The UAE's often overlooked capital is worth exploring for its local culture, jaw-dropping architecture, breathtaking beauty and inspirational art and shopping. Here are 10 exciting things to do once you get there 1) MINA ZAYED ANDWAREHOUSE 421To get a sense of what Abu Dhabi was like when it was a simple fishing village, wander through the old port, Mina Zayed, see the traditional wooden dhows and pop into the bustling indoor fish market to see the catch of the day changing hands. Peckish? You can select a fish and have it cleaned and cooked over charcoal at one of the stalls at the back of the market. While in the area, visit the new, state-of-the-art cultural centre Warehouse 421, where, until June, you can catch Lest We Forget, an excellent, multimedia exhibition of Emirati family photographs and oral histories, providing insights into the UAE's pre-oil days and radical transformation since its discovery in 1958. There are also free outdoor screenings of regional movies every second Wednesday.Tuesday-Sunday 10am-8pm. Visit warehouse421.ae. Mina Zayed is open all hours but if you plan to buy fish, go before noon.story_article_left12) MANARAT AL SAADIYATScheduled for December, the opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, designed by Pritzker prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, is the most hotly anticipated event on Abu Dhabi's cultural calendar. In the meantime, you can gain fascinating insights into plans for the Saadiyat Cultural District - where the Louvre will be joined by the Guggenheim and a national museum - via an interactive multimedia display at this contemporary art centre. Manarat Al Saadiyat (meaning "the place of enlightenment") also hosts a series of talks and exhibitions throughout the year, some showcasing pieces from the Louvre and Guggenheim collections. Fuel for your artistic exploration is provided by Al Fanr restaurant, a light-filled, airy space with an Arabian-flavoured courtyard, where you should try the famed camel burger.Open daily 9am-8pm. Visit saadiyatculturaldistrict.ae.3) BE AMAZED AT THE SHEIKH ZAYED GRAND MOSQUEWhile most mosques have a dome or two, the iconic Grand Mosque has no fewer than 82, along with four soaring minarets; over 1,000 columns inlaid with semi-precious stones; and a vast, marble courtyard surrounded by reflective pools. Able to accommodate 41,000 worshippers, it also features the world's largest hand-knotted Persian carpet, which took 1,200 artisans two years to make, and a 12-ton, 24-carat gold Swarovski-crystal chandelier. But words and figures don't do justice to this dazzling fusion of Persian, Moorish and Mughal architecture, which reflects the vision of the UAE's founder, Sheikh Zayed (who is buried here), to unite the cultural diversity of the Islamic world in one space. If you do only one thing in Abu Dhabi, let this be it. Visitors are required to dress modestly (ankle-length skirts, long sleeves and headscarves for women; trousers for men), but abayas and kanduras are available on loan.Saturday-Thursday 9am-10pm; Friday 4.30-10pm. Free one-hour tours held daily, visit szgmc.ae.full_story_image_hleft14) THE ABU DHABI PEARL JOURNEYStep aboard a wooden dhow, settle on a cushion and sip cardamom-flavoured coffee as you glide through Abu Dhabi's mangroves and learn about its old pearling trade. The emirate's chief earner before the arrival of cultured pearls in the early 1900s, pearl diving was a gruelling job, performed with a weight wedged between divers' toes and a turtle-shell peg on their noses - as demonstrated by your guide. Things come easier on this tour, which also involves searching for a pearl in an oyster, which you get to keep if found (there's a 60% chance as these are farmed oysters). Follow up your excursion with a meal at seafood restaurant Flooka, which hovers on stilts over the water.Tours leave from the Eastern Mangroves Hotel daily between 8am and 8pm. AED 500 (about R2,000) per person. Booking essential, visit adpearljourney.com.5) SEE THE EMIRATES PALACE HOTELEven if you don't join the ranks of the royals and celebs who have slept at this palatial hotel, you can get a taste of its Arabian opulence in one of its public spaces. You could, for example, indulge in a rejuvenating Moroccan hammam treatment, dispensed in marble-clad, mosaiced surrounds, or soak up the lobby's gilded interiors over a "camelccino", served with dates and camel-milk chocolates at Le Café. For one of the best views in the city, settle at Breeze Lounge or the BBQ Al Qasr restaurant and drink in the vista of the white Presidential Palace across the water. Booking is advised to gain access to the hotel, and attire should be smart (no flip-flops).Visit