WHAT TO DO ARROUND UAE

WHAT TO DO

Abu Dhabi

The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is the largest and most populous of the seven emirates in the UAE and its main city, Abu Dhabi, is the capital of the federation. Salt-laden sand flats and remote beaches line tropical seas to the west of the emirate, whilst rolling sand dunes contrast with date-palm oasis to the east and south. Abu Dhabi City was mostly situated on a single large sand-fringed island but it has now spilled over onto the mainland and a series of adjoining satellite islands that have been developed in recent years. This rapid pace of development has meant that high-end hotels, resorts and other amenities are opening in quick succession, both on and off the main island.

Saadiyat Island is spearheading the transformation of the city into a world-class tourism destination with a cultural emphasis. Here, along with five-star hotels lining the 8-kilometre beach, villas, and a golf course will be a series of museums designed by some of the world's most famous architects, including the Sheikh Zayed National Museum, the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. The Louvre is scheduled for completion in late 2015.

Yas Island, on the other hand, is dedicated to sports and entertainment, and is home to Abu Dhabi's Formula 1 track, Ferrari World theme park and a popular water park as well as hotels and restaurants. Many international stars feature on stage here throughout the year.

1. Visit the Sheikh Zayed Mosque and take a guided tour around its many vaulted splendors. Although the scale is huge, there is a great sense of peace within the gilded walls. The tomb of the ‘father of the nation’ Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is in the mosque’s extensive gardens.

2. Go kayaking in Abu Dhabi's mangroves and wonder at this delight of nature a stone’s throw from the city Centre. No experience is required. Definitely one of our favorite trips.

3. Cycle, jog, walk, swim or simply watch the world go by along Abu Dhabi’s delightful Cornice where the aquamarine waters of the Gulf lap the shores of the well-maintained public beach, watched over by impressive skyscrapers. The undulating dunes and sandy beaches of Lulu Island lie enticingly across the straits.

4. Travel back in time at Abu Dhabi Heritage Village near the Breakwater and discover what life was like for the town’s early inhabitants: Pearl divers and boatmen tended their date gardens and camels in the oasis and desert of the hinterland during the winter and trekked back to the coast in the summer to fish for pearls.

5. Visit one of the many interesting exhibitions at Manarat Al Saadiyat on Saadiyat Island; sample the delicious food in the restaurant there and view the spectacular UAE Pavilion in the shape of a sand dune.

6. Take a ride on that marvel of the desert, the camel and, if you must, enjoy the thrill of dune-bashing in a 4x4. Most tour operators organize desert safaris, as well as quad-biking, sand-skiing, paragliding etc. in the desert. You can also spend the evening in a Bedouin encampment under the starlit skies, enjoying refreshments and entertainment.

7. Experience a sunset cruise on a traditional wooden dhow along Abu Dhabi’s extensive coastline. Dinner-cruises are also available.

8. Take a trip by boat or plane to one of Abu Dhabi’s offshore jewels, Sir Bani Yas Resort. Explore the rugged island, its spectacular beaches, salt dome and dense mangroves, and get close to abundant wildlife, both exotic and Arabian. Walking, cycling, snorkeling, kayaking or sailing are available at the resort. Settlers have been coming to this island for millennia but the best and most accessible archaeological remains are of a recently excavated sixth to seventh century Nestorian church and monastery.

9. Climb the emirate’s highest point at nearby Jebel Haft – there is a very impressive road with stunning views all the way to the hotel at the top – catching a glimpse of the 5,000 year-old beehive-like Haft tombs at the foot of the Jebel.

10. Dive the reefs and wrecks along the Abu Dhabi coasts where there is relatively little tidal movement and currents are few in the shallow Gulf waters. If your hotel does not have a diving Centre, contact the Emirates Diving Association for more information.

Dubai

The city itself has spread out along Sheikh Zayed Road, lined by distinctive skyscrapers, including the impressive Burj Khalifa and the eclectic Downtown Dubai development, past low-rise housing and traditional fishing enclaves to what is sometimes known as 'New Dubai'. This is where you will find Dubai Marina, and the many exclusive resorts, hotels and restaurants that line the expanse of Jumeirah Beach.

1. Walk along the Bur Dubai side of the Creek, soaking up the atmosphere of the bustling souk, dropping in at Dubai Museum in the old Fahidi Fort to get a flavor of life before oil. Ever since the Al Bu Falash, a branch of the Bani Yas, settled here in the early part of the nineteenth century, the Creek has been the lifeblood of seafaring trade in Dubai. Relish the traditional buildings and art galleries in Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood, and listen to the echoes of time gone by in Shindagha Heritage Village.

