UAE - Al-Ain, Ras Al Khaimah and Dubai

May 2005

Al Ain

Ras Al Khaimah

Oman

Dubai

 

 


Flew from Heathrow to Abu Dhabi

Taxi from Abu Dhabi airport to Al-Ain - a town in the desert. Probably as far from the sea as you can get in the UAE. Stayed here a couple of days - not much here but saw some interesting bits such as the hot springs (too hot to dip your feet in), the Hafeet mountains and a camel market. As usual in the UAE, every town seems to have multiple shopping malls and Al-Ain was no exception. There was also an old town where we could wander along the local shops. Al-Ain was very hot but very low humidity.

Minibus from Al-Ain to Ras Al Khaimah which is up the coast near to the top part of Oman (Oman is actually split into several parts with the UAE bordering each). Stayed here for 5 nights and while here we had a trip into Oman and went out on a Dhow to see dolphins. Oman is very uncommercialised compared with a lot of places we have been.

Coach down to Dubai for another 5 nights. There is loads of building work still going on in Dubai and in a few years it will be like a Las Vegas but with shopping replacing casinos.

The whole holiday was very hot. May is about the latest in the summer you should go. After this is gets up to as much as 55c in the height of the summer. As it was, we were in the mid-40c and even at night it was low to mid 30c. Madeline said if we were in a house with a fire this hot we would move away from it !!

Last updated: 24th May 2005