emiratespalace.ae.story_article_right26) CYCLE ALONG THE CORNICHE AND BREAKWATER ROADSpanning 8km along the main island's northwest coast, the Corniche is divided into cycling and walking paths, flanked by beaches, parks, cafés and juice bars. Hire a bike from FunRideSports, opposite the Hilton Hotel on the West Corniche, and follow the Breakwater Road towards Marina Mall for some excellent photo ops of Abu Dhabi's skyline and palaces. Then double back and head east to Mina Zayed, stopping for drinks and snacks along the way. Finish with a dip in the sea at a public beach or the exclusive Nation Riviera Beach Club or some shopping at Nation Galleria Mall, reached via an underpass from the club. Make sure to pick up some dates at Mahmood or Bateel and an upmarket souvenir from Mosaique.FunRideSports has four outlets along the Corniche, open daily from 4pm-midnight, from AED20 per hour.7) HIT SAADIYAT BEACHMade up of a few hundred islands, Abu Dhabi has no shortage of beaches but Saadiyat Island arguably boasts its most pristine stretch of white sand and is also the nesting ground of Hawksbill sea turtles. You can suntan St-Tropez style at the chic Saadiyat Beach Club, which offers sun loungers, waiter service, a chilled pool, restaurants and bar. Alternatively, head to more budget-friendly Saadiyat Public Beach, where loungers, umbrellas and lockers are available for rent. Snacks and non-alcoholic drinks are on offer but, for something stronger or more substantial, wander over to the superbly located Beach House restaurant at the Park Hyatt next door.Saadiyat Beach Club, open daily 8am-sunset. Day passes from AED220.Saadiyat Public Beach, open daily 8am-sunset. Day passes AED10, sun loungers AED25.full_story_image_hleft28) YAS ISLANDThere's never a dull moment on Yas Island, a playground for children of all ages. Petrolheads, look no further than the Yas Marina Circuit, home to the F1 Grand Prix, where you can take an Aston Martin GT4 for a spin when Lewis Hamilton and co aren't in town. If manpower trumps horsepower for you, there's also the option to run or cycle around the track between 6 and 9pm on Tuesdays, before chilling at one of Yas Marina's waterside restaurants in the middle of the track. Kids in tow? Ferrari World theme park has the world's fastest rollercoaster, while Yas Waterworld offers thrills and spills aplenty. Add to these a championship golf course and label-tastic Yas Mall, and even the most hyperactive of customers can't fail to be entertained.9) DO A DESERT SAFARIBeyond the city limits, follow in the footsteps of Luke Skywalker in Abu Dhabi's Liwa desert, which played the planet Tatooine in the latest Star Wars instalment. Not far from the movie location, the fortress-like Qasr Al Sarab Hotel is the most luxurious oasis one could wish to find, surrounded by undulating dunes as far as the eye can see. More budget-friendly and closer to home, Arabian Nights Village offers morning and evening desert safaris, including transfers to and from the Al Khatem desert, dune-bashing in a 4x4, sand surfing, camel riding and a bedouin-style meal plus the option to stay overnight. A real must in this land of sand.A six-hour morning or afternoon safari with breakfast or dinner costs AED300 for adults, AED200 for children. Visit arabiannightsvillage.com.10) WORLD TRADE CENTRE SOUQDesigned by Norman Foster, this multi-level, modern version of the traditional souq is an Aladdin's cave of exotic buys. Get dates, spices, camel-milk soap, perfumes made from natural oils, oud and frankincense, Persian carpets, cushions, floaty kaftans and pashminas. You can even have an abaya or kandura custom-made. When your shopping is done, steal away to the rooftop, where you'll find a number of al fresco shisha cafés in terraced gardens. If unsure of where to go, ask a waiter at the ground-floor Lebanese café Tarbouche to direct you to their excellent outlet upstairs.Saturday-Wednesday 10am-10pm, Thursday-Friday 10am-11pm, visit wtcad.ae.For more information about Abu Dhabi, visit the city's official tourism site.sub_head_start WHERE TO STAY sub_head_end5-STARHave a look at the Eastern Mogroves Hotel and Spa, with the best hammam in town; or Jumeirah, with excellent views, a bijou beach and a starring role in Fast & Furious 4.4-STARAloft at the national exhibition centre is a good - value, trendy option. Courtyard by Marriott has direct access to the World Trade Centre Mall and adjoining souq. Traders Hotel has a canal-side setting and easy access to blingy Souq Qaryat Al Beri.3-STARCentro Yas Island has a free shuttle service to Yas Island's myriad leisure options. Ibis offers access to neighbouring Novetel's gym and pool for a small fee...