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Pictures of our trip 2012/13 to the United Arab Emirates – part 3
- with our vehicle in April 2013: Al Ain, East Coast & Ras al Khaima and the Omani Madha Exclave
 
 
Liwa - UAE with car January 2013 - part 2
Sharjah/Dubai/1st Traveler's Festival/Emirates National Auto Museum - UAE with car Nov. 2012 to Jan. 2013 - part 1
Sharjah + Dubai: United Arab Emirates - without our vehicle from February 19th, to 27th, 2011
Fairytale Wedding in Dubai - United Arab Emirates - with our car from February 7th, to May 20th, 1999
Oman 2013 – Part 1 - February 2013: Musandam Peninsula
Oman 2013 – Part 2 - February 2013: Sohar - Muscat - Rustaq - Nizwa
Oman 2013 – Part 3 - March 2013: Sur - East Coast - Island of Masirah - Dhofar
Oman 2013 – Part 4 - March 2013: Salalah & Surroundings (Dhofar) - Nizwa
Oman 2013 – Part 5 - March 2013: Western Hajar Mountains
Iran 2013 – Part 1 - May 2013: Continuation of the journey Bandar Abbas – Pasargad (= between Shiraz and Yazd)
 
 
U.A.E. Map
 
 
 
       Middle East Map
 
latest picture: April 28, 2013
  • click a picture to see details

 
 
 
 
 
 
230  From Jebel Hafeet, a 4’070 ft.
high limestone mountain 9 miles south
of Al-Ain, we look towards
Al-Buraimi, the Omani oasis .....
231  .....from one of the viewpoints we
enjoy the sunset behind the bizarre
peaks that rise abruptly from the plain
232  A good tarmac road and patches of
green interrupt the monotonous desert at
the foot of Jebel Hafeet 9 miles south of
Al-Ain, a city with about 500’000 people
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
233  At the lobby of the ‘Mercury Grand
Hotel’ on Jebel Hafeet south of Al-Ain the
walls are covered with vines, inspired by
the ‘Hanging Gardens of Babylon’
(rooms from US$120/night)
234  From a plateau of Jebel Hafeet
south of Al-Ain we enjoy at sunset
the desert plains below us
235  At the foot of Jebel Hafeet an
irrigation system has created the
"Green Mubazzarrah" park, popular
with families and school classes. Besides
barbecues there is also a man-made lake
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
236  The 1891 constructed and freshly
restored Al-Jahili Fort at the Al-Ain
oasis shines in its new glory .....
237  ..... it houses the permanent exhibit
of the great British adventurer Sir Wilfred
Thesiger who in 1940 crossed the
"Empty Quarter" twice by foot
(95 miles each time) .....
238  ..... the Al-Jahili Fort is one of
the largest forts in the UAE. It was
built as a royal residence
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
239  Finally we find "Saeeh Sabra", also
called Lake Tilapia or Zakher Lake – the
lake in the desert – close to Al-Ain along the
Abu Dhabi truck road. Unfortunately picnic
tables and rubbish decrease its charm
240  A red ‘virgin’ sand dune in front
of a towering mountain wall in Al-Ain.
The sand patterns change constantly
241  A camel farm at the base of a
dune near Al-Ain. Desert people make
often a living from breeding camels
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
242  Ibises are attracted to the lawns
of the "Green Mubazzarrah" park at
the foot of Jebel Hafeet near Al-Ain
243  Fruits hang heavily from a date
palm tree at "Green Mubazzarrah" Park
near Al-Ain. Date palms play an important
role in the culture of the Arabian desert
244  This partridge (perdix perdix)
at the "Green Mubazzarrah" Park near
Al-Ain dashes around, stops abruptly
and then continues running
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
245  Near Kalba at the east coast we
find a peaceful desert night spot behind
a dam. Emil does some computer work
246  Fort Hayl 6 miles west of Fujairah
enchants by its traditional modest architec-
ture. It is praised being one of the finest
mountain forts in the UAE .....
247  ..... we especially like also the
setting, embedded into a jagged mountain
scenery at the base of a steep cliff
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
248  The “Sheikh Zayed Mosque of Fujairah”
with six minarets, funded by UAE President
H.H.Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahian from
Abu Dhabi is, after the one in the capital (see
pic. No.197 “Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque”)
the second tallest mosque of the Emirates
249  In the middle of Fujairah town
we have a flat tire. Emil makes it from
the busy street to the sandy side
and changes our 169th tire
250  Roundabouts in the UAE are
always imaginative. In Fujairah
impresses the one of the eagle
with outspread wings near
the Fujairah Tower
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
251  The Sharjah Emirate’s village of
Nahwa (about 2-3 sq.mi.), a UAE
counter-enclave embedded in the Omani
exclave of Madha (29 sq.mi.), which itself
is surrounded by the Emirates of Sharjah
and Fujairah, lies southwest of Khor Fakkan
252  The sight of the village of
Hajar Bani Hamid on the western side
of the Omani enclave Madha is breath-
taking. No Omani visa is required
to visit Madha
253  A glorious start of a new day
in the mountains of Wadi Madha
southwest of Khor Fakkan.
Can life be more beautiful?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
254  The white balls of the flowering globe
thistle (echinops) are a feast for the eyes in
the arid landscape of the Hajar Mountains
255  The high walls of loose rocks of the
Omani Wadi Madha, which enters after
one mile the Wadi Shis on the UAE side,
make our LandCruiser to appear dwarflike
256  In Wadi Wurrayah west of
Khor Fakkan we make a lunch break
in the shade of our LandCruiser
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
257  An Oleander bush (nerium mascatense)
with a bunch of bright pink flowers. Oleanders
are a common sight in stony wadis. All parts
of the plant are poisonous
258  Lonely rough camping spots
are plentiful. Here in Wadi Wurrayah
west of Khor Fakkan
259  A typical picture: View from the
tower of the Bidiyah mosque north
of Khor Fakkan over a date palm
garden and mountain ridges
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
260  The Bidiyah Mosque, 5 miles north
of Khor Fakkan, dates back to the middle
of the 15th century and is the oldest
mosque in the UAE .....
261  ..... wearing mandatory a black
Tschador, Liliana is admiring the
traditional modest construction made
of gypsum, stone and mud bricks .....
262  ..... view from the tower of the
Bidiyah Mosque to the same named
village that is said to be one of the
oldest settlements on the east coast
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
263  The quaint village Sharm with
mooring fishing boats at the east coast
264  Clay pots are a popular adornment
of roundabouts. Here the “Pot-Round-
about” entering Dibba in the northeast,
situated on the border of the Omani
exclave of Musandam
265  A bakery in Dibba: The Arab
bread is freshly taken out of the oven.
The man from Afghanistan does
not want to take any money
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
266  Our LandCruiser bravely tackled
the extremely steep and stony 4x4 track
to Wadi Sana. On a tiny plateau with good
views we install ourselves for the night
267  A picture book morning at our
camping spot at Wadi Sana. The
red-yellow sun is rising slowly behind
the ragged mountain ridge
268  We install our “office” behind
the LandCruiser on our
Wadi Sana-Camp on an
altitude of 2’000 ft.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
269  A blue longtailed Sinai Agama
lizard (pseudotrapelus sinaitus) is bathing in
the sun on a rock on our Wadi Sana-Camp
270  "Did you see that strange car?"
Mother camel and her young watch us
curiously along the Wadi Sidr track
271  Camels are said to be intelligent.
They are as old as the Arabian Desert
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
272  Two travellers with their cars in
Ajman/UAE: Ralf from Germany with his
yellow ex-fire truck Mercedes 310 4x4 has
been travelling Africa for five years and Emil
from Switzerland is on the road with his
blue LandCruiser FJ60 since 1984
273  View from our rented studio at
the Habib Hotel Apartments in Ajman
over the city roofs and the towering
skyscrapers .....
274  ..... and a glorious evening sky
over Ajman from our hotel window
 
