In the desert…
Hop on a quad bike: Never underestimate the joy of tearing across the sand on a four-wheeled monster, particles of dust and debris streaming into your bloodshot eyes. It’s worth checking out before the sun melts your tyres.
Half day Dhs900; full day Dhs1,500, pick-up included. Blue Banana: 04 436 8100; www.bluebananaarabia.com.
Bash those dunes: Explore the outskirts of Liwa’s Rub al Khali area (the Empty Quarter). Trips of up to seven days can be arranged, giving you plenty of time to explore one of the world’s most barren corners.
Dhs7,000 for two days; Dhs10,000 for three days, four to seven days by special request. Explorer Tours: 04 286 1991; www.explorertours.ae.
Buggy up: After being picked up, you’re dropped off at a traditional Bedouin campsite in Al Khatem where you’re quickly introduced to the dunes and a bone-shaking 1,500cc’s of raw dune buggy power. This is a totally different proposition to quad biking – more power, more adrenaline, more crazy.
Half day (90mins) Dhs600; full day (180mins) Dhs900, pick-up included. Blue Banana: 04 436 8100; www.bluebananaarabia.com.
Go hot air ballooning: Ballooning over the desert in Al Ain is the ideal way to see the majesty of the dunes without getting sand in your crevices. Take a picnic and do it in style before rides stop at the end of May.
Dhs950 per person for one hour; Abu Dhabi pick up from Carrefour, Old Airport Road. Blue Banana: 04 436 8100; www.bluebananaarabia.com.
Try gliding: As Icarus discovered, flying too close to the sun can be a dangerous activity. Admittedly, the paragliders operating on the Abu Dhabi border are shrewd enough to avoid using wax, but to feel the wind in your hair (and the whirr of a motorised propeller on your back), this is a great activity to try before the heat sets in.
Visit www.microaviation.org or call Lazlo on 055 843 5254 to find out more information.
Go for a ride: The chance to ride in the silence of the desert is a rare treat, and frisky Arabian horses present a real challenge to even the experienced rider. If you’re a beginner, farm-based treks are also available.
Call Tina on 050 662 0969 or visit www.alawadistables.com.
Sand skiing: If you have your own equipment, head for Liwa and the edges of the Empty Quarter, where the dunes are big enough to offer a serious challenge. Given that this is one of world’s most thirsty places, mornings are advisable, as are light clothing and plenty of sunscreen.
For beginners, try Blue Banana, 04 436 8100, www.bluebananaarabia.ae.
Go camping: Some 50km from Hamim village, with 200m sand dunes for company and neither light nor noise to bother you, this idyllic spot is around 35km into Liwa, so you don’t tend to get many day trippers in the area, hence the lack of rubbish. Bear in mind, though, this is for competent desert drivers only. Always travel in groups and take a GPS. To get there, head towards Abu Dhabi and Hamim village. A few kilometres after you’ve been through Hamim, you will see a petrol station on the left. A couple of kilometres further on you will spot a fairly wide track. Stay on the track for as long as you want and turn into the desert at any point – wherever you like the look of – and pitch up.
See some animal magic: Now that the Emirates Wildlife Centre has finally opened it’s worth paying them a visit before all the animals retreat into their air-conditioned enclosures – wouldn’t you?
Visit www.abudhabiwildlifecentre.com.
Hunt some fossils
Al Ain is a living fossil.We recommend…
Hili Archeological Park: Around 4,000 years old, roughly 12m in diameter and covered in engravings. Hundreds of bodies have been recovered here, along with pottery and stone utensils, some of which can be seen at Al Ain National Museum.
Iron Age villages: The Al Ain area is brimming with Iron Age villages. Hili Two (just outside the park) is 90 per cent intact, while a short 25km drive brings you to Bida Bint Saud, also well worth a visit.
Fossil Valley: Across the Oman border at Jebel Huwayah, fossilised remains abound. Popular with campers, more than a few souvenirs can be picked up.
Go climbing
Seasoned mountaineer Pete Aldwinkle of Global Climbing gives us five of his best and, more importantly, shadiest climbs around the UAE. For experienced climbers only.
