Arabia and the Middle East have long been a huge gap in my travel repertoire, not considering layovers at Dubai and Abu Dhabi airport, even though it’s a relatively short and easy flight from Europe. Last Autumn, I finally managed to spend a bit more time there when my husband and I decided to take a one-week trip to the United Arab Emirates. If you are considering a trip to the UAE as well, this itinerary will take you to all the key places and tell you all you need to know to get around.
One week is tight if you want to explore all corners of the UAE, but it definitely gives enough time to take in the main sights. We rented a car, which really helped in optimising the trip as we were not dependent on public transport. Roads in the UAE are generally very good and our small car easily took us everywhere (with one exception – more about that later). Additionally, if you are used to European prices, petrol is dirt cheap (unlike all other things in the UAE!). We had booked all hotels in advance via booking.com, which gave us the flexibility to change bookings at short notice if we wanted to make changes to the itinerary.
DAY 1 – 2 – 3: DUBAI
Our first stop in the UAE was Dubai. We spend two days in the city, visiting notably the quaint Old Town, hypermodern Downtown with the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall and relaxed Jumeirah with the Burj Al Arab. I have a detailed post about how we made most of the two days in Dubai and how we got around. Our hotel choice, the Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa in Al Bastakiya, part of Old Dubai, was excellent!
That said, choice of accommodation in Dubai is plenty. Compare options here.
On day three, we set off for a little escapade to the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, where we also stayed overnight. I vividly recommend the safari trip we did with Platinum Heritage, as they are one of the few operators that are allowed to take tourists into the reserve, which is owned by the royal family. I also have a detailed post about this overnight trip.
DAY 4: SHARJAH & FUJEIRAH
The UAE is so much more than just Dubai, so as soon as we returned from our overnight trip with Platinum Heritage, we picked up the rental car and set off to explore the rest of the country. Our first stop was Sharjah, which is the most traditional of the seven Emirates. Bear in mind that the dress code is significantly more conservative (you won’t see shorts or bare shoulders). It is also the only Emirate that is completely “dry”. Legally you are not even allowed to drive through Sharjah with alcohol in your car. It took us about ninety minutes to drive out of Dubai, via the motorway to Sharjah and park the car. This sounds a lot given the short distance, but traffic on the Sharjah to Abu Dhabi corridor is horribly slow. On the bright side, we could simply park our car at the side of the road close to the historic centre and pay a few Dirham for the entire afternoon (parking is the one other thing, besides petrol, that is cheap in the UAE). Sharjah has got a number of excellent museums (which can be visited with a very affordable combi ticket) and the town centre is nicely restored. Other than Dubai’s restored city centre, Sharjah feels livelier. We sat in a small café for an hour or so, enjoying a fresh juice, to watch daily life.
We wrapped up our visit in the late afternoon and drove onward to Fujeirah, where we were going to spend the night. It had gotten later than we would had liked and by the time we arrived in the hotel (it took us a while to find it due to roadworks), the sun had set. We decided to stay in the hotel and start the next day with a quick tour around Fujeirah.
Our accommodation in Fujeirah was pretty basic and a bit further away from the city centre than I would have liked, so I have not listed it. You’ll find lots of flexible options here.
DAY 5: HATTA & AL MADAM
If you thought the UAE is nothing but desert, you are wrong. Soon after we left Fujeirah, we entered the Hajar mountains, driving along a deserted road with small roadside mosques, the odd wadi (i.e. valley with riverbed) and very few other cars. Hatta, situated at 330m elevation, is probably the nicest town to spend a day (or even a couple if you have time). The modern town is residential and doesn’t have a lot to offer to tourists, but the Heritage Village is worth a stop. Almost every UAE village has got a “heritage village” where visitors can learn about traditional Emirati life, and after a while they all look the same, but the one in Hatta is definitely one of the best. Furthermore, we visited the Hatta Hill Park. From the watch tower at the top of the park, we got a good view over the town and surrounding mountains. We also made a small detour to see Hatta Dam.
Our next stop, after a very long trek in the car, was Al Madam (located in the Emirate Sharjah). The reason it took us to long, was that the road between Hatta and Al Madam cuts through Oman. Like a well-prepared traveller I had checked upfront any visa requirements for Oman (there are non for EU tourists) and the rental car agreement, but I had not considered the fact that some borders crossings might only be open to local citizens and not to foreigners… We were turned away the border and sent to Al Madam via a long detour. The drive was brightened up by a group of school children handing out flags for Flag Day. They happily posed for photos with me.
