Richer By The Experience - Places to visit in Al Ain

Al Ain is one of the most unassuming places within the UAE. Tucked deep into the vast desert of the country, Al Ain has an aura of heritage and antiquity. Popularly known as the garden city of UAE, Al Ain has an enormous amount of flora.

Driving quite slowly on the inner-city roads of Al Ain (city speed limits can go as low as 40 – 20) you are faced with lush trees on either side and your memory will fail you in recognizing that we are in fact within a desert. What Al Ain has done is that they have meticulously hidden away the desert with nicely manicured green plants and trees. Certain parts of the desert of Al Ain are also unique owing to its tinted red color due to the presence of iron oxide. As you drive into the city either from Abu Dhabi or Dubai you can witness the change in the color and texture of the sand and the topography.

Stay in Al Ain: Alya Bawadi Hotel, located adjacent to the Bawadi Mall is a delight, and should be one among your shortlisted hotels if planning to stay in Al Ain. It is centrally located, easy to find and close enough to all the main attractions. We were greeted by a welcome drink and warm hospitality. The lady at the counter mentioned all the facilities provided by the hotel and to follow the blue tiles on the wall to enter the Bawadi Mall.

Heading in we weren’t quite sure if staying so close to a mall would be the best option but we were pleasantly surprised as to how much this proximity to the mall added to the whole trip. There were multiple restaurants to choose from for food, we however gravitated towards Indian food and KFC.

The mall also consisted of a variety of shopping options with sale on; all calling out to spend my hard-earned money. Fortunately, my will power was strong and I stayed away from mindless shopping except for one outfit which I claimed I needed to wear to the zoo visit the next day; the rest thought it was a reasonable excuse.

Behind the hotel there is an outdoor market area for artifacts and sovereign shopping. It is a traditional heritage souk worthy of a stroll.

Within the Ayla Bawadi Hotel, there is a gym, a roof-top swimming pool, lounge area and a spa. Do call and book in advance if you want to use the spa services.

The beds were comfortable, the rooms were spacious enough with sufficient TV channels to scroll through, overall quite clean and neat. However what stood apart the most is their hospitality and the eagerness to ensure that all your requirements were fulfilled. They are keen to provide you with information and ready to advice on things to do in and around the hotel; constantly asking for feedback about the stay and if there was anything else they could do to make it more comfortable. And all of it was genuine. None of it felt it was orchestrated to end up with a positive review. So, taking this key fact into consideration the Alya Bawadi Hotel should be your preferred option. It screams quality and asserts themselves as a good reasonable choice of stay.

Places to visit in Al Ain:

Jebel Hafeet – Whenever one heads into Al Ain; Jebel Haffet is most often the chosen place to visit, the journey to the top with its many twists and turns is a drivers delight. The ever-changing view and the decrease in the temperature is also an added factor. The best time to visit would be an hour or two before sunset such that you can view the vastness of Al Ain during daylight and after sun down. Both have their own beauty; clarity of the view on the way up and the charm of the golden lite glimmering city on the way down. On the top; unlike a few years ago is a bit chaotic. It is filled with people, cars, music, a few folks playing cricket, some others dancing to the beats emitting from their car trunks, along with a selfie here, and a selfie there and a selfie everywhere. Once done with viewing the city from the top, head into the cafeteria for a warm cup of tea. Ensure that you have your bathroom break before you commence your ascend, otherwise prepare to stand in a queue for several minutes testing your patience and the limits of your bladder.

Al Ain National Museum – Dating back to 1969 this museum journeys as far back as the Mesopotamian Era to the Bronze Age. Within its display collections, are jewelry, weapons, house-hold commodities, and knowledge captured in time from more than 4500 years ago. The interesting element to this museum is that it showcases the everyday life of the people of the region and allows one to be aware of how much times have changed and how convenient the life of the residents are now in comparison to the yester-years. While leaving this museum you understand that the past truly dictates the future. And progress and dramatic change is possible if one has the vision and the leadership to accomplish that vision.

Al Ain Fruit and Vegetable Market – Located right outside the Al Ain National Museum is a fruit and vegetable market. It is as raw and as basic as a market can be. It is loud, crowded and does not have air conditioning. However, this was how trading was done and still is in most parts of the world. So, a visit to the market is sort of a trip through the past. You can touch and feel the ripeness of the fruit, smell in its aroma and haggle for a lower price than the one quoted to you by the seller. Waking out of the market while biting into your purchased fresh fruit would be quite an inimitable experience for yourself and your family.

