UAE May 13-14 and 21-29, 2024
For most people, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) means just one place: Dubai, the sci-fi-esque city of iconic skyscrapers, palm-shaped islands, city-sized malls, indoor ski slopes and beach resorts. But beyond the glitter is a diverse mosaic of six more emirates, each with its own character and allure.
An hour’s drive south, oil-rich Abu Dhabi, the country’s capital, is quickly gaining a reputation as a hub of culture, sport and leisure. Beyond its borders looms the vast Al Gharbia desert, whose silence is interrupted only by shifting dunes.
North of Dubai, Sharjah has the country’s best museums, while tiny Ajman and Umm Al Quwain show life in the pre-oil days, and Ras Al Khaimah is busy building up its tourism infrastructure. For the best swimming and diving, head to the emirate of Fujairah and the clear waters of the Gulf of Oman.”
Capital. Abu Dhabi
Population. 7.9 million. Only 18% are natives, the rest are immigrant workers.
Money. UAE dirham (Dh). 3.66 to the US$ in November 2015. ATMs are everywhere.
Visa. For most Western travellers, it is a free 30-day visa on arrival.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – ABU DHABI (Al Ain)
Sun May 12
Flights. Royal Maroc QR4548 SSG-Casablanca (CMN) @05:40-10:55 / 4’15” / 3’15” trans
Qatar QR 4566 CMN-Doha (DOH) @14:10-23:35 / 8’25” / 2’45” trans
Day 1 Mon May 13 QR1040 DOH-Abu Dhabi (AUH) @02:20-04:25
Bus – buy HAFILAT card for airport and inner city buses – 20 aed (10 aed for the card and 10 aed balance) Ticket fares: 4 aed and inner bus city
a) Take bus a2 from the airport to Madina Zayed shopping center > bus number 7-8-34-67 (direction Khalidiya) and get off at Grandstores after Qasar Al Hosn square or walk (15-20 minutes)
b) Take bus a1 from the airport to the main bus terminal > bus number 34-21-22-23 (direction Khalidiya) and get off at Grandstores after Qasar Al Hosn > backside of Grandstores > street behind is Al Wifaq (google shows it as Al ismah street) > building 63. Don’t ring the bell. The mixed dormitory is the first room to the right. Take any empty bed.
ABU DHABI
Check-into hostel early, store luggage and see the few sites in downtown Abu Dhabi.
Louvre Abu Dhabi
Emirates National Auto Museum
UAE Currency Museum
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Qasr Al Watan
Architectural Delights
Abu Dhabi: Aldar Headquarters
Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi
Warner Bros World
Yas Waterworld
Marina Mall
ON Sweet Home Hostel +971 55 603 4793 jaocco78@gmail.com
63 Freej Al Mazaree’ Street, Abu DhabiFreej al Mazaree’ street. Build #63; Apartment: 1501 (15th floor) Rabab kebab restaurant, entrance at back, the apartment door is always open > elevator to floor 15th – 1501
Day 2 Tue May 14
Flight. Air Arabia AUH-Socrata @09:30
Day 3 Tue May 21
Flight. Socrata-AUH
After Socrata, I returned to Abu Dhabi and rented a car to see all of the UAE, starting with Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Europcar AUH. Small Chev 7 days, no excess CA$280.79. Rent car AUH April 21 @17:00, drop off April 28 @17:00.
Day 10 Tue May 29
Flight. PIA Pakistan International Airline. AUH – Peshawar (PEW) @02:45-06:50 3’05” direct CA$176
DARE
Abu Dhabi Emirate extreme west (Al Sila area)
Sir Bani Yas Island is a natural island located 170 km SW of Abu Dhabi and 9 km offshore from Jebel Dhanna. 17.5 km long and 9 km wide. It was originally home to Arabia’s largest wildlife reserve and is home to thousands of large free-roaming animals, several million trees and plants and a bird sanctuary. Adventure safaris, kayaking, mountain biking, archery, hiking and snorkelling.
Sir Bani Yas is the crest of a salt dome created millions of years ago by natural geological forces.
The first human settlers arrived several thousand years ago. Thirty-six archaeological sites Nestorian Christian monastery dates to 600 AD. Animals introduced include gazelle, oryx, llama, hyrax, giraffe, and ostrich. One hundred species of wild birds. One of the world’s largest herd of endangered Arabian oryx (formerly extinct in the wild, but now over 400 roam freely on the island).
Taking up about half of Sir Bani Yas, the Arabian Wildlife Park has 13,000 animals indigenous to the Arabian Peninsula including the endangered Arabian Oryx, Sand Gazelle and Mountain Gazelle as well as free-roaming predators and scavengers such as the cheetah and striped hyena.
Critically endangered include sea turtles, sand gazelles, Barbary sheep, Arabian tahr and oryx. More than 10,000 animals from Sir Bani Yas have been released into wildlife reserves.
Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara with 64 rooms and three restaurants
Flights are available through Sir Bani Yas Airport.
