Five drives worth an early start, all within two hours

Leave before six and the roads belong to you. The climb toward Jebel Jais rewards a car with real brakes and a driver in no hurry; the viewing platforms near the summit are worth the stop.

For something gentler, the coastal run north is flat, fast and empty at dawn, with breakfast waiting at the far end. Hatta's dam road offers the best mix of scenery and surface for anyone driving a crossover.

Whatever you pick, take a car with adaptive cruise and cooled seats. The difference on a four-hour round trip is not small.