The United Arab Emirates is a province of extremities together with confluence of diverse aspects together with this is what makes this province uniquely intriguing. The province which was 1 time known to go the leader of the conservative globe is non speedily opening its frontiers together with companionship together with becoming inclusive inwards its outlook. While the province has gained popularity because of relative stability inwards price of political scenario together with the rapid measurement of evolution inwards some of its cities, at that topographic point are corners of this country, which save the traditional calm together with countryside serenity. One of such corners is located nearly a twain of lx minutes drive from Abu Dhabi -
Al Ain, The Oasis City of UAE.
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| The Al Ain Palace Museum |
An Introduction to Al Ain Given the geographic terrain of the country, most of the cities inwards UAE take away hold grown along the shore - every bit at that topographic point is a create source of H2O available around. However, the travelers of deserts are aware of this beautiful blissful occurrence called
oasis - a settlement of H2O inwards the hopeless barren expanses. These H2O bodies go the foundations of the settlement of humankind together with Al Ain is a effect of 1 such oasis. Owing to this, Al Ain is the biggest inland urban heart together with soul inwards the country and known every bit the Garden City owing to its greenery. With a population of nearly 600,000 people, the urban heart together with soul has an of import identify inwards the province together with inwards some aspects is considered every bit the identify where it all started. The urban heart together with soul is the birthplace of the founder of the UAE - Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. About 160 kilometers away from Abu Dhabi, the urban heart together with soul of Al Ain is on the border of UAE with Oman.
We had been staying at Abu Dhabi for to a greater extent than than a calendar month together with had explored the urban heart together with soul quite extensively. We were forthwith looking for some quick getaways together with a quick interrogation came upwards with this beautiful urban heart together with soul - Al Ain. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 weekend trip from Abu Dhabi, the urban heart together with soul fitted our requirements on every aspect together with therefore nosotros decided to endeavor a coup inwards this border town. As nosotros researched our options to travel, nosotros 1 time to a greater extent than settled on leveraging Earth carry - the intercity coach service of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The Journey - Onboard Intercity Bus Service We boarded the coach for Al Ain from the Main Bus Station of Abu Dhabi - a greenish edifice to a greater extent than or less the centre of the city. The coach station is a functional institution which does what it is supposed to do together with nada fancier than that. The tickets are issued inwards the coach itself together with so nosotros proceeded to the platform marked "Al Ain" together with the coach arrived on the scheduled time. Buses from Abu Dhabi to diverse destinations are color-coded on the exterior for ease of identification - the X90 coach to Al Ain is a maroon colored beauty. As you lot board the bus, the driver hands out a ticket for 25 AEDs together with you lot tin settle inwards 1 of the plush pushback seats - recall that origin one-half of the coach is reserved for ladies.
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| The Intercity Bus Service - Inside View |
As the coach leaves the city, the journeying begins together with the freeways go the playground for side yesteryear side twain of hours. Right exterior the city, the natural terrain is evident together with you lot tin come across the xanthous sand dunes far away from the road. Interestingly, regime take away hold tried to pose upwards heavy plantation along the state highway to allow for aesthetics. I would promise this also serves yesteryear preventing heavy sand deposits on roads together with therefore are overall a practiced thing. The coach stops at 3 villages en-route together with within nearly 1 together with one-half lx minutes enters the urban heart together with soul of Al Ain together with you lot are greeted with a countryside town inwards its total flavor.
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| Seated together with Ready for The Trip |
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| Deserts - That is the Original Terrain of the Region |
Soon the coach slides into a relatively little coach station inwards a corner of the urban heart together with soul together with it is fourth dimension to deboard the coach at this time. After deboarding, you lot go into into a contemporary drinking glass edifice which is the city's coach terminal together with is pretty chic for the size of the urban heart together with soul it caters. As you lot larn out the coach station, you lot take away hold plenty of taxies lined upwards to pick tourists. However, if you lot are non landing hither inwards the mid-day Sun together with are physically capable, I would recommend you lot opt for a walk - but that is for later. For now, hither is the origin outlook for the urban heart together with soul for you lot coming up!
