Abu Dhabi to Emirates Park Zoo and Al Ain: Private day trip

The Emirates Park Zoo is home to over 1700 animals from around the world, including a pair of majestic white tigers. The zoo’s enclosures are intuitively divided into categories like ‘Predators’ and ‘Wild Animals’, and informative signs let you learn about your favourite animals, and ones you might never have heard of. For an even more educational experience, don’t miss one of the presentations at the animal theatre. Experiences are really the core of the park - you can feed elephants and giraffes, watch the two Nile Crocodiles being fed, or hold birds of prey. There’s even an authentic drum and dance team from Ghana, and a magic show.

The area around Al Ain has been settled for at least 8,000 years, thanks in large part to its oasis. A verdant gem on the border of the world’s largest continuous sand desert, it’s said Sheikh Zayed, the father of the UAE, was born under a tree here. Today, the Al Ain Oasis UNESCO World Heritage site where visitors can wander through a 1,200-hectare date-palm forest, which is still fed with the same 3,000-year-old irrigation techniques. The Al Ain Zoo is a great place for animal lovers, and has an added cultural significance because it was founded by Sheikh Zayed to protect endemic wildlife. Culture-lovers will also want to visit the 19th century Al Jahili Fort, which is now a museum with an exceptional exhibition of photographs from the 40s. For truly unique experience, head to the last camel souk in the UAE (near IKEA), to see a timeless tradition live on.