Lara Dunston

A travel and food writer who has experienced over 70 countries and written for The Guardian, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Feast, Delicious, National Geographic Traveller, Conde Nast Traveller, Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia, DestinAsian, TIME, CNN, The Independent, The Telegraph, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, AFAR, Wanderlust, International Traveller, Get Lost, Four Seasons Magazine, Fah Thai, Sawasdee, and more, as well as authored more than 40 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, DK, Footprint, Rough Guides, Fodors, Thomas Cook, and AA Guides.

Dreamy Dubai Desert Escapes – From Road Trips to Romantic Desert Resorts

Dreamy Dubai desert escapes range from road trips along sand-swept highways to Liwa Oasis at the edge of the Empty Quarter to stays at romantic desert resorts set amidst dramatic dunes and date palms an easy drive from Dubai. The desert really is on Dubai‘s doorstep. Just drive half an hour out of Dubai and you’ll … Read more

The Audacious Architecture of Dubai

Boasting breathtaking skylines of sail-shaped buildings, dancing towers, twisting skyscrapers, and even a tuning fork, the audacious architecture of Dubai makes the city a delight to visit for architects, designers, photographers, and travellers. I will never forget a conversation we overheard one day between a little boy and his father as Terence and I strolled by a construction … Read more

Things to See and Do in Al Ain – From Exploring Forts to Ambling Date Palm Oases

Things to see and do in Al Ain – a green city set in the desert just over an hour’s drive from Abu Dhabi or Dubai in the United Arab Emirates – range from exploring splendid forts to strolling shady date palm oases. Al Ain’s locals like to boast that they live in the Garden … Read more

Abu Dhabi to Al Ain Road Trip – An Easy Drive Through the Desert and Dunes

An Abu Dhabi to Al Ain road trip involves an easy drive through the desert sands that delivers in spades, with colossal sand dunes, grazing camels, and herds of Arabian sand gazelles. This road trip alone is reason to explore Abu Dhabi emirate. Beige and black camels lazily grazing on tufts of grass, colossal sand … Read more

Best Beaches in Dubai – The Public Stretches of Sand to Spread Your Towel

The best beaches in Dubai don’t all belong to luxury hotels. There are plenty of public beaches with beautiful stretches of sand for you to spread out a towel. Best of all, many are backed by brilliant parks with shaded lawns and lots of great facilities, from kiosks to kids playgrounds. Dubai boasts some stunning … Read more