2. Transverse the Creek on an abra (a small wooden ferry) past the wooden dhows that ply their trade across the Gulf, to the goods-laden wharfs on the Deira side. Visit the Gold and Spice Souks here, reveling in the sights and smells of Arabia.

3. For that top-of-the-world feeling, zoom up Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, and certainly it’s most elegant, to the observation deck on level 124. Your reward will be an extraordinary view of the city and beyond. Back on terra firma, enjoy the spectacular Dubai Fountain extravaganza, an interplay of light, music and water in the 30-acre Burj Khalifa Lake.

4. And don’t’ forget to visit Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo in the Centre of Dubai Mall, one of the largest of its kind in the world with a record-breaking acrylic panel and 270-degree glass walk-through tunnel. Best of all, go for a dive in the aquarium amongst the sharks, stingrays and enormous groupers. Definitely an unforgettable experience.

5. Enjoy the view from the top of the original seven-star hotel, the iconic sail-like Burj al-Arab, probably the most photographed building in the UAE. Close by Souk Madinat offers shopping and dining by the water’s edge.

6. Be entirely perverse and instead of soaking up the sun on the beach, go snow skiing or snowboarding at Ski Dubai in Mall of the Emirates.

7. Venture out on a boat-trip along one of Dubai’s many waterways. Take a sunset cruise, with or without dinner, on a wooden dhow along the Creek or at Dubai Marina. You can also enjoy a ride on the RTA’s streamlined ferries out to the tip of the Palm and the World. Catch the ferry at Dubai Marina adjacent to the Marina Mall or at the Al Seef station near Al Maktoum Bridge on the Creek.

8. Focus on the spectacular flocks of elegant flamingoes that feed at the top of the Creek in the Khor Dubai Bird Sanctuary. During the migrating periods (Sept/Oct and March/April) thousands of wading birds grace these shores. Dubai’s many green parks are also good bird-watching sites.

9. Discover the sleepy village of Hatta, its ancient watchtowers nestling amidst date palms by the side of a wadi (watercourse) at the foot of the rugged Hajar Mountains. Hatta is about a one-and-a-half hour drive east from Dubai past the sand dune known as the ‘Big Red’.
Explore the winding wadis nearby, and take a swim in the mountain pools. Most tour operators organize these trips, if you do not have your own transport.

10. Revel in the delights of Atlantis at the tip of The Palm, Dubai’s man-made Island built in the shape of a palm tree. Here, you can immerse yourself in a maze of underwater tunnels teaming with fish, go helter-skelter through the extensive waterpark that is Aqua venture, or play with dolphins.

11. Enjoy the delights of Dubai's sandy shores along the impeccably developed and well-maintained Jumeirah Beach. The JBR Walk, lined by cafes and shops, is extremely popular with residents and tourist of all nationalities, especially in the evenings and at the weekend.

12. And if you are really feeling adventurous, try skydiving in the heart of Dubai near The Palm Jumeirah. The views must be spectacular!

13. The views are definitely breathtaking from the hot-air balloons that float over the desert near Al Ain. This is really in Abu Dhabi emirate but the company will pick you up from Dubai in the early hours of the morning so that you can catch the first rays of sun as it rises over the undulating dunes. Of course, you can also enjoy hot-air ballooning if you are based in Abu Dhabi or Al Ain.

Sharjah

Sharjah City, a bustling administrative and commercial centre with its own distinctive ambience, has some fine restored traditional buildings, together with a wide range of very impressive museums. It too, has undergone major development in recent years but efforts have been made to keep its own unique personality intact.

1. Discover Sharjah Arts Area just off Cornice St, on the north side of Hisn Avenue. Explore the narrow streets around Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah Art Centre, Sharjah Art Galleries, Emirates Fine Arts Society and the Very Special Art Centre, along with cafés and shops.

2. Enjoy the colorful musical fountain and the recently developed Al Majaz Waterfront with its art galleries, cafés and leisure facilities.

3. Submerge yourself in the rich and diverse undersea world of Sharjah Aquarium, home to a variety of marine life native to the seas around the UAE. With over 250 species there is so much to see from the smallest clown fish and delicate seahorses to moray eels, rays and reef sharks.

