More things to do in the UAE:

There was so much to talk about in the last post, that I felt I must complete the list in this one. It’s also based on ideas from some amazing twitter followers (@Audiomonkee) and I hope they are helpful

Horseriding

There are lots of places in the UAE to go Horse-riding, its part of the culture.

Two places I have tried personally are riding centres in Dubai at Al Mamzar and Arabian Ranches. The one in Al Mamzar is quite reasonably priced, but the horses aren’t as well kept as at Arabian Ranches. Hacking at Arabian Ranches is more expensive but there never seems to be a spot open despite the amount of time you book ahead.

Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Ajman have Equestrian clubs you can get in touch with for riding lessons or hacking. And out of interest, Al Ain’s Intercontinental Hotel has riding facilities.

For people who have their own horses or who just love horses, there is also an online equestrian community at www.qudraland.ae

Moving on…there’s a marine club in Um Al Quwain that seems quite interesting, and might be good if you’re schoolteacher looking to take your class somewhere educational and safe for either a day or overnight trip. This is the website www.uaqmarineclub.com

Joining a Gym

There are Fitness First gyms across the country and it costs around 4000 dirhams a year to join. Other than their premium facilities, you can use your fitness first card at any of their branches in the UAE. If you go away for a while, you can suspend your membership for up to two months. Fitness First also offers ladies only gyms, the one in Oasis Centre in Dubai is one of them.

Mina Salam on Jumeirah Beach Road has a gym with personal trainer and tennis court access-that costs around 10,000 dirhams a year.

In Abu Dhabi there are numerous health facilities, the biggest is Al Wahda located at the Grand Millenium hotel, which costs around fifteen thousand dirhams a year. A more economic option is the Armed Officers Club, which costs around six thousand dirhams a year. There are others as well with varying prices.

In Sharjah there are a few health clubs and hotels with gym facilities. Grand Millenium and Sharjah Wanderers club are two I can think of off the top of my head, but I’m not sure of the prices.

However most apartment buildings will have a free gym, they’re usually smaller than the ones at Fitness First, but unless you’re a fanatic and fussy about the type of equipment you need, they should be more than adequate.

Miscellaneous

If you live in the UAE, one of the things people never get around to doing is visiting the Burj Khalifa, and it’s a real shame. If you book ahead of time on the website www.atthetop.ae it costs around 100 dirhams per person, but you will have to go at exactly time you booked. There isn’t much to see except a panoramic view of the city, and some guests of mine were disappointed with the fact that there was no commentary once you got to the viewing deck (so I provided one) but it is the tallest building in the world for now, so you really should go up and have a look.

If you go around 5pm, you will be done by around 6.30 and then can get an outside seat at one of the restaurants at the Dubai Mall-More Café is my favourite-the butterfly prawns are amazing-but too large a portion for one person, so maybe order it as a starter to share.  The Anna Marie Se Kiep’ is a good chicken dish from my home country of South Africa and it also does really good ice-cream made on the premises- the chocolate ginger is amazing. While you eat, you could watch the dancing fountain, which starts at 7pm. I haven’t done it in a while, but the last time I remember getting increasingly annoyed that the same song played every 15 minutes, because it was sponsored by an international company. Another two restaurants I would recommend in that line are California Kitchen (Californian salad) and PF Changs (dynamite shrimp and stir-fried egg plant). The Italian restaurant Vapiano’s does good and simple food, but the service is so awful that its really not worth it; you could wait up to 45 minutes for service, and they are guaranteed to get your order wrong-I’ve been there three times just to give them a chance and really can’t be bothered with doing that anymore. You won’t have a good view of the fountain from PF Changs or California Kitchen but the service is usually good and the food is amazing, so you probably won’t care. I don’t.

Most people will tell you the highest point of the UAE is Jebel Hafeet a mountain in Al Ain. The highest point is actually Jebel Yabir-I have no idea where it is and most people haven’t heard of it. Jebel Hafeet however is a popular destination, and is worth a look. There’s a hotel towards the middle of the drive up, which I suppose you could stop at for a bite to eat-but where’s the fun in that? It’s quite rocky at the top so if you take a picnic with suitable cushions, you can say that you’ve eaten on the UAE’s highest point…sort of. Admittedly, it isn’t that high when you compare it to other high points of the world, but it does make your ears pop on the way up, so its high enough.

