Day 1 Tue May 21. 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$300.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – SHARJAH
DARE
Nahwa
Sharjah emirate exclaves within UAE (Kalba, Khor Fakkan, Dibba al-Hisn)
Tentative WHS
Faya Palaeolandscape
Mleiha, Late Pre-Islamic Center of a South-East Arabian Kingdom
The Rock Art of the Emirate of Sharjah
Wadi Al Helo: Testimony of Bronze Age Copper Production
SHARJAH
Urban Legends: Sharjah: Al Majaz Waterfront
Airports: Sharjah (SHJ)
Art Museums: Sharjah: Calligraphy Museum
Archaeology and Anthropology Museums: Sharjah: Archaeology Museum
Science, Technology and all Industry and Mining Museums: Sharjah: Science Museum
Maritime/Ship Museums: Sharjah: Sharjah Maritime Museum
Vehicle Museums
Al Madam: Off Road History Museum
Sharjah: Classic Car Museum
Aviation Museums: Sharjah: Al Mahattan Museum
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Sharjah: Sharjah Fort
Vestiges of the Past
Al Dhaid Fort
Meliha Archaeological Centre
Monuments: Khor Fakkan: Resistance Monument
Botanical Gardens: Sharjah: Islamic Botanical Garden
Zoos: Sharjah Desert Park (Arabia Wildlife Centre)
Aquariums: Sharjah Aquarium
Theme Parks, ‘Fun’ Museums and Miniatures: Sharjah: Adventureland
Beaches: Sharjah (East Coast): Khor Fakkan
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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – AJMAN
North of Sharjah, Ajman is the smallest of the seven emirates. Although still comparatively laid back, it has also seen significant in recent years. For visitors, the main attraction is the pretty, palm-lined, white-sand beach while strolling along the Corniche.
DARE Ajman emirate exclaves (Masfoot, Manama)
AJMAN
Road – E11: Ras al Khaimakh-Dubai-Abu Dhabi-Saudi border
Ajman Museum
Sheikh Zayed Mosque
UAE Pygmy Zoo
Ajman Beach
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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – UMM AL-QAIWAIN
This tiny emirate is wrapped around an island-dotted lagoon, is in many ways the ‘anti-Dubai’ – small, sleepy and quaint. Visit the Umm Al Quwain Fort Museum for the history of the emirate.
Ed-Dur is an ancient coastal settlement overlooking Al Beidha Lake, the largest archaeological site in the emirates dug in 1974 with evidence of human habitation spanning the Ubeid period, Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Pre-Islamic period. During the latter period, the settlement appears to have been at its most prosperous and the hills of were entirely covered with dozens of buildings and thousands of stone-built tombs. Some 500 of these tombs have been excavated, with grave goods discovered including drinking sets, Roman glass, weaponry, pottery, jewelry and ivory objects. It is thought some 20,000 tombs are on the site in all.
Falaj Almualla Fort
Al Dur Temple. Vestiges of the Past:
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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – RAS AL-KHAIMAH
RAK is the gateway to the spectacular Musandam Peninsula, an enclave of Oman via the Shams/Tibat border post about 35km north of RAK City. Beyond the border await a dramatic coastal drive and the town of Khasab, where you can catch dhow cruises and go snorkelling with dolphins. If eligible for a free tourist visa for the UAE, you won’t need to obtain a separate visa for Oman.
DARE: Ras al Khaimah southern area (Masafi, Huwaylat)
Tentative WHS
The pearl trading town of Jazirat Al-Hamra
Trading Town of Julfar
Shamal. Atop a craggy mountain above the village of Shamal, some 5km northeast of RAK City, are the ruins of one of the UAE’s oldest archaeological sites, a mystery-shrouded fort called Sheba’s Palace. Built sometime between the 13th and 16th century, only a few stone walls and a badly ruined barrel-shaped building remain. The views from up here, though – stretching from sea to village to mountain – are superb.
The Cultural Landscape of Dhayah
Dhayah Fort is an 18th-century fortification, the highest hilltop fort in the UAE and in 1819 was the last bastion of local resistance to the British punitive expedition of 1819 which sacked Ras Al Khaimah, Rams and southern coastal settlements as far as Dubai. It was restored in 1990 and lacks a natural source of water.
RAS AL KHAIMAH
Airports: Ras al Khaimah (RKT)
National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah
Masafi Fort
Mountains: Jebel Jais – West Peak
Rivers: Wadi Bih
Trails 2 – Hikes: Wadi Lasal Circular Trail
Beaches: Ras al Khaimah: Flamingo Beach
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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – FUJAIRAH
DARE Fujairah southernmost exclave (Wahla)
Tentative WHS
Al Bidya Mosque (30/01/2012)
Wadi Wurayah National Park
FUJAIRAH
Roads, Road Bridges and Tunnels: Road – E99: Oman border-Fujairah-Dibba
History, Culture, National and City Museums: Fujairah: Fujairah Museum
Open-Air Museums: Fujairah: Al Taiba Heritage Museum
Castles, Palaces, Forts:
Fujairah: Fujairah Fort
Wadi Hayl: Al Hayl Fort
Wahlah: Awhala (Wahlah) Fort
Religious Temples
Fujairah: Al Bidyah Mosque
Fujairah: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
World of Nature: Wadi Wurayah
Mountains: Jebel Yibir
Trails 2 – Hikes
Copper Hike Trail
Wadi Tayyibah Trail