4. Go on a voyage of discovery through the Islamic World at Sharjah's Museum of Islamic Civilization. Learn about the emirate’s many fine archaeological sites and ancient past dating back to prehistoric times at Sharjah’s Archaeology Museum. Satisfy your curiosity at one of Sharjah’s many other fine museums and interpretive centers, too many to mention here! www.sharjahmuseums.ae

5. Visit Sharjah Desert Park 28 kilometers out of town at intersection no. 8 on the Sharjah–Dhaid Highway going east. The Park houses the Natural History Museum, the Children's Farm, and the Arabian Wildlife Centre, which has an amazing collection of wildlife from the Arabian Peninsula. This is your opportunity to finally dispel the myth that the peninsula is a barren place bereft of wildlife. The nearby Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Animals, which does sterling work, is off-limits.

Ra's al-Khaimah

Ra’s al-Khaimah, the most northerly emirate on the UAE’s Gulf coast, lies on a fertile palm-filled plain overshadowed by the precipitous Hajar Mountains. In the north-east, close to the emirate’s border with the Sultanate of Oman, the sheer rocky slopes seem to rise straight out of the sea. 

A winding creek, Khor Ra’s al-Khaimah, divides the city into two distinct areas connected by a large modern bridge. The old fort housing Ra’s al-Khaimah National Museum and the old souk are located in the western section. The port Mina Saqr, lies to the north of the city.

1. Enjoy the beach: Ra’s al-Khaimah has a good selection of excellent hotels, great beaches and golf courses. Try Al Hamra Fort Hotel and Beach Resort (with golf course on the doorstep), the Waldorf Astoria or the Cove Rotana Resort

2. Indulge in the Rainforest Experience in the spa at the secluded Banyan Tree Al Wadi , or try your hand at falconry, horse-riding or camel-riding here. The resort is in a spectacular inland setting.

3. There is plenty of opportunity in Ra’s al-Khaimah for Fantastic Mountain, wadi and desert adventures, but do take the necessary precautions and consult the experts. About 25 kilometers from the city, a new road runs up the Jebel Jais mountain cluster, which rises to 5,700 feet. 

4. Behind the Police Headquarters in the Old Town, the National Museum is in a truly delightful fort, residence of the ruling family until the early 1960s. The museum houses an intriguing collection of archaeological and ethnological artefacts – a visit here will give you a real sense of time and place, particularly the maritime past of the region and its role in the pearling trade. At one stage, in the early nineteenth century, these shores were controlled by the Qawasim, who had built up a fleet of over 60 large vessels and could put nearly 20,000 sailors to sea. Their activities eventually provoked a British offensive to control the maritime trade routes between the Gulf and India. The fort and harbor were bombarded by the British in 1810 and the area was invaded in 1819 prior to the signing of a General Treaty of Peace between the sheikhs of the region and the British in 1820. Pearling flourished in the peace that followed.

5. Soak up the leisurely atmosphere of the traditional Old Town and visit the Pearl Museum on the shores of the Creek. Here you will learn about Julfar, which was a major medieval trading centre in the region where merchants from east and west came to purchase the precious pearls that were harvested locally:  a replica of a document dating back to 1654 from the Governor General in Batavia (Jakarta) to Directors of the Dutch East India Company asks the company to send 'two energetic and experienced merchants' to Julfar 'where this jewel is being fished, to stay there from the first to the last catch'.

6. Visit the scenic reconstructed Dhayah Fort about 15 kilometers from the town. This is a strategic military fortification that played a major role in the history of the UAE. The fort overlooks the village of Shimla, also the location of a significant archaeological site. Nearby, remarkable gold pendants were found in long narrow tombs from about 4,000 to 3,300 years ago.

7. The traditional hot springs at Chat are very popular with the local population. These are due east of the airport and close to Digdagga, an agricultural area that supplies fruit and vegetables to the other emirates. Roadside stalls sell local produce.

8. Explore the ruins of partially restored abandoned stone houses at Jazeera al Hamra, on the coast between Al Hamra Fort Hotel and the Cove Rotana.

Fujairah and on the East Coast

The UAE’s breath-taking east coast, backed by the towering barren slopes of the Hajar Mountains, borders the Gulf of Oman and the open waters of the Indian Ocean. Most of the coastline (over 90 kilometers) is in the Emirate of Fujairah, but Sharjah also has enclaves here and so has Oman. There are some stunning beaches and good diving locations along the coast, whilst the hinterland features many cultural and historic sites with plenty of opportunity for adventure. Agriculture and fishing still feature prominently, although tourism, oil-bunkering and container shipping are now the mainstays of the economy.

The east coast can be accessed from a number of directions: one of the most direct routes is along the relatively new Dubai-Fujairah Sheikh Khalifa Highway, which cuts through the Hajar Mountains, starting at a junction on the Sharjah-Kalba Road just east of Mleiha and ending in the Al Hail area, outside Fujairah City.

