Text: Irina MalkovaMANY CONNECT THE EMIRATES TO A LUXURY AND RICH DUBAI. BUT THERE ARE HERE AND OTHERS HIDDEN FROM POPULAR TOURISTS PEARLS - HIGH MOUNTAINS, NATURE RESERVES, SHORE OF THE INDIAN OCEAN, SECRET GREEN OASIS, ARE SOURLY UNDERGROUND. AND IF YOU, LIKE ME, LOVE THE FREEDOM AND SPIRIT OF ADVENTURES - THIS STORY IS SPECIALLY FOR YOU.
The first day. Al ain
So, I had three free days at my disposal, a GPS navigator and a car. First of all, I went to the oasis town of Al Ain, located in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The road from Dubai takes about an hour and a half and passes through a picturesque desert with terracotta dunes - the local sand acquired such a beautiful copper shade due to the iron contained in it. It is believed that Al Ain is famous for its football club, the best zoo in the country, as well as the Hili for Fun amusement park. However, I was interested in the highest mountain in the area, Jebel Hafeet - exactly on the border with Oman. The mountain is penetrated by a cunning system of karst caves and once, many thousands of years ago, rested on the bottom of the ocean - fossils in the form of mollusks and shells are still found. Here, by the way, it is never too hot, even in the summer months. At the foot of Jebel Hafeet lies the Green Mubazarrah Natural Park with hot mineral springs - you can come as a family, arrange camping and barbecue, or just take a walk around the area. And the 12-kilometer serpentine road leads to the summit, recognized as one of the ten most beautiful roads in the world! On each bend, observation platforms are built from where breathtaking views open, and believe me, you will want to stop quite often. Almost at the very top, the Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet was built, fragrant with the fragrance of frangipani - a whole grove of these tropical trees has been planted on its territory. Here, on a steep cliff, there is Al Khaimah restaurant, where you can enjoy dinner and enjoy the sunset. By the way, because of the excellent hookah in the evenings, many specially come here from Dubai or Abu Dhabi - to change the scenery and enjoy the views.
In general, being on this mountain itself has a therapeutic effect. Stunning views that open up tens of kilometers into the distance, silence, falcons soaring in the sky, the mysticism of the place free your head from unnecessary thoughts. At night, the mountain becomes especially enchanting. The black canvas of the earth below begins to tremble and shimmer with myriads of colorful dots, between them, like zigzags of lightning, golden lines of roads are drawn, disappearing somewhere in the dark abyss. Add the stars with a pea above your head and the crackle of invisible cicadas here, and you will get a very rare sight on this earth. No wonder it was on the top of this mountain that the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, built his residence.
Second day. Gulf of Oman
The next day, my path lay in the emirate of Fujairah, where they go beyond the sandy beaches and deep gorges. The road was breathtaking. Tall palm trees, neatly planted along the highway, with bunches of ripe dates on the background of dunes created a double feeling. On the one hand, it seemed that you were somewhere in a well-equipped city line - the road went so smoothly and smoothly, on the other hand, desert views with dunes extending over the horizon and the complete absence of other cars created the illusion of a lost oasis. And wild camels found along the way, slowly crossing the road, only added color.
Closer to Fujairah, the area began to change. First, the sand moved to the low foothills, which began to grow up before our eyes and soon turned into a high mountain range. The road wagged with a serpentine, I only had time to deftly maneuver between the rocks, and then, quite unexpectedly, a huge and majestic Indian Ocean opened before me! Compared to the desert, the temperature dropped by almost ten degrees, but because of the huge humidity, no coolness was felt. Very soon I entered the resort town of Korfakkan - with a promenade, a series of cafes and restaurants by the sea and a long coastline where you can swim, do kitesurfing or just sunbathe and do nothing. Many stay here, but I drove on - up south. Five kilometers from Korfakkan is Al Aqah beach, with clear blue water, white sand and a surprisingly rich underwater world, attracting divers from all over the world. You can choose from the hotels La Meridian, Fujairah Rotana Resort & Spa, Iberotel Miramar Beach Resort and several others. There is not much entertainment here, but the views seemed more beautiful to me. By the way, Fujairah is located on the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and therefore is washed by the waters of the Gulf of Oman of the Indian Ocean. Here, unlike the calm Persian Gulf, there are waves on which riding can bring a lot of pleasure. I personally got so bummed that at ten o'clock I slept a baby’s sleep, before even managing to fall asleep in a manicure at the Zen the Spa of Fujairah Rotana Resort & Spa, which has never happened to me before. By the way, this spa received the award as the best in this emirate for 2013.
