorfakkan or observe the Abu Dhabi skyline while kayaking among mangroves of the surrounding small islands. Abu Dhabi is also a fantastic starting point for an evening camel ride under the clear star filled skies and a good location for an invigorating session of sand skiing. You can also visit the Al Bateen Shipyard, located in one of the oldest inhabited areas. Here, visitors are taken through a historical look at the city’s maritime roots, before the city’s oil boom and its subsequent lavish development.