Technically I suppose I wouldn’t be the best person to write a review on the UAE. You see, when u have lived in a place for the better part of your life, it kinda grows on you, like the ugly green teddy which you’ re favourite uncle gave you ! You hated it at first but now you cant live without it ! ( I still hav’nt figured out why they’re churning out teddies in the colors of the rainbow ! But having said that, I simply cannot throw away Mr. Green !) There …..now that I’ve strayed far enough from the current topic ( as I always manage to! ), I shall get down to business.
The UAE or the United Arab Emirates, is a federation of seven former Arab Kingdoms. Each of the seven emirates is a world of its own, with its own ruler. And each of these, is home to its own culture and architecture. I shall start at the very beginning.
Abu Dhabi the capital city is typically big city with its skyscrapers and well laid out parks. The Abu Dhabi corniche area is the best in the UAE and it’s a perfect place to go for long walks ( if ure the sort that likes long walks). And even if ure not, the you can just sit back and enjoy the tranquil beauty of the place ! With ultra modern malls and resort island, Abu dhabi is quite a lovely place ! In fact it being just that little less fast paced than Dubai , lifestyle wise, it may be just the place to stay if you’d like a peaceful time !
Fujairah is the tiny little emirate , a really small city , but is surprisingly well developed ( for a city its size !) Its too small and quiet to actually spend more than a couple of days in, but the glorious beach makes up for it ! Blue waters , coral reef, white sands.. ( but unfortunately as is wont to be …..too many people as well !! ).
Ras Al khaimah , is not much of a city ( no offence to any Ras Al Khaimians out there ! ) They once took us there from school on a study tour ! It was a dusty, dry place with nothing much to offer by way of excitement ( though I guess it was not a very wise decision to take a bunch of thirteen years old there in the first place !!! ) But the drive to these northern emirates ( fujairah and ras al khaimah ) is simply fascinating !!!
The natural waterfalls at Masafi and the hot springs tucked away here and there, the “wadis” ( rivers) at Hatta are breathtaking ! “ wadi bashing “ is like an unofficial national pastime ( along with dune driving), wadi bashing is just what the name suggests ! bashing or dashing through the wadis ( nearly dry ones )! You need a four wheel drive to get to these places and if you don’t own one , you have to rent one ( at a rate that nearly gave my dad a heart attack ! ). But its worth it !!!!
Umm al Quwain is the quietest of the emirates . Ironical then that its home to the UAE radio station ! Its more recent claim to fame is the Umm Al Quwain water park ( I must confess I haven’t been there yet, but ive heard rather long narratives from an excited little cousin! ) SO you can bet kids will love it !
Sharjah and Ajman , Dubai’s immediate neighbours are so much apart of Dubai that one can consider the three as one big city. So im just going to club them with Dubai .
Hmmm…Dubai ! I belive that just like people, every country has a soul too. If New York is the soul of the US , and Bombay is India’s then Dubai is the soul of the UAE .Really ! ( and im not saying this just because I live here)This place has created a name for itself as a world class city. Its is the perfect illustration of what foresight and careful planning can do ! From a tiny desert town thirty years ago, Dubai is today a beautifully modern and exciting city . Its shopping malls and gold souks are legendary and im not going to elaborate on them simply because there’s more to Dubai than just shopping ! ( alright! Alright ! It is a shoppers paradise ) , but what im saying is its not just about shopping ! Neither am I going to talk about the pubs and night clubs ( cool as they are)
Most visitors don’t take time enough off shopping to acquaint themselves with the Arab traditions. A vist to Heritage village would put you right back in the ancient Bedouin times . You can see for yourself the simplicity of ancient arab life . And then you must go on a Dhow ( boat ) cruise . It offers the best way to view the night life in the city. A wonderful way to compare the two worlds that would be !
Then of course there are the beaches ! My favourite is the Mamzar beach park. With its adjacent strips of beaches , in the middle of a huge and lovely park dotted with fixed barbecue stands, it’s a perfect way to spend the Friday ( the weekly holiday). You can hire cycle carts ( four seaters and two seaters ) and that’s the best way to get around the whole place. ( though if you prefer the less strenuous way , then you can go on the train ride ).
And no review on the UAE would be complete ( as indeed no trip would be) , without a mention of the “desert safari”. An experience like no other…..camping out in the desert , with traditional Arabic food and music and dance ( yeah guys! belly dancing too ! ) But for me the best part is “dune driving” . Driving up huge sand dunes and then stopping the car precariously right on top, before smashing down the other side ! I tell you that’s breathtaking ! Even better than roller coasters it is ! (I screamed my head off much to the amusement of the young arab driver, so on the next dune he paused longer at the top !!!! ) Another way of dune driving is to hire the dune buggies ! The things are a little difficult to control at first ( as the people around me found out ) But two terrible crashes into the wafer thin wire metal fence ( leaving a gaping hole once ) later, I was quite the expert buggy driver !!!
Well I suppose that about sums up my review ! Its been a long while since I’ve written on MS. So I though I’d write on something close to my heart! ( and I must say , that after going through the reviews on Dubai , I felt I must present Dubai as something more than a shopping destination! ). I hope I’ve managed to do that !