Al Ain Palace Museum – In today’s day and age we would call it a prime property. The palace is located right at the edge of an oasis. One can visualize morning coffees filled with the cool breeze accompanied by singing birds, what a glorious start to a day that would have been. The palace contains a series of courtyards and majlis. It provides you with an insight on the past lifestyle of the rulers of this nation. Walking within the corridors you realize you are walking within a place where the future of this country was planned and written. If you live within the UAE you will be compelled to say a silent thank you for the grand plans and its proud and successful implementation, allowing us to lead the life we oh so conveniently lead today.

Al Ain Oasis – Located right within the city, this is a place that could easily be overlooked while driving on the roads of Al Ain. However it is definitely a place that should not be missed. Al Ain Oasis is the largest oasis in comparison to the seven other oasis spread across the city.

You can begin your journey into the oasis by visiting the Eco-Centre. This is a learning centre that helps you in identifying the rich history of the city of Al Ain, the oasis and steps taken to preserve it. I am informed that you can download an app to navigate your way through the oasis; however I myself have not used it. As an alternative ensure you take the map that is available at the entrance and head into the oasis for a walk listening to the chirping of birds and the tiny trickle of water.

If you are charming you could befriend one of the gardeners there and learn from him the intricate workings of the oasis. There are a few places located within the oasis wherein you can relax, grab a bit or a smoothie and just be part of this bounty of nature located within a desert. The signages are a bit confusing and may not always be accurate and lead you to the directions that you want to head to but this is when the map comes in handy and you realize reading maps is also a skill you need, and relying on google maps always may hamper the intricate workings of your brain. When you reach the other end of the oasis, you also realize that you now need to walk all the way back to where your car is located. Fret not; there is a buggy service within the oasis that would be able to drive you back to your start point.

The entire exploration of the oasis could easily last anywhere between 2 – 4 hours depending on how slow you walk and how much you want to walk. Do remember to wear comfortable shoes; or else your feet would not enjoy this experience.

Al Ain Zoo – A true hidden gem, maybe not as hidden also, as they did have a fair number of visitors. Upon entry you have the luxury of either taking a buggy along the different paths within the zoo or you could walk it. Since we walked a lot already that day we decided to take the buggy, but then after waiting around for about 30 minutes for a free buggy we decided it was better to walk than wait. The map of the zoo is quite easy to read and showcases all the different variety of species. Pick a path and follow it and you should be able to view most of the housed species. There are wonders in every corner and it is a sight to see the pink flamingos so close, have the cheetah stare at you from behind a glass window, and witness a very angry hyena circle around the trees. There is a giraffe feeding area, which is quite popular and the big cats area which housed all my favorite animals. The tiger was pacing, the lion was sleeping, and the leopards were just chilling away. The whole walk of the zoo will easily total between 3 - 5 hours of time.

There are eateries and kiosks located within the zoo, when you wish to rest up or have a cool drink of lemonade. The zoo also has a safari which comes at an additional cost and they can arrange for dinner under the stars. Visiting the zoo is a great family activity, especially if you have young children. It will educate them and assist in appreciating animals and birds that exist around the world.

Even if you do not plan on staying a day or two in Al Ain ensure you plan a day-trip just to visit this amazing zoo. Lot of the animals here are roaming free and it does not feel as confined and restricted as we may feel with a lot of other zoos. Most importantly it does seem like all of them are very well taken care of, which is always a positive.

Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre – Located within the Al Ain Zoo is the SZDLC. It is one of the most prominent buildings within the UAE, most importantly because its foundations are built on education, conservation and sustainability. Think of it as a building filled with science and stories from the past, present and the future. It houses several interactive exhibits which talks about the history of the region, the life that lived and flourished here and the measures taken to safeguard and preserve current species and environment for the benefit of future generations. Combining education with visuals effects and sound along with exhibits that motivate you to play and learn is a unique feature of SZDLC. This place adds a sense of fun to learning and it helps you understand and appreciate the region we live in. The building has regular tours which last for about an hour and half or you are also free to roam around and experience the exhibits on your own. While at Al Ain Zoo, do not fail to visit this place.

If you are seeking for a family focused, activity filled, off the popular path experience then Al Ain will imprint itself as a treasured memory for you and your loved ones.

P.S. Honestly Al Ain has so much more to offer than just the mighty mountain called Jebel Hafeet.

Tried, Tested and Approved From the mind of Nive Prem

Contributors:

Words by Alisha Kilpady

"Al Ain is a beautiful city. The nature and the greenery it has to offer is a perfect getaway from the monotonous fast paced city life."

Al Ain Oasis By Sergey Kharlamov

Al Ain Zoo Safari By Xlruym

If this article encouraged you to try the mentioned experiences within Al Ain, then please write to me about your thoughts to fromthemindofniveprem@gmail.com or tag your pictures on instagram to #richerbytheexperience / #fromthemindofniveprem for a feature on my page. Wishing you peace, love and happiness.