Hatta Crag: High up above the Madam Plain, with frequent cooling breezes, Hatta Crag offers a wide variety of sports and traditional climbing on steep and interesting rock.
Wonder Wall: Although 40km beyond Al Ain into Oman, Wonder Wall offers a large number of sports and traditional face climbing. There are good campsites close to the crag with significant bouldering opportunities right at your tent door.
Deep Water Soloing at Musandam Peninsular: For the more adventurous, go deep-water soloing on the steep cliffs of the Musandam Peninsular. It’s relatively unexplored and even less documented with the addition of clear water, great snorkelling and secluded beaches to camp on. Best done in a group using a dhow as a ‘mother ship’ and sit-on-top kayaks to ferry climbers into the cliffs.
RoadSide Crag Wadi Qadaa: A short walk (20m) from the car park, and you have a great selection of traditional climbs on the steep single pitch Roadside Crag in Wadi Qadaa. This climb also has three outstanding sports routes.
Wadi Al Bih: Although access to Wadi Al Bih is more difficult now that access is only via Dibba, it offers a large number of long and short traditional climbs and a few sports routes. Seclusion is now almost guaranteed and there are many opportunities to camp at higher and cooler elevations.
For beginners: Test your climbing abilities on the UAE’s highest climbing wall at Dubai’s World Trade Centre (sessions run daily for adults, 6pm-10pm), or you can bring the mountain to Abu Dhabi and hire Global Climbing’s (07 235 3910; www.globalclimbing.com) six-metre climbing wall. Alternatively, if you want to experience the real thing, Blue Banana (04 436 8100; www.bluebanana.com) offers three-hour outdoor lessons in the crags around Dibba for Dhs395 per person, with full tuition included.
In the town…
Walk the city: The Sharanis Walking Groups not only raise money for the Dhaka Project, supporting families in the Dhaka Province in Bangladesh, but hold their first official walk starting from May 9 at the Sheraton Car Park on the Corniche.
Call Sharon Moore on 050 876 7521 to book your place.
Try parkour: We never tire of bouncing off walls on the Corniche with the agility of a particularly agile feline. Of course, when we tried it was more a case of slamming into them with the force of a jet-propelled hammour, but between scaling walls, jumping off them and nursing our scraped knees we had fun.
UAE Parkour meets on Fridays on the Corniche, opposite the Hilton Baynunah, from 4pm-7pm. Call Steve on 050 721 8169 for details.
Go for a picnic: Should the usual city locations of the Corniche, Khalifa Park and our own personal favourite, Khalidaya Park, suddenly seem to lack sparkle, a picnic at the Green Mubazzarah Park on Al Ain’s towering Jebel Hafeet should meet your expectations. Or head over the border to Jebel Huwayah, otherwise known as Fossil Valley, a popular camp site and complete with its own ‘hanging gardens’ – just don’t forget your passport.
Go green: The Iranian Souk may largely consist of a catalogue of cheap, miscellaneous cutlery, but keep your eyes open for the amazing horticulture. The best selection of gardening bargains we’ve found in the capital, and venus flytraps the size of your face are enough to keep horticulturalists and bored children occupied for hours. Iranian Souk, Al Meena.
Visit the date plantations: When in Al Ain do as the date pickers do and visit the date plantations, next to the Al Ain Museum. It makes for a peaceful walk and a genuine glimpse into UAE life over the past millennia.
Shady lanes: It’s May, so we can’t pretend it isn’t already hot. Al Ain has more oases than you can shake a khanjar at, and there are few more refreshing pastimes than leaving your A/C behind and getting out into the natural cool of the leafy palms. Park your car at the Al Ain Museum and stroll for miles along spotless back routes, occasionally straying among the trees to see ancient irrigation techniques in operation.
