Oasis of renewal
"I have been like a desert creature
"Wandering on this earth so cracked and dry
"Only to survive"
When the current horror of Dubai becomes unbearable - with the interminable construction, roadworks and traffic jams - there is only one place in the sandlands to escape to.
The oasis city of Al Ain.
What makes Al Ain so lovely is not its peacefulness, though it is an extremely calm and tranquil place. Nor is it its undeniable beauty: Al Ain is quite simply one of the loveliest cities in the Gulf. Nor even is it its greenery and verdure, being a true garden in the desert, beloved by the late president Sheikh Zayed.
Al Ain is lovely because it has a raison d'être. It is a city that has grown up naturally around an oasis. It has its own natural resources and it has a sense of history. It is not some artificial bubble-town created to woo international businesses, or some recreated faux-Arabesque Al Disneyland with concrete windtowers and fibreglass camels.
If foreigners want to witness true "Arabia" UAE-style, they should come to Al Ain.
"Wandering on this earth so cracked and dry
"Only to survive"
When the current horror of Dubai becomes unbearable - with the interminable construction, roadworks and traffic jams - there is only one place in the sandlands to escape to.
The oasis city of Al Ain.
What makes Al Ain so lovely is not its peacefulness, though it is an extremely calm and tranquil place. Nor is it its undeniable beauty: Al Ain is quite simply one of the loveliest cities in the Gulf. Nor even is it its greenery and verdure, being a true garden in the desert, beloved by the late president Sheikh Zayed.
Al Ain is lovely because it has a raison d'être. It is a city that has grown up naturally around an oasis. It has its own natural resources and it has a sense of history. It is not some artificial bubble-town created to woo international businesses, or some recreated faux-Arabesque Al Disneyland with concrete windtowers and fibreglass camels.
If foreigners want to witness true "Arabia" UAE-style, they should come to Al Ain.
Labels: al ain
14 Comments:
cause I am sure there are people who are just like you there complaining on how "un western" it is to live there...
Get a life you sad fuck.
I've only made day trips.
And a camel safari sounds brilliant - how long was it? Was it very expensive?
Ages ago I visited the camel souq, which was a memorable experience. Expect to pay heavily to escape the place, unless you are extraordinarily assertive ;)
mind your language SD..thought you didn't use "swear" words..I guess you claim many things that you are NOT...but I dont blame you cause I think I touched a sensitive nerve..
You thought wrong. Here's some more. You're a shit-stirring little turd, and any more trollish crap and I will just delete your stuff. Your initial comment was rude and unwarranted in this entry. If you want to slag me off, go and find that "anti-SD" blog someone kindly created.
On a serious note, it really is a lovely city. I enjoyed the drive up (and down) Al Hafeet mountain.
Yes - it's an amazing drive. I just wish they had a decent restaurant up the top, an Automatic-style restaurant. There are heaps of good Arabic/Lebanese restaurants in Al Ain, so why not on the mountain top?
I also am really curious as to the bizarre design of the hotel up there. You would expect panoramic views as you enter the hotel, but there are none! There's just a huge wall with no natural light coming from the view side.
Al Ain is still beautiful and a great place to live, especially if you like a quieter life.
Other have already mentioned Jabal Hafeet, but the oasis in the middle of town is also a great place to visit. Also I would suggest taking in the restored fort on the edge of the oasis - especially if you are interested in the history of the area (Sheikh Zayed lived there before he replaced his brother as ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1966).
Hili Fun City has not been very well taken care of, so it is a bit disappointing.
Not "Madinat Jumeirah standards" for the picky people
You see that's the thing - us truly discerning(!) prefer a bit of authenticity. At the end of the day I'm not here on holiday, the endless five star luxury gets a bit cloying.
Al Ain feels real.
here r some pics i found of the new " green mbazara" resort around the hot springs, its not 100% complete. and its packed in the weekends.
http://mzoonuae.com/mb1.jpg
http://mzoonuae.com/mb2.jpg
http://mzoonuae.com/mb3.jpg
http://mzoonuae.com/mb4.jpg
http://mzoonuae.com/mb5.jpg
http://mzoonuae.com/mb6.jpg
I lived in Al Ain for a while. It certainly takes a little getting used to after the hustle and bustle of DXB and AUH because it is so quiet and perhaps even a little dull.
But after a while the place grows on you. For me Dubai is getting more and more unpleasant by the day..although i still prefer it to any other international city.
I just love living in Al-Ain :D
"Perhaps that Al Republican guy, or some of the other local posters here, could offer some other good tips regarding some good historical places to visit in Al Ain."
Hahaha :) I am not an Arab! I know very little of Al-Ain. I was there long ago when I was too young to even sit on some of the rides at that famous entertainment park!
Had to throw my 2 cents in on this one, being Al Ain Taxi an'all.
Thos of you after the camel safari from Al Ain, head for the Hilton Hotel and there is an office in there that arranges the for you. Last time I went it was abour 100 dirhams per person for the 1 hour ride followed by refreshments. They'll drive you into the desert near Bina Bint Saud, you have the ride, eat the refreshments and they drive you back to the hotel.
Al Ain is beautiful and peaceful. However, many expats drive to Dubai for a piece of the action as it can be too peaceful here and the constant bumping into the same old folk can drive you a little crazy if you're used to big cities (I'm originally from London). You have to be prepared to drive to Dubai or Abu Dhabi for certain things.
SD, next time you're in Al Ain e mail me alaintaxi at gmail.com and we can meet up if you like.
Alain is the best place to live during the weekdays.
Then the weekend comes, and you just want to go somewhere else for some action!
I just can't stop smiling when I think that it takes me 6 minutes to drive to unvirsity, while all these people in Dubai are suffering all that traffic. Ah.
and the air here is so fresh compared to Dubai!
Elzubier, been to Zabeel park?
Every roundabout in Alain is a park!
Post a Comment
<< Home