The modern town is an uninteresting settlement. It is located at the intersection of two main road and useful if you need petrol or supplies. The real reason however Al Madam was on our itinerary, is the deserted old town, tucked away in the desert a couple of kilometres from the main road. It is unclear why the town became abandoned (although local legends are plenty). We entered the ghost town via the E55 towards Al Shuwaib (I’ve been told you can enter from the E44 as well). There are no directions, but Google Maps shows the exact location. If you are driving a small car, like we did, be prepared to walk a lot. We parked our car at the edge of a new-built residential quarter and walked towards the deserted building we could see looming in the desert. It was a bet, but we got lucky. After about 15 minutes we reached the first deserted houses. We were in the ghost town just before sunset, which was perfect. We could walk around in the daylight and then enjoy Golden Hour in the middle of the desert. I really enjoyed the eerie silence and strange feeling of the place. However, my husband complained about its “bad vibe” and felt uneasy. Either way, I suggest you don’t visit after watching “The Hills Have Eyes” or similar.
DAY 6: AI AIN
From Al Madam, we drove to our next stop, Al Ain. Once again, we arrived in the dark and simply wound down in the hotel. I had picked the Ayla Grand hotel for its closeness to the two main things we wanted to visited: the city centre with its oasis and heritage buildings and the camel market at the outskirts of town. “Closeness” is to be taken with a grain of salt in the UAE: people easily take the car even for just a couple of blocks. We ended up doing the same, due to the heath and knowing the finding a parking space is typically easy. At the time of writing, the hotel was brand new and it was perfect and I would have liked to enjoy it for a bit longer. Compare options for accommodation in Al Ain here.
However, we were on a schedule, so the next day we got up early to visit the famous Al Ain camel market. Most trading takes place early in the morning, so the sooner you get there, the better if you want to watch the haggling and take pictures with the camels (LOTS of camels). Entrance to the market is free, but keep a few small notes handy as tips. We were approached left right and centre by lads helping out on the market who offered to be our guide and found it easier to accept for one guy to take us in tow and pay him (as this keeps the others away!). If you spend extensive time petting one farmer’s camels and taking photos, it is also good practice to give him a small tip (I gave 5 Dirhams).
Next stop was the town centre. The must-see attraction is the Al Ain Oasis. This plantation is home to close to 150k data palms (and a smaller number of other plants) and was listed as Unesco World Heritage in 2011. We watched farmers cultivate the land and observed the working of the extensive “falaj” (traditional irrigation system). Paths are constructed throughout the oasis and there is a small eco-museum. If you don’t fancy walking, bikes are available for rent. Furthermore, I found the Al Jahili Fort and Al Ain Palace Museum worth a visit.
DAY 7 & 8: THE EMPTY QUARTER
In the afternoon, we set off for a next long trek in the car, from Al Ain to Rub Al Khali or the Empty Quarter. The Empty Quarter is the largest sand desert in the world and it is called “empty” for a reason. Apart from camel farms and tribal settlements, there is strictly nothing, but sand dunes as far as you can see. We were headed to the Qasr Al Sarab Anantara Desert Resort in the Liwa Oasis to explore the Empty Quarter and relax before heading back home.
Getting there from Al Ain wasn’t overly easy. The E90 along the Saudi border looks a perfectly fine road on Google Maps, but we were warned against taking it with our small car by multiple separate people. Allegedly, the road worsens and you can only reach Liwa in a 4X4. Instead, we drove down to Abu Dhabi and from there took the E65 to Hamim. We still squeezed in a detour along the E95 so we could enjoy driving through the remote desert and cross the Tropic of Cancer.
The Qasr Al Sarab Anantara Desert Resort is one of the few hotels in the Liwa Oasis, so there wasn’t much choice, but it was excellent. It was by far the most expensive (and luxurious) hotel we stayed in, but the amazing remoteness and silence were superb. If you want to stay in a lower key place, the Liwa Hotel is another option. We went for a drive around Liwa Oasis, visiting the Liwa Fort and Tal Moreeb, deemed the highest sand dune in the UAE. We also took part in some of the activities organised by the hotel, notably a camel ride and desert walk. And of course, we simply enjoyed the beautiful hotel, its landscaped pool and our private terrace. I have a detailed post about what we did on two days in the Liwa Oasis.
EXTENDING YOUR STAY?
We only had one week for our trip to the UAE and that is definitely enough to cover the highlights, feel the vibe of the country and have some time to relax. The one thing I regret missing out on is Abu Dhabi. We were originally going to spend onl one day in the Empty Quarter and finish our trip in Abu Dhabi, but we liked the Empty Quarter so much, that we decided to stay there longer instead.
We also didn’t have time to fit Dibba and the Musundam Peninsula into our travel plan. In hindsight, I would probably skip Fujeirah and visit small coastal town Dibba instead and, if time permits, make a little tour of Musundam.