Forts and ideas: If there’s one thing Abu Dhabi isn’t short of, it’s elderly ramparts. From the mighty Jahili Fort of Al Ain, to the quaint but somewhat sidestepped Maqtar Fort that guards our island, the well-preserved examples that dot the emirate attest to a proud warrior tradition. Look out for Qattara Fort, just north of Al Ain, which is set to reopen as home to a brand new arts centre this summer. Also worth a look: Mezyad Fort, Al Murabba Fort, Delma Museum Fort and Al Futaisi Fort.
Heritage hunting: Anyone who arrives in Abu Dhabi city looking for examples of traditional architecture will be somewhat disappointed. Fortunately, we have the Heritage Village out on Breakwater. The idea of a recreated Emirati settlement sounds a little flakey at first, but believe us, this makes for a lovely afternoon stroll, and – who knows – you might end up learning something. The craftsmen working their traditional wares are worth the trip alone, and don’t get us started on the freshly fried doughnuts…
Go cycling: Of course, you could strap on the old mountain bike and drive to Jebel Hafeet, but for something a touch more genteel head to the Corniche, rent yourself a bicycle and pretend that you live in Amsterdam. Opposite the Hilton, Dhs20 per hour.
Eat on the street: There are plenty of places to eat al fresco in the capital, and we’ve recently been fattening up at Layali Zaman, in Lake Park, and The Village at One to One Hotel (the pony rides won us over). For the really upmarket stuff, try Sho Cho or the Meat Company at the Qaryat Al Beri Souk.
Find a magic carpet: The last time Time Out went to the carpet souk in Al Meena, one hapless salesman managed to beat himself down from Dhs4,000 to Dhs800 without us saying a word. Now that’s bartering talent for you. Best done before the heat goes to your head and your powers grow weak.
Declare paintball war: We love the smell of paintballs in the morning, although we don’t appreciate the large red welts which emerge upon our body afterwards. Complete with giant colourful obstacles, you needn’t be a gun lover to don war paint at the Armed Forces Officer’s Club, but a disregard for your own safety helps. Dhs150 per person for two hours (min: 10 players). Armed Forces Officers Club, 02 441 5 900, www.afoc.mil.ae.
Visit the camel market
Located a mere five minutes’ drive from Al Ain Hilton, heading out on 137th street, the livestock market is a treat for the kids and a wakeup call for anyone living the sheltered life in the bigger cities. Watch as local tradesmen barter over the life of a young goat, casually holding a previous win by its hooves in a gentle but firm pincer grip. A great place for budding photographers, but worth remembering that this is a real place of work – tourists are welcome, though not the reason for its existence – and, as such, respect should be practised at all times. Don’t go pointing your lens until you’re sure nobody will mind.
The real draw, of course, is the camel market, the last of its kind in the UAE. You’re welcome to wander the area free of charge, but that doesn’t stop the army of Pakistani and Afghani hopefuls spotting a opening. They’re very insistent that you tour with them – almost aggressively so – but they do understand a thing or two about camels. Agree a price and they’ll get you into the enclosures for photos, as well as making sure you see all that the camel interior has to offer – from wobbly-legged newborns to craggy old has-beens.
As a brief overview, it’s worth knowing that a baby camel can sell for as little as Dhs3,000, with a fully grown male starting at around Dhs25,000 (so buy young and nurture, if you’re looking).The skin tones represent the region from which they come, the darker beasts having spent their time wandering the vast wastes of Saudi’s Empty Quarter. As a morning out, the livestock market makes for a fascinating experience, though if you come expecting a camel ride, you’ll be disappointed. Instead, prepare yourself for a little local tradition in action.
Head to the track
The endurance race at Al Ain Raceway is not named lightly. ‘Endurance’ is a key word, as is ‘adrenalin’, ‘stamina’ and ‘nutcase’.
Heading up the north road out of Al Ain, Jebel Hafeet looming to our right, the trip to Al Ain Raceway is a desert adventure in itself. Situated at the city’s sports complex, there’s little out here other than vast waves of scrubland, a water factory and a runway for remote control aircraft.
One hour of go-karting endurance is possible, but not recommended, if only because of the comically small race suit you’re given. The crotch rides dangerously high, and your ankles are exposed in a way that hasn’t been fashionable since teddy boys walked the earth. As we lower ourselves into a sleek and powerful machine, engines roar around us and grown men trade the kind of insults Ozzy Osbourne might find offensive.