Sir Bu Nair Island Tentative WHS: (30/01/2012). This protected island is a marine protected areas, geological formations, natural flora and Marine birds. Sir Bu Nair is one of the most important hawksbill nesting sites within the entire Arabian Gulf.
Important sea-birds nesting here include lesser crested tern, great crested tern, red-billed tropicbird and Socotra cormorant. Sooty gulls and bridled terns nest in large numbers. Threats to nesting bridled terns from feral cat predation.
The subsoil of the island is rich in iron oxide and sulphur and used in the paving of streets in Britain.
Islands: Abu al Abyad, Al Futaisi
AL AIN (pop 625,000)
With markets, forts, museums and a famous date palm oasis, Al Ain is a calm oasis after the frantic pace of Dubai and even Abu Dhabi, both about a two-hour drive away. On the border with Oman, the birthplace of Sheikh Zayed has greatly benefited from his patronage and passion for greening the desert, even garnering the moniker ‘Garden City’. But the desert is never far away: simply drive the winding road up Jebel Hafeet for sweeping views of the Empty Quarter. Al Ain has a couple of excellent museums, an archaeological park, a superb zoo and several ancient sites comprising a WHS.
Al Ain rubs up against the town of Buraimi across the Omani border. Those who are not citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) must use the Hili border crossing in northern Al Ain and take a short taxi ride to the centre from there. GCC citizens can use the more central Al Mudeef crossing.
Al Ain has no cheap accommodation. Top Hotel for 250Dh ($68.50) – less per person than Dubai Youth Hostel but without a good breakfast. There is an incredible selection of cheap Indian restaurants so food is very cheap.
Airports: Al Ain (AAN)
Al Ain Classic Car Museum
Hazza bin Zayed Stadium. Architectural Delights:
Bawadi Mall
Al Yabbana: Liwa Fort
Mangrove National Park
Al Bahyah: Emirate Park Zoo
Jebel Hafeet Mountain
Jebel Hafeet Beehive Tombs. Vestiges of the Past:
Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road
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UNITED EMIRATES – DUBAI
DARE Hatta (Dubai exclave)
Tentative WHS: Hatta Archaeological Landscape (Emirate of Dubai)
DUBAI (pop 2.1 million)
Everyone flies here – the aerial view is variable but always interesting: skyscrapers that sprout across a desert hemmed in by a coastline with constructed archipelagos. From the world’s tallest building, skiing in the desert, islands shaped like the entire world and the world’s largest shopping malls
Under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai has become a centre of finance, tourism and trade – much based on its income tax-free status. But the expense of living here including property taxes makes it not so attractive.
For visitors, Dubai is an exciting place to visit, with lovely beaches, sophisticated restaurants and bars, world-class shopping, ultra-luxe hotels, and awe-inspiring architecture, including, of course, the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.
Dubai’s heritage is still strongly rooted in Islam and generations of Bedouin heritage.
Dubai is an ultramodern city – there is nothing here over 50 years of age. Spread along the west coast of UAE for many kilometres, it is basically a city of freeways, low-rises, and mosques with high minarets and desert-adapted trees and palms. There are concentrations of high rises downtown around the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall and around Dubai Marina/Creek. All are architectural wonders clad in reflective glass and stainless steel. Even the “historical districts” look brand-new.
In the neighbourhood, where I am staying and on the metro, it is interesting to pick out nationalities. These are all guesses but 90% appear Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Filipino, and the rest are a smattering of African, Chinese, tourist and the least common, Arab. At Dubai Mall, besides the workers, 80% are Western tourists, 15% South Asian tourists and 5% are Arabs dressed in their flowing white kaftans and headgear (they are the only ones in the unbelievably swank restaurants in the domed atrium). Arab women are all in black and many had a full burqa. I asked a worker in a store (who was obviously Filipino), how many of the people who worked in the mall were Filipino – she said 70% – they are very courteous people.
Getting Around. The RTA sells refillable cards usable on the metro and buses. Rides are 3-6 Dh depending on distance. Both buses and the metro are sex selected with the fronts for women and children only. Dubai is huge and the metro a superb way to get around on the two lines. The buses are complicated and slow with the heavy traffic but maps of routes are available online.
Urban Legends:
Dubai: Dubai Frame
Dubai: Safa Park
Art Museums: Dubai: Jameel Arts Centre
Science, Technology and all Industry and Mining Museums: Dubai: Museum of the Future
Architectural Delights: Dubai: Princess Tower
Botanical Gardens: Dubai: Miracle Garden
Zoos: Dubai: Dubai Zoo
Aquariums: Dubai: Lost Chambers Aquarium
Planetariums: Sharjah Academy Of Astronomy
Theme Parks, ‘Fun’ Museums and Miniatures
Dubai: Bollywood Parks
Dubai: IMG Worlds of Adventure
Dubai: Legoland
Dubai: Motiongate
Dubai: Wild Wadi Water Park
Malls/Department Stores
Dubai: Global Village Mall
Dubai: Ibn Battuta Mall
Well-being: Eco-Experience: Al Maha Desert Resort