Things to Do in Umm Al Quwain

Kayak the mangroves around Al Sinniyah Island

Paddle through tunnels of grey-green mangrove where the water turns glass-clear. Tiny silver fish dart under your hull. Flamingos stand on one leg like pink garden ornaments. Crabs click across exposed roots. The tide sucks so far out that you can beach the kayak and walk the sandbanks. Warm mud oozes between toes.

Wander Umm Al Quwain Fort and museum

The fort's coral-stone walls feel cool even at noon. The wind tower pulls a salty breeze through arrow slits that once watched for invaders. Inside you'll find a pearl diver's lead-weighted nose clip and rusted British rifles that still smell faintly of gun oil. Climb the roof for a 360-degree view of date groves and the abandoned dhow yard where half-built wooden hulls bake in the sun.

Feed giraffes at the old zoo-turned-sanctuary

The former government zoo has been reborn as a private rescue centre. You can buy a basket of carrots and feel the surprising roughness of a giraffe's 18-inch purple tongue. Peacocks shriek overhead while rescued cheetahs pace behind chain link, their paws padding softly on sand. The place smells of hay, big-cat musk and the sweet rot of overripe bananas fed to capuchins.

Kitesurf the shallow lagoon at Dreamland Beach

The lagoon is knee-deep for hundreds metres, so when the afternoon shamal wind fills in you can carve long tacks without fear of drowning. Your board sprays warm droplets that taste slightly salty on your lips while kites hiss overhead like neon jellyfish. Onshore, jet-ski exhaust mixes with the coconut sunscreen of sunbathers who've claimed rented umbrellas for the day.

Sunset crab-fishing from the city corniche

As the sky turns tangerine, local kids lower chicken-neck bait on string and haul up palm-sized blue crabs that clack indignantly. You'll smell grilling corn from nearby pushcarts and hear the slap of dominoes at the adjoining café. Borrow a line from any vendor. The water is so close you can dangle your feet over the wall and feel spray when a passing dhow sends a wake.

Barracuda Beach strip - low-rise hotels facing the lagoon, five minutes barefoot to kite beaches

Corniche road - mid-range towers with rooftop pools, walking distance to cafés and the fort

Al Raas suburb - villa-style guesthouses amid date farms, surprisingly quiet and cheaper than waterfront

Dreamland Marina - resort compounds with private chalets, good if you want alcohol-licensed restaurants on site

Al Labsa district - business hotels near the highway, handy for a one-night stopover

Old town core - no big chain hotels, but a handful of renovatedlated heritage houses now rent rooms by the night