Emirates Desert Adventure

For those who are booked on Seat-in-Car basis, this day is at leisure.

For those who book the tour on Self-drive basis, the following will be the compulsory program for this day.

10:00 Meet with your local safari guide/driver for a briefing session. The morning session will cover the following points:

4WD-systems in brief
How to do 4x4 vehicle repair (nothing technical but basics)
Guidelines and safety points
Approach & departure angles
Tires and tire maintenance
Vehicle loading
Changing a wheel (on & off-road)
Recovery
Walk around to familiarize with type of vehicle available

Our Safari Guide will brief the clients on the basics of 4WD systems on and off-road driving and safety issues. He will also demonstrate actual situations of getting stuck and self-recovery. Then we continue with “hands-on” training and return to hotel. Rest of the day at leisure. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

 09:00 After breakfast check out and drive North East towards the Al Awir desert. Here you begin your off-road section. Drive through sand tracks and over nursery slopes to reach Wadi Mileiha (Fossil rock – Camel rock). Continue to drive direction Shawqa. This is a farming town approximately 60 kms from the city of Sharjah. Picnic lunch en-route at a scenic spot and visit the Shawqa damn. From Shawqa head towards Manama en route stop at Friday Market and then to Fujairah. Pass through towns of Khawr Fakkan borders of Dibba and then to Ras Al Khaimah. Dinner and overnight at Ras Al Khaimah Hotel.

09:00 After breakfast drive out of Ras Al Khaimah town towards entrance turn off to the Wadi Bih Mountains. Drive by the various villages and reach the UAE check post. Here we enter the Musandam Peninsula. This is as close as one can get to the Straits of Hormuz while being in the United Arab Emirates. Start the drive on Wadi bed (dried-up riverbeds) and continue all the way up to reach the Rowdah Bowl where there is another check-post. Here start climbing on low gear all the way up to 1000 meters. The climb out of the Wadi is steep and has some of the most dramatic views of the whole trip. Stop and enjoy a picnic lunch. After lunch start descending towards Dibba Town. The track takes you through a narrow twisting gorge called Wadi Khab Al Shamis. Here you see the contrast between Wadi Bih and this side. Exit the mountains close to the Al Hisn Fort and drive on black top (tarmac) to reach Tayyibah. From Tayyibah you enter Wadi Asimah. (off – road) exit through Ghayl and head to Ras Al Khaimah. Dinner and overnight at Ras Al Khaimah Hotel.

09:00 After breakfast check out and drive direction Kalba. Visit the mangroves and continue via tunnel toward hatta. This section is all on Tarmac till the village of Munay. Take the narrow Wadi bed track to reach Wadi Huwailat. Leave the gravel track and head towards Hatta. (Dubai emirate). Continue to drive past the small town that lies on the foot of the mountains. Here start off-roading on gravel tracks and one can see the various colours in the Hajar Mountains. The drive will cut through some interesting terrain and put man and machine through some interesting patches. Lunch en-route in one of the scenic wadis. Pass by villages of Ray, Fay and Madha to reach Buraimi. Here exit the mountains and drive via the town of Buraimi (Enclave of Oman) to reach the Jebel Hafeet. This is the highest point in the UAE that is accessible by vehicle. Dinner and overnight at the Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet.

10:00 After breakfast check out and depart North East for the city of Al Ain and drive via the highlights of the city. Start the most challenging section of the trip. Enter at Al Oha and drive North West through some of the most spectacular sand dunes to reach the Shawaib plains. En route stop for a picnic lunch thereafter continues the drive towards Madam. Exit dunes and drive on a short section on black top before starting the final section on sand. Arrive in Margam and join the dune dinner. Unwind and recap all the adventurous days behind. Enjoy a sumptuous BBQ dinner under the stars. Drive back to hotel in Dubai/Sharjah late in the evening. End of service.