Sandi Saksena
A few of my favourite outdoorsy places! Kayaking, taking a dip in a hot spring, snorkeling, scuba diving, zip lining, mountain bike riding, hiking, dolphins spotting; yes, there’s lot more to the UAE than shopping malls and hotels. Imagine being able to do all of this and shop!!
I won a free stay at a fabulous 5-star hotel, what was off putting was the distance a 4 ½ hour drive from Dubai then a ferry to Sir Banyas island then a bus ride to the hotel! I was rewarded with one of the region’s best-kept secrets – the Arabian Wildlife Park, a natural home to more than 17,000 freeroaming animals, the park which takes up more than half the island is home to free-roaming animals, including the Arabian oryx, gazelles, giraffes, hyenas, cheetahs, peacocks, ostriches and more!
60 mn waterways
Do you fancy some peace and quiet, crave the sound of birds chirping and leaves rustling, a calm and peaceful place? The gentle movement of the water flowing under you, to connect to your own inner peace without the clutter and white noise of everyday life? In the vicinity yet ‘away’ from bustling city life of the capital Abu Dhabi are the peaceful waterways of Abu Dhabi’s mangroves.
UAE is home to over 60 million mangroves, and they can be found across 180 sqkm of the coastlines within Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Sharjah, and even in Dubai. Abu Dhabi grows nearly 75 per cent of the country’s trees right throughout the capital city within The Mangrove Marine National Park.
Imagine kayaking in the mangroves, a habitat for biodiversity, in one of Abu Dhabi’s key ecological assets. Gliding on the water seeing a vast forest of lush, green trees with intricate roots and a water channel snaking through the middle with hundreds of birds and plants, western reef heron and mottled crab, one might think one is in some tropical paradise! Jubail Island, situated between Saadiyat Island and Yas Island, is home to a mangrove sanctuary. The wetlands also have a 2-km boardwalk Kayak during high tide at sunrise and sunset or explore the waters at night with their glow in the dark tours!
A star attraction that caught my attention when I first arrived, and still fills me with wonder, is the greater flamingoes. ‘European’ visitors, fly great distances during the winters to take refuge in wetlands and coastal areas, like the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. These are common migrants and winter visitors in the UAE. In winter the sanctuary turns pink. Perfect photo op!
Suwaidi Pearls farm
Dubai maybe called the city of (yellow) gold but Pearls were the ‘gold’ of Emirates before oil became the ‘black’ gold! How about a fascinating journey aboard a traditional pearl fishing boat to the Suwaidi Pearls farm located in the small fishing village of Al Rams, Ras Al Khaimah. You get to see and learn about the underwater treasures of the natural lagoon and the courageous stories of the fishermen, the diving techniques that they once practised, and explore the various tools they used. You even get to open your oyster and see if you hit the jackpot and find your very own Arabian pearl to take home!
Al Rafisah Dam
So, from the sea to the desert is there anything else? I learned the UAE has more than 150 dams with a storage capacity of more than 130 million cubic meters of water, of which Sharjah has a large share! Relaxation in a natural places and looking for a new experiences in the UAE Al Rafisah Dam is a wonderful getaway nestled in the Hajar Mountains ideal for Kayaking. Another favourite kayaking place is the vast lake formed by Hatta Dam and its surrounding mountains.
And, just when you thought what else, how about a trip to the famous hot springs in Ras Al Khaimah, the natural thermal springs that rise from the depths and have healing properties!
