Ajman Holidays

Smaller and far less busy than nearby Dubai, Ajman boasts an enviable stretch of white sandy beach that hugs over 30 kilometres of the Persian Gulf. Two tall, rounded watchtowers and a giant terracotta castle watch over the town's 18th-century fort, and the Call to Prayer rings out over the desertscape every day at sunset.

You'll likely come to the United Arab Emirates' Ajman to relax, but one look at the wide, sandy beach with water as warm as a bath and you might just triple the length of your stay. There's an interesting museum full of fascinating artefacts when you want to culture up, and dining and shopping options are as low-key or dialled up as you like.

Nightlife in Ajman's mostly kept to its hotels. For nightclubs, swish cocktail bars on the beach and a glittering marina, you'll have to drive 40 minutes to straight-from-the-future Dubai. A glass of champagne at The Lounge in the Burj Kalifa, the world's tallest building of more than 200 stories, is something you can't get anywhere else.