 
More websites from the United Arab Emirates:
Fairytale Wedding in Dubai - United Arab Emirates - with our car from February 7th, to May 20th, 1999
Sharjah + Dubai: United Arab Emirates - without our vehicle from February 19th, to 27th, 2011
Sharjah/Dubai/1st Traveler's Festival/Emirates National Auto Museum - UAE with car Nov. 2012 to Jan. 2013 - part 1
Liwa - UAE with car in January 2013 - part 2
 
More websites from the Middle East:
Welcome to Kuwait on March 3rd, 1996
Yemen car trip (from Oman to Saudi Arabia) - from May 16th, to June 15th, 1996
Sandstorm in Saudi Arabia on February 4th, 1999
Trip to Dubai in January and February 1999
Oman 1999 - from mid-March to mid-April 1999
Oman 2013 – Part 1 - February 2013: Musandam Peninsula
Oman 2013 – Part 2 - February 2013: Sohar - Muscat - Rustaq - Nizwa
Oman 2013 – Part 3 - March 2013: Sur - East Coast - Island of Masirah - Dhofar
Oman 2013 – Part 4 - March 2013: Salalah & Surroundings (Dhofar) - Nizwa
Oman 2013 – Part 5 - March 2013: Western Hajar Mountains
Iran 2013 Part 1 - May 2013: Continuation of the journey Bandar Abbas-Shiraz-Persepolis-Pasargad (= between Shiraz and Yazd)
Iran 2013 – Part 2: Pasargad (excl.)-Yazd-Esfahan May 2013
Iran 2013 – Part 3: Esfahan (excl.)-Chelgerd-Hamadan-Sanandaj-Orumiyeh May 2013
Turkey 2013 Eastern Anatatolia - June 2013
Socotra - without our car from February 9th, to 19th, 2011:
Part 1: Socotra trip in Yemen (East) Hadibo - Dihamri - Arher Beach
Part 2: Socotra trip in Yemen (South) Homhil - Aomak Beach - Wadi Daerhu - Dicksam Plateau
Part 3: Socotra trip in Yemen (West) Qalansiya - Shouab Beach - Qadama Beach - Momi Plateau - Wadi Ayhaft
Saudi Arabia 2016: Transit from Sudan to the United Arab Emirates
Iran 2016Part 4: Ferry Port Bandar Abbas-Kerman-Mashad-Bajgiran April/May 2016
 
Articles in newspapers etc. about us in the United Arab Emirates:
Website: "Award Traveler's Festival Dubai 2012", Blog "HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum", Dec. 27, 2012
Article: "Human bond knows no borders", Daily Newspaper "Gulf Today" - December 27, 2012
Article: "Still on the road 28 years later, Swiss couple attends Dubai Travellers Festival", Daily Newsp. "GulfNews" - Dec. 27, 2012