There’s no edging out of the pit area here and no getting to grips with the feel of the road. It’s a baptism of fire, and Time Out is the pasty newborn. Within seconds we’ve spun off the track, are dizzy and unsure what’s happening. We edge our steed back on the course, only to be shunted back into the desert posthaste. Over the course of the race, we learn several important things about endurance racing. One: it’s certainly not for children or Time Out journalists. Two: families that take part in this sport probably eat their own young for breakfast. Three: you need the stamina of an ox to get through it in one piece.
By the second bend, it’s quite clear that our hopes of supremacy are over. If you think UAE driving standards leave something to be desired, try the conditions at Al Ain Raceway. It’s as though they’ve stored up an extra big bag of nutcase, especially for Friday evenings. The Open Club Circuit Endurance race costs Dhs600 for a team of two drivers.
Suits, gloves, helmets and karts are provided. Call 03 768 6662, or visit www.alainraceway.com
Find a secret beach
Al Futaisi: Admittedly, Al Futaisi Island is more of a structured resort than a desert island, but unlike Sir Bani Yas Island – which requires that you stay in the hotel – Al Futaisi has no such requirement and a Dhs100 fee per person is all that is required in order to get a ferry across from its office opposite Al Bateen Marina. This entitles you to use its private beach and swimming pool, but bear in mind boats run at 10.30am and 5.30pm with nothing in between, so be sure to arrive promptly or you’ll literally miss the boat. The obligatory sports (beach volleyball, football, Jet Ski hire) can all be found here and the resort offers tours (Dhs200 per person) as well as horse and cycling trips around the island.
Boats operate from Al Futaisi office, Al Bateen Marina, 02 666 6601.
Bahraini Island: One of the larger of Abu Dhabi’s islands, Bahraini Island (aka Al Maya Island) is also among the few that are not off limits to the public. At 7km in length, there are plenty of peaceful spots to be found here, which is handy as its surrounding waters tend to fill up quickly from Friday morning onwards (locals know it as ‘Millionaire’s Bay’). Charter companies like Belvari Marine will happily drop you off overnight should you wish to extend your stay. Camping and barbecues are allowed, but sadly, many of the visitors abuse this and the island’s beaches are all too often used as a dumping ground, so be sure to take any rubbish with you. Occasional island dance events are also becoming more common, so be warned: a couple of hundred clubbers could quickly descend on your oasis of tranquillity depending on which evening you choose.
Dhs300 per hour, contact Belevari Marine on 050 661 2167 to charter a boat.
Ghantoot: Another site for beach partying, for a while Ghantoot beach threatened to become so popular we were worried that the whole of UAE would spoil our secret. Thankfully that didn’t happen and today you still feel like you’re a whole world away from the city. For one thing, you are rarely joined by more than a handful of people (the loungers are so spaced out you’d struggle to overhear even a heated marital tiff). The sand is, indeed, white, and the sea is, indeed, turquoise. Even better, the neighbouring Golden Tulip Hotel that runs the beach has a pool and a café, so you can take a break if you get too much sand in your bathers. It’s a quaint place, if a little dated, and if you get bored, banana boating at the hotel will ease your pain.
To get there, head toward Dubai and take Exit 399 on the Sheikh Zayed Road and follow the signs for ‘Bungalows’. After about five minutes, a roundabout leads to Ghantoot beach. Entry costs Dhs100.
Lulu Island: Lulu is the most accessible of all Abu Dhabi’s man-made islands, stretching practically the length of Abu Dhabi’s corniche. Regular boat trips used to run to and from the mainland for a minimum fee. Alas, these were stopped last year after plans for the island’s redevelopment were announced. But, for the time being, you can still enjoy its pristine sands if you want to charter a boat. However, unlike some of the other islands, you can’t camp here and you will be asked to leave after 8pm.
Contact Captain Berend Van Rijn on 050 661 2167 to charter a boat for Dhs300 per hour.