Al Ain - First Impressions of the City
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| Welcome to Al Ain City |
Al Ain is a quite little urban heart together with soul preserving its raw flavour together with you lot realize this the minute you lot go into the city. The roads are done with colorful flowers on both sides together with the spectrum of colors is only amazing. The street lights together with traffic lights take away hold pillars decorated inwards hues of aureate at the transcend - depicting the traditional popularity of the expensive metallic inwards this region. The urban heart together with soul has a little town impact together with is away from the measurement together with hustle of a metropolis. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 await to a greater extent than or less tells you lot that relative to Dubai together with Abu Dhabi, Al Ain has a higher percent of Emirati population, however, they silent shape a distant minority. As tourist traffic to the province is increasing, Al Ain is fast getting popularity every bit a tourist destination. It has definitely go 1 of the prominent getaways from Abu Dhabi or Dubai together with most tour operators offering a solar daytime tour from both these cities.
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| Flowers Decorate the Road Sides |
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| Notice the Golden Hues - The Perfect Symbolism |
Things to Do - What should a tourist cover - Al Ain National Museum
Once you lot are out of the coach station, the oldest museum inwards the UAE, Al Ain National Museum is located a brusque walk away together with it would go a pleasance if you lot are taking it upwards during the evenings or mornings. The museum was established yesteryear the founders of the province to save the history together with transfer the noesis from yesteryear to hereafter generations. Established inwards 1969, the museum beautifully charts the history of the regions since the Stone Age together with showcases artifacts upwards to the foundation of the country. The exhibits take away hold been divided into 3 primary sections – Archaeology, Ethnography, together with Gifts, - across which the Al Ain National Museum offers insight into the local traditions together with civilization that take away hold defined the region.
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| Al Ain National Museum |
- Al Ain Oasis
With an entrance located correct beside the National Museum, this is logically the side yesteryear side site to see inwards the city. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 practiced set-up maze of manicured pathways with ample signages, this oasis common is definitely tardily to navigate. The common has thick palm plantation together with this is the charm it offers to visitors. This oasis is the UAE's origin UNESCO World Heritage site together with provides tourists with a unique sense across 1200 hectares of engagement palms numbering over 147,000. The cool, shady walkways carry you lot from the rut together with noise of the urban heart together with soul to a tranquil haven; all you lot volition take away heed is birdsong together with the rustle of the palm fronds.
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| Palm Grooves Plantatio |
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| Shadowy Walkways Make Life Easy |
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| The Falaj Irrigation System |
The site introduces visitors to the fragile oasis eco-system together with the importance it has played inwards the evolution of the emirate. The oasis landscape of Al Ain is shaped yesteryear a complex shared H2O render based on both wells together with ‘falaj’, the UAE’s traditional irrigation system. Al Ain Oasis has plenty of working examples of the falaj which take away hold been used for centuries to tap into surreptitious wells. It is an interesting sample of traditional farming together with agriculture of this part together with is a must see if you lot are inwards the city. Again, a see inwards the evenings or mornings would provide the best fourth dimension to see but fifty-fifty during the day, the thick plantation provides plenty shadows for you lot to bask a visit. Every weekend postal service tiffin at that topographic point is a cultural computer program organized within the oasis campus where nutrient stalls serve local delicacies together with cultural performances.
- Al Ain Palace Museum
Located on the western border of Al Ain Oasis, the Palace of the tardily Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was built inwards 1937. It was converted into a museum inwards 1998 together with opened to Earth inwards 2001. The master copy construction comprised a somebody residence for the ruler together with his identify unit of measurement within a complex of courtyards. Recently 2 to a greater extent than buildings have been added to the campus to provide all essential infrastructure needed for the museum.
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| Bringing The Royal Flavor - The Palace Museum |
The architectural pattern together with construction of Al Ain Palace is typical of historical buildings of the UAE. It features the characteristic ventilation structures that are designed to hold the buildings cool inwards the summer. The palace museum showcases the life of the founders together with rulers of the area and provides insights into the history of UAE.