Approaching from the south and west, the E88 from Sharjah through Al Dhaid, a uniquely green agricultural district about 60 kilometers from Sharjah City, is also a popular route.

1. Along the road to Fujairah, on the Dubai side of Masafi, visit the Friday market (rugs of dubious origin, fruit and vegetables, some produced locally, plants, pottery and the inevitable cheap Chinese goods). Despite its name, the market seems to be in operation every day.

2. At Masafi venture north towards Dibba, a sleepy traditional port shared between Sharjah, Fujairah and Oman. This was a very important market town in ancient times and the site of one of the bloodiest battles in the early days of Islam. Boat trips to Oman’s remote Musandam peninsula are run from here. Dibba can also be accessed directly from Ra’s al-Khaimah.

3. Or travel south passing the magnificent restored fort at Bithnah, one of the many forts and watchtowers that once protected these routes through the mountains, to the mainly low-lying Fujairah City. Take time to explore Al Hail Palace, which was once the summer residence of the ruling family of Fujairah.

4. Fujairah Fort, reputedly 360 years old, stands on a slight incline at the edge of date gardens in Fujairah City. These forts are often identified as Portuguese but many were older in construction and refashioned after the arrival of the Portuguese in the sixteenth century. In any event, the subsequent battles for supremacy in area had bloody consequences for the inhabitants of the east coast. Fujairah Fort was also severely damaged in the early twentieth century by a British bombardment, but has been recently restored to its former glory – it looks wonderful lit up at night.

5. Nearby Fujairah Heritage Village has a good selection of traditional houses (‘Arish) and fishing boats (shashah) made from palm fronds, providing an interesting backdrop to its living reconstruction of traditional life in the mountains and on the shores of the east coast, a lifestyle that was quite different to the semi-nomadic existence of the desert-dwellers to the west and south-east.

6. Just south of the fort and opposite the Ruler’s Palace, Fujairah Museum is a small modern building where many of the artefacts found in archaeological digs at Qidfa, Bithnah and other places are on display.

7. On weekends in winter, watch out for the famous Fujairah bullfights – a bloodless sport in which massive Brahmin bulls test their strength against one another.

8. Go south to Sharjah’s enclave of Kalba, which was an important settlement as far back as 4,500 years ago. The fort in Kalba, now in ruins, was mentioned by the Venetian traveler Gasparo Balbi in an account of his travels in the region in 1580.

9. Further south, the spectacular Khor Kalba Nature Reserve, close to the border with Oman, is fringed by one of the most extensive mangrove stands in the region and is home to the extremely rare white-collared kingfisher, amongst other indigenous wildlife.

10. North of Fujairah City the coast road runs through Sharjah’s Khor Fakkan, a major container port and site of one of the fiercest naval battles in the war with the Portuguese in 1554. There is a good view of the low-lying town and the Gulf of Oman from the ruins of Khor Fakkan fort, once a stronghold of the Qawasim tribe that was such a thorn in the sides of the European powers that sought to dominate the area.

11. Wadi Wurrayah, a 31,000 acre nature reserve, lies between Khor Fakkan and Bidiyah. Designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance and the site of the UAE's only waterfall, this is a very special place. At present, it is temporarily closed to the public so that a management plan can be put in place to protect its delicate ecosystem. 

12. Continuing north towards Dibba, the tiny restored Bidiyah Mosque is on the left. This is the oldest mosque in the UAE that is still in use. The long-tomb on the hillside behind the mosque dates from the Bronze Age and was one of the first of its kind ever excavated in the UAE.

13. Past Bidiyah a clutch of resorts hug the coast, including the five-star Le Meridian Al Aqah and the Fujairah Rotana.

14. Snorkeling and diving are favorite pastimes on the east coast since the much deeper Gulf of Oman supports a greater diversity of marine life than the shallow Arabian Gulf. Off the coast of Khor Fakkan there are more than ten dive sites within just a few minutes boat ride from the shore. Typically some of the best sites are submerged rocks that have been colonized by soft corals. Fish are plentiful and turtles are commonly sighted. During winter months grey reef sharks are often seen. The diving gets steadily more demanding and more varied as the coast runs northwards. From Dibba it is possible to reach a wealth of deeper dive sites within half an hour’s boat ride. Mountains that plunge directly into the ocean are covered in soft corals to depths of 40 meters and a cave system offers exciting diving for experienced and suitably qualified divers. For more information or check out UAE Underwater Explore: http://www.emiratesdiving.com/index.php