Dubai Excursions

Desert Exploration
A popular activity from Dubai is to explore the sand dunes in a 4-wheel drive vehicle. This whimsically beautiful natural environment is home to a surprising number of animals and plants that have adapted to the extreme desert environment. Visitors should not hire their own vehicles, as desert driving can be dangerous for the inexperienced. Alpha Tours (www.alphatoursdubai.com) and Arabian Adventures (www.arabian-adventures.com) both run regular tours and can combine a trip into the dunes with desert dinners in recreated Bedouin camps.

Hajar Mountains
The Hajar Mountains, located 100km (62 miles) south of Dubai city, run along the border with Oman. The best way to explore the rugged mountainous terrain is in 4-wheel drive vehicles. Highlights are the wadis (dry river beds), which often collect rain or flood water and offer the chance to cool off, and the hill town of Hatta, which has been recreated as a mountain oasis. Alpha Tours (www.alphatoursdubai.com) and Arabian Adventures (www.arabian-adventures.com) both offer tours to this region.

Sharjah
Sharjah is located 20km (12 miles) east of Dubai and making a trip there is easy, with regular minibus services. Taxis are perhaps a better idea, as it can be difficult to get a return minibus from Sharjah. This emirate is less developed than Dubai, with a string of more cerebral attractions that are mainly located in its Heritage District. These include Literature Square with its House of Poetry, Bait al-Gharbi cultural centre and the Sharjah Heritage and Islamic museums. Outside this quarter there is also an Arts Museum and Al-Hisn Fort, a museum that sheds light on the history of Sharjah and shows how, like Dubai, Sharjah has come a long way in a very short time.

Sharjah Tourist Office
Tel: (06) 556 6777.
Website: www.sharjah-welcome.com