- Al Jahli Fort
Historic cities oft take away hold forts every bit these were the guardian structures of the urban heart together with soul during the reign of rulers. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 dry soil similar this where the geographic terrain is predominantly barren deserts, these little settlements to a greater extent than or less oasis are definitely an eyesore for others. Having an imposing castle or fort is the most obvious construction to come upwards up every bit origin buildings inwards such settlement. Al Jahili Fort is 1 of the largest castles inwards Al Ain together with best-in-class illustration of local military machine architecture. This 1891 construction was the residence of local governor together with acted every bit headquarters for the scouts guarding the territory together with precious palm groves. The fort is laid upwards with well-manicured gardens all to a greater extent than or less it together with visitors tin pass a practiced fourth dimension hither particularly along with kids.
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| Al Jahili Fort Area - Well Maintained Gardens |
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| Al Jahili Fort - The Imposing Structure Protecting the City |
The fort would demand you lot to take away hold a taxi from the Palace Museum every bit at that topographic point is a twain of kilometers of locomote involved. Obviously, buses are available every bit good if you lot take away hold the patience.
- Al Ain Zoo
Al Ain Zoo is some other considerable drive from the urban heart together with soul centre together with you lot could take away hold a taxi or coach from Al Jahili Fort. Given the distance, it may brand sense to hold off for a coach if you lot are 1 of those who explore budget locomote options. This 900-hectare common close the base of operations of Jebel Hafeet is where visitors tin come across a large animate beingness collection inwards enclosures that closely resemble their natural habitats. There are plenty of greenish world spaces for picnics together with also playgrounds, a cafeteria together with a prepare tour of the wild fauna area.
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| Al Ain Zoo - Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Plethora of Fauna |
The Al Ain Zoo is domicile to over 4,000 animals, with at to the lowest degree 30% of its 180 species considered endangered. The facility is maintained inwards closed coordination together with partnerships with similar set-ups to a greater extent than or less the globe including San Diego Zoo, the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden inwards Miami, together with the World Association of Zoos & Aquariums. The site offers opportunities for visitors to interact with diverse animals - feeding Giraffe, riding camels together with other such activities.
- Green Mubazzarah Recreation Area
A recreational expanse has been developed strategically located at the feet of the Jebel Hafeet Mountains. The Green Mubazzarah Chalets are a splendid retreat away from the clamor of the metropolis providing guests with a deluxe lodging together with intimate access to the bully outdoors. Green Mubazzarah occupies component of the rocky mountainside together with been landscaped with rolling grassy hillsides amongst streams, hot springs, together with waterfalls. Visitors tin also bask a ride on camel together with horses together with it is a practiced identify to pass evenings. It is nearly one-half an lx minutes drive from the Al Ain Zoo together with on the same side of the urban heart together with soul centre together with so the 2 visits tin go clubbed. There is a coach from the urban heart together with soul centre which covers both the Zoo together with the Chalets.
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| Rocky Slopes together with Well Manicured Gardens - Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Retreat |
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| Wanna Ride? |
Things to Remember together with Consider  |
| The Local Work Horse |
- Local Transportation - Taxis are pretty easily available at most of the tourist attractions together with coach stations. Bus service is available every bit good together with most routes take away hold a frequency of nearly one-half an hour. There is a useful application of Earth shipping subdivision which uses your GPS location together with finish refer to aid you lot out with routes together with nearest coach stop.
- Facilities - One of the interesting concept I found inwards the urban heart together with soul was the automated facility for washrooms. These are automatically operated together with timed together with pre-recorded vocalism guides you lot through the process. These are generously distributed across the urban heart together with soul together with were a novel concept for adoption.
- Late Night Excursions - UAE is a province with 1 of the lowest criminal offense rates across the globe however, Al Ain isn't a urban heart together with soul every bit metropolitan every bit Abu Dhabi together with Dubai together with therefore nosotros would recommend returning to your base of operations at reasonable times. It is ameliorate to avoid venturing to the woods tardily inwards night.
- Al Ain Camel Market - This is the concluding souk of its variety inwards the UAE, eastward of Jebel Hafeet inwards Al Ain, together with is an first-class chance to come across camels upwards closed together with come across together with take away heed traders discussing the toll together with merits of their animals. There are some first-class photograph opportunities, but go careful where you lot betoken your lens together with ever enquire permission first.
Tempted to see this inland oasis city? Like what you lot were taken through? Have some comments or views? Shoot them all out inwards comments or driblet us a note!
