At Home in Abu Dhabi: December 2010

We had family visit for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so we were out doing a lot of the touristy-type things. One place I'd recommend going if you can/have time is across the border to Oman. It's a totally different world over there. We have been to Muscat a couple of times, and really enjoy it. With the border crossing and stopping with the kids it can take 6-7 hours from Abu Dhabi, but it was worth the drive. We stayed at the Shangri-La Al Wahda (there's 3 parts of the hotel and this is the one that caters to families) and it is really nice. Their beach is amazing, with tidepools you can see hundreds of hermit crabs, sea slugs, fish, and the most beautiful seashells I've ever seen in my life. The snorkeling is absolutely amazing as well, and the girls were able to do it with us, so that was a great family experience.
Another aspect of Muscat that is a must-see is the Muttrah souq. It's a really old souq in the Muttrah area downtown and it has tons of alleyways with guys selling their wares, everything from "Pashminas" to Omani silver and belly-dancing outfits, Omani hats (cheap machine-made or pricey handmade).
The fish market (across from the souq down at the end of the street) is a working, breathing real life fish market that could have come straight from the Old Middle East. It's a neat sight to see the old fisherman pulling their days catch from their boats and hauling them up to sell.
What's really amazing about the city is that it's full of history on literally every corner. Where the cliffs overlook the mountains, there are old forts on every precipice. What a breathtaking combo the old forts and the blue sea make together! I could go on forever about Muscat, but the pictures tell more than I ever could.