UAE — nowadays is quite a common destination for traveling. A nice climate and the ability to find a balance between a lazy and intense vacation brings a lot of tourists to the country. We will help you to plan a car trip through the Emirates and will provide useful tips for your journey.
Top tourist life hacks
Even though UAE now has a status of being a modern and tourist-friendly country, it’s still a muslim and conservative place with a specific rhythm to life, which you should definitely take under consideration when plannig your trip. For example, during Ramadan, many restaurants are closed and shops are shut for the evening. Also it is not appropriate to walk around the streets in revealing clothes, especially if you are a woman, so it will be better if you take a look through your wardrobe before a trip. It is also important to remember on any road trip — don't drive over speed limits and abide by the traffic laws of the country.
Dubai
You definitely should start your trip with Dubai — you can get there by plane and rent a car straight from the airport to drive around the city in comfort. Old neighbourhoods here are perfectly combined with modern skyscrapers and huge malls — along with beautiful mosques.
Let's start the research with the historical Bastakia Quarter. It's a set of buildings which were built in the end of the 19th century following the traditions of arabic architecture. Narrow streets, houses with small towers, nice pavements will transfer you to the past. You might want to visit some museums there as well. For example, Dubai Museum, Coffee Museum, Saeed Al Maktoum House. A walk along the spice markets, visit different mosques and once you get tired go to one of the many beautiful restaurants on the riverbank for a coffee and some desert.
Once you finish you can get to the other side of the bay by boat — there are plenty parked on the shore and a boatman will gladly assist you. Once you get to the shopping side, be smart with your money — even if you haven’t planned to buy jewelry or clothes, you might not even notice how much you spend eventually. If you have a plan to do some gold shopping you might like visiting a gold market where lots of small shops are located. Also, here, as in any other market, you might try to haggle and get a reasonable discount.
When you get enough rings and bracelets you can leave the market to the Deira Clock Tower — an imposing sculptural composition with a huge clock.
Next day in the city you might start with Burj Khalifa — perhaps the most famous building in Dubai. If you manage to get here early you might even catch a sunrise with spectacular views of the city below. Also you can have your breakfast here — lots of restaurants are located nearby. After breakfast you can go to the beach — enjoy salty water, sand and sun. As the evening draws in, get back to the skyscraper: there is a wonderful water fountain that lights up and dances to music, which you definitely will not want to miss.
Abu Dhabi
From Dubai we are going to Abu Dhabi by car: just about an hour and a half in length and before you get to the city. You can go straight to the beach and spend a day there (or even two). The cleanest and brightest sand, perfectly temperate water and 100% relaxation — just perfect. And once you are tired of chilling you can go to the national park where you can walk, ride a kayak (it is easy to rent them there), watch the birds in their natural habitat and relax in nature.
Al-Ain
From coastal Abu Dhabi you can then drive to Al-Ain. Here your chilling vacation will turn into a more active one. You can visit the biggest UAE Zoo, Hili Archaeological Park and Al Jahili Fort. After sightseeing you can rest at Warm Springs of the majestic Hajar Mountains, whose major peak — Jebel Hafeet is certainly a must see. You can get there by bike or even by foot.
Sharjah
The last place we suggest you visit in Emirates is Sharjah — a coastal town with museums, beaches, an aquarium and other tourist attractions. You might start with the archaeological museum which has a huge amount of ancient artifacts, or the luxurious Al Noor Mosque as well as the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization. Immerse yourself in the charm of eastern culture and you will be able to appreciate its uniqueness. Remember though that if you are planning to visit a mosque (which we would always recommend) you should wear clothes which will cover your body otherwise you will be denied entry.
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