In the water
Learn to wakeboard: This isn’t a cheap sport by any stretch of the imagination and lessons can cost a lot. So, a six-hour stint, where you get to try as many times as your tired limbs can manage, seems like a bargain at Dhs250 per person.
Trips depart from Sadiyat Co-Op Marina, next door to The Club. Call Rudi on 050 238 3154.
Learn to kitesurf: Get to grips with this challenging sport. A blend of wakeboarding and kiting, we were told that after around five hours anyone could attain some proficiency. We’re sceptical, but we’re prepared to give it a go.
Lessons start from around Dhs300, visit www.ad-kitesurfing.net for more information.
Go sport fishing: If you don’t see fishing as a sport, that’s probably because you’ve never wrestled a sailfish, felt it wrench on the line, bared your strength against its weight and then experienced the raw disappointment of it getting away. Trust us, this is brilliant fun.
Arabian Divers and Sportfishing, call Captain Greg Heinricks at 050 614 6931 or visit www.fishabudhabi.com.
Take part in a yacht race: Setting off from Abu Dhabi Marina (opposite Marina Mall) on the first Saturday of the month, Dhs300 buys you a place aboard the capital’s monthly yacht race and a chance to eat chicken drumsticks in style as you cut, jibe and hoist your way to the finish line.
Call Captain Berend Van Rijn on 050 661 2176 to book your place.
Take a jet ski adventure: Setting off from the InterContinental and tearing around the islands at speeds of over 100kph may not be the most environmentally friendly way to acquaint yourself with Abu Dhabi, but it is fun.
Dhs350 per hour. Blue Banana, 04 436 8100, www.bluebanana arabia.com.
Get wet: The first Al Gharbia Watersports Festival kicks off this month (May 1-9) and with it a host of international sportsmen in the fields of wakeboarding, surf-ski kayaking, kite surfing and beach football descend on Mirfa public beach in Al Gharbia. Camping and concerts will surround the event, so don’t forget to bring your tent.
Visit www.algharbiafestivals.com for more information.
Get on your knees: It might sound made-up, but for those not confident with traditional wakeboarding, kneeboarding is an easier-sounding prospect.
Al Jazira Resort, Golden Tulip Hotel, 02 562 9100.
Ride in an abra: Abras are the traditional boats used to transport people across creeks and rivers. Think of it as an Arabic gondola and you’re halfway there.
Visit the Quaryat Al Beri souk for free abra rides around the complex.
Dine on the ocean: Le Royal Méridien’s Shuja Yacht remains a year-round draw, but in order to avoid sweating harder than your lobster, we recommend a pre-summer jaunt as you sail Abu Dhabi’s islands and dine in style.
Learn to dive: What better way to escape the oncoming heat than by heading underwater (or moving to Alaska). Check out Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters for one to one Padi beginner classes and specialised tuition in deep, wreck and night diving. They also arrange supervised scuba and snorkelling excursions for groups of up to six.
Arabian Divers and Sportfishing, call Captain Greg Heinricks at 050 614 6931, www.fishabudhabi.com.
Kayak in the mangroves
Simply the only way to explore Abu Dhabi’s precious and rapidly diminishing natural heritage. You needn’t be the world’s greatest kayaker to take part – a quick few minutes on the water is enough to turn you from an absolute beginner into a reasonable paddler – and organiser Don Revie makes for an amiable guide and an ardent ecologist. Expect to see turtles, queen fish, pencil fish, cormorants, herons and flamingoes, and lots of crabs. It’s a fabulous experience and, as each natural wonder is explained, you begin to wonder what the old fishing village of Abu Dhabi was like before oil money changed it forever.
However, you will be shocked at some of the floating rubbish you encounter along the way. Don likes to collect some of it and take it away – we found ourselves wanting to do the same. One reader went recently and recommended to us that you take a refuse bag for this purpose alone. His checklist also included plenty of water, a hat, sunscreen, lightweight long sleeves and ‘dive booties for walking on the sand banks and keeping the squish out your toes’. We can’t argue with that. Nor can we resist this day out.