Day Three Ras Al Khaimah
No matter how sad it was to part with the hospitable waters of the Gulf of Oman, I went on to the emirate of Ras Al Kheimu. The road almost straight crossed the Arabian Peninsula. Sand dunes reached the height of small hills and, like waves, went beyond the horizon, making the area seem completely wild. In the middle of the way I came across a pointer to some reserve, and without thinking twice, I decided to turn off. The road narrowed and led deep into the desert — wild oryxes crossed the road here and there, and the signs “Watch out, camels!” Made you take a closer look around. Around - not a soul. Finally, I drove to the fork with two signs - one led to the Banyan Tree Al Wadi Hotel, the other pointed to the local Bedouin village. A jeep was required to travel to the village, so I turned into a hotel and ... five minutes later I found myself in a real oriental tale. An oasis lost in the endless sands with broken green gardens, ponds, fountains - this is how I always imagined Garden of Delight. Villas and tents were scattered throughout the vast territory of the reserve and reflected the traditional Arabic style in the interior - with carved lamps, carpets and inter-fences. Each villa had its own pool, which overlooked the dunes and peacefully grazing antelopes, gazelles and camels. I was offered to participate in falconry, ride a horse or just go with a guide to the eco-reserve and listen to a story about the local flora and fauna. “You should see the stars,” one hotel guest advised me. “The hotel has a specially equipped observation deck for observing the stars - at night due to the absence of artificial illumination for many kilometers, they are clearly visible.” As I later found out, my interlocutor turned out to be a writer of Canadian origin, who was not the first to visit this hotel. “I am coming here because of silence and pacification,” he told me, while I was looking at the craters of the moon with a telescope in the dark. in the desert. And only he who seeks finds it. " In truth, at that moment I completely agreed with him, feeling like a wandering nomad, who found an overnight stay in a lost oasis. The next morning, the coast of Ras Al Khaimah was waiting for me, so with great regret I had to leave the Banyan Tree Al Wadi and hit the road again.
By the way, Ras Al Khaimah also has its own bulk "palm" called Marjan Island. Luxury hotels, quiet expanse of water, all at the highest level. However, after an oasis in the desert, the "palm" seemed too boring. In addition, my path lay on the highest point in the Emirates, which is rarely written in guidebooks and where tourists are definitely not taken, - Mount Jebel Al Jais. Many said that the way there is even more picturesque than on Jebel Hafit.
It is not easy to find the mountain road - there are no signs from the city of Ras Al Khaimah, so I had to blindly trust the navigator. However, as soon as I passed the last settlement, before my eyes appeared the majestic Al Hajar mountains - a natural wonder of this region. From a noisy coastal city, I seemed to be in a different reality. The road looped between hills and cliffs, not a single car on the way, the thought came to my mind that maybe I got lost, because it can’t be that only I decided to climb this mountain today?
Thank God, two white render rovers loomed somewhere ahead - a clear sign of the presence of off-road adventure lovers. At the only rendezvous I met, I turned left (again, no signs), and after a couple of kilometers the climb itself began. This time the serpentine was taller and meander than on Jebel Hafit, but the road itself was good and safe. The steep walls of the mountains formed canyons and cliffs up to two kilometers high, which is why a comparison with the Grand Canyon in Arizona unwittingly came to mind. A striking contrast with bare rocks was found on the way of the Wadi Valley, densely overgrown with palm trees and shrubs, and mountain streams formed here real freshwater ponds.
The climb itself took about an hour and brought to the plateau, from where a wonderful view appeared and where it is best to take photographs. Camping and barbecue facilities are also available here. Further, to the top, an asphalt road led, and the most courageous and hardiest traveled the last three kilometers on foot. However, most of those who came here preferred to stay on the plateau, since the views were amazing. Here it is - the highest mountain of the Emirates!
By the way, I advise you to visit this mountain right now. Soon they are going to build a luxury hotel and a ski resort (yes, there is snow there in winter), which may improve the infrastructure, but disrupt the natural primeval location. So far, these mountains are inhabited very little, so here you can still see such rare and protected animals as the Arabian tar and the Arabian leopard. And if I could not see the leopard, then I was even able to photograph the container.
Coming back to Dubai with a baggage of vivid impressions and having seen so many different layers of local nature, I thought that the soul of the Emirates is really not in fashionable Dubai or the aristocratic Abu Dhabi. It is hidden in the desert with colorful sands, in the lost mountains, in secluded green oases and small villages. And if you want to truly know and understand the heart of the UAE - take the car and feel free to go explore their beauty inland.
