Al Ain, known as the Garden City of the gulf is situated on the U.A.E - Sulatanate of Oman border. Al Ain, an ancient oasis is well known for its natural beauty and lush greenery and is one of the major tourist attractions in the United Arab Emirates. It has got great historical importance too.
How to get there
Situated in the eastern region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain is around 160 Kms away from Abu Dhabi .Al Ain is well connected by road to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah and can be reached in almost two hours from any of these cities. Al Ain is also very close to Buraimi, Oman and is accessible by road from Oman.(I’m not very sure of the visa procedures for those who come from Oman.) Al Ain has an international airport which links it to all major destinations around the world. For those who don’t have direct flights to Al Ain can travel to either Abu Dhabi or Dubai international airport and then go to Al Ain by road. There are municipality buses from Abu Dhabi to Al Ain in every 15 minutes or so and it costs only 10 Dirhams. Private taxi operators also have their bus services to Al Ain from Dubai and Sharjah. (Be careful while hiring cabs from Dubai and Sharjah to Al Ain as they can be very expensive.).For traveling within, the Al Ain city, you can always hire a cab because they are very affordable.
What to see
Al Ain has quite a few places of interest to the tourists. Hili fun city is said to be the largest theme park in the U.A.E and has got a wonderful ice-rink adjacent to it. Festivals are held in season. Al Ain has very beautiful gardens and flower show is generally held in March annually. For animal lovers there is Al Ain Zoo and don’t forget to see the aquarium over there. Al Ain museum and the archaeological gardens are a must see for those interested in history. Jebel Hafeet, is a mountain situated in Alain with plenty of hairpin curves to reach the top and you can drive till the very top.On your way to the top, there are areas where you can park your vehicle and see the breath taking view of Al-Ain city far way.For the more adventurous traveller, desert safaris can be organised with a good 4 wheel drive to enjoy the pleasures of riding through the hot sand dunes.Al Ain also has many natural oasis and hot spring lakes and a beautiful resort called Al-Fayda resort is situated around one of the natural spring lakes.The traditional souq(market) offers many arabic specialties. You get the best dates available here. There is a live stock market also very close to it but don’t tell that I didn’t warn you of the bad smell there. Camel races are also held quite often. The directions to the major tourist destinations can be seen in purple boards along the road sides.(For die hard shopper’s, there isnt much on the offer- Dubai will be the best bet for shopping)
Where to eat,
Al Ain has all the leading fast food outlets like KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut etc.For those who prefer indian food, there are a few indian restaurants in the City but not too many. For those who want to try Arabic food, then a lebanese restaurant would be ideal.(you’ll get good arabic food in Syrian/Turkish restaurants too but lebanese restaurants can be found mostly every where.)Dont forget to carry your food while going to any places like fun city, Jebel hafeet etc because in most of the tourist places, either the food is too expensive or it’ll be difficult to find a restaurant near by.So its always better to buy the food from the city and then go for sight seeing.
Where to stay
Al Ain has got a few five star and affordable hotels if you plan to stay but if you are planning a one day trip, then its best to stay in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
When to go
Al Ain is best visited between November and April when the climate is also at its best.