Call Don Revie on 050 542 0820 to book your place, or www.kayakabudhabi.com.
Go further afield
Take falconry classes: Peter Bergh runs morning lessons in falconry from his Shaheen Xtreme camp in Al Sahra Desert Resort. Pick-up is at sunrise from anywhere in Dubai, followed by an intensive hands-on lesson, which gives you all the basic knowledge about the art of falconry.
Dhs1,000 per person, two people max. Breakfast and refreshments included. Call 050 8745725 or visit www.shaheenxtreme.com.
Motocross madness: Zipping through the deserts of Hatta on a motorbike. Ah, what better way to get sand between your toes (and everything else). Blue Banana can organise a two-hour session with a regular entrant in the UAE Desert Challenge. In other words: a madman. We can’t wait.
Blue Banana, call 04 436 8100, visit www.bluebanana.com.
Go crab hunting: Whether or not you enjoy crab genocide is perhaps something you should only share with a qualified psychiatrist, but this evening’s massacre in the waters surrounding Umm Al Quwain’s Flamingo Beach Resort is something of a rite of passage. Just make sure you save enough room for the crab supper. Flamingo Beach Resort run crab hunting sessions every night from 8pm, Dhs170 per person incl. dinner buffet and catch of the day cooked up afterwards.
Call 06 765 0000 to book.
Go skydiving: We did this last month at Umm Al Quwain Aeroclub and we’re still buzzing. Umm Al Quwain remains the only place in the UAE where you can tandem skydive. If you want to experience the rush of leaping out of a moving plane, this is for you.
Dhs1,000 per person for a tandem dive, Umm Al Quwain Aeroclub, next to Barracuda Hotel.
Fly Musandam: Ascend the heights above Dibba in a two-man motorised hang glider as you embark on a 15-minute flight over the mountains and coastline of eastern Musandam.
Dhs300, Blue Banana, 04 436 8100, www.bluebanana.com.
Go clay pigeon shooting: Before standing in the sun becomes too blinding, take a visit to the famed Ras Al Khaimah Shooting Club. Sadly, these days you can’t fire M16s and AK47s, but the chance to offload a rifle clip at the odd clay pigeon or two is a rare treat.
Dhs55 for 50 minutes, Khuzam Road, RAK, call 07 236 3622.
Go on a star trek
The Wadi Warrayah: Walkers are becoming an endangered species in the UAE, so in order to stop our legs from seizing up entirely, we recently hit Fujairah.
Meaning ‘Wadi of Reeds’, Dibba’s Wadi Warrayah has become a popular spot for raucous groups to head up to in 4x4s. Sadly they inevitably leave behind the scrawled graffiti and rubbish: telltale signs of civilisation. True enough, the signs are there at the start of the trail, but soon, as you descend deeper into what is essentially a dry riverbed and the going gets tougher, traces of humanity become less frequent.
Scarily, these are replaced with vipers, which you’re told to look out for, and there is also a cave packed with bats deeper into the wadi, we’re told. Water pools and fast running streams allow you to occasionally cool down and narrow passages keep out all but the most persistent explorers. As you continue, the scrambling gets harder and leaping from rock to rock requires all your concentration. This is a trek in the truest sense of the word, but after four hours of walking the natural networks of riverbeds, navigating languid reeds and heavenly pools, this becomes a blissful escape from city life.
Four hours for Dhs350 per person, Absolute Adventure Centre, Dibba. Call 04 345 9900 or visit www.adventure.ae.
Other treks…
Ras Al Khaimah: Step up to the challenge and go on a trekking adventure for four people. Choose from a variety of treks ranging from an easy to a more demanding seven to eight hours (depending on your fitness). Put on your sun cream and trekking shoes, grab your backpack and you are ready to go.
Two to eight hours, Dhs1,199, www.dreamdays.ae.
Musandam Peninsula: A 45-minute boat ride along Musandam coastline leads you to Aqaba fishing village where a brief snorkel is followed by a trail that takes you past ancient villages, mosques and forts.
Seven hours, Absolute Adventure, 04 345 9900, www.adventure.ae.