Since you’ll be in Al Ain already, you may as well visit its Wildlife Park. It costs around 10 dirhams to enter and is home to a number of buck that are extinct in the wild (see images) The park also has an animal rescue programme that rescues and cares for wild animals like tigers and lions that have been domestic pets and whose owners can no longer take care of them. It is illegal to have wild animals as pets in the UAE, but unfortunately many are able to escape the law. His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who regarded the animals as his guests, established the park. It’s also linked up with sanctuaries in other parts of the world to breed and reintroduce extinct animals into the wild.

                                               

There are also springs you could visit in Al Ain (which is presumably where it gets its name from-in Arabic Al Ain means ‘eyes’ or ‘springs’) One thing you need to know about the city is its very much like Milton Keyes in England-there are roundabouts everywhere, and every roundabout has a name-its not clear what the names are, sometimes they’re on them, sometimes they’re not. If you have a gps-navigation system, however, you should be fine.

If you’re looking for something quiet to do with the kids, Café Ceramique may be a good place to visit. There are a couple in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It’s just a little café where you can buy or create your own little piece of pottery and paint it with your children. This gets put into a burner, and you can pick up your masterpiece when you’re done.

If you want a little bit of Emirati culture, there are camel races that go on daily in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The jockeys are computerised dummies, and the races start at 3.30 pm. The number for the racecourse in Nad Al Shiba (04 4 322 277) I’ve tried calling numerous times but haven’t been able to get any information from the dude on the other side. As a result, I’ve not actually been to a camel race myself, so cannot comment on it. If you do go, I would love to know your thoughts.

The Fruit and Vegetable Market is amazing. I’ve only been a few times and not recently, but it doesn’t change so I believe I can comment quite confidently. Every fresh food you could possibly need is available at this market, which is on the way to Al Aweer. I love cooking with fresh fenugreek, coriander and parsley- these and dozens of other indian vegetables are available at this market. It’s all well priced and regularly checked by the government to make sure the prices stay stable.

Dragon Mart is an enormous warehouse type place in Dubai’s Al Aweer (International City) area. It has hundreds of stores with everything from lawnmowers to curtains and blinds to jewellery to home and office furniture. Everything is made in China and is much cheaper than anywhere else in Dubai. Using a store in Dragon Mart, we had blinds made and fitted for our three-bedroom apartment for a total cost of 1700 dirhams. I must warn you however, it is very busy, there’s hardly ever parking, even if you valet and it’s   very confusing, you will need a whole day here whatever you’re going for.

Outlet Mall houses designer stores with factory prices. Of course this comes with its problems, because you only get what is on the shop floor, if its not there in your size then its unlikely that it will be available at all. Every single brand you can think of is available here from Juicy Couture to Chanel to Adidas. If you’re not a shopper like me, it can be a nightmare, but if you do like shopping, like all the guests I’ve ever hosted in Dubai, this place is a haven. I must warn you though not to go to Outlet Mall expecting Karama prices. Here you will get original designer ware for a fraction of the price but certainly not at the prices of fake goods. Also, I am opposed to Karama and object to taking any guests to support fake goods. This is especially since the people who bring these counterfeit goods to the UAE illegally are also part of human trafficking syndicates, and I refuse to support that. Every time you wear your fake Louis Vuitton bag, just remember, you may have helped the kidnap of a 15 year old girl from somewhere in the world, who has subsequently been forced into prostitution. I hope it’s worth it. Please read the following literature to help you give up fake goods forever.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2049015/Holidaymakers-warned-fake-goods-fuel-organised-crime.html

http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/tocta/8.Counterfeit_products.pdf

http://www.kent.gov.uk/community_and_living/consumer_advice/report_a_rogue_trader/counterfeit_goods.aspx

http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2011/December/blue-for-good_-fashion-with-a-conscience-for-victims-of-human-trafficking.html?ref=fs1

A place I love visiting is the Antique Warehouse. This is in the depths of Al Quoz, which is a bit like Aladdin’s cave. It’s bursting with little gems that you could take back home as gifts for everyone- Arabic-style lamps, carpets, wooden Arabic furniture (once saw a beautifully carved indoor swing in there) and they also offer framing services. They are the cheapest framers I’ve come across in the UAE, and extremely high quality. Their service is always impeccable, and it’s a very interesting place to visit with its many doors, and passages filled with all kinds of interesting treasures.

This is my attempt at directions: Get off at the Times Square exit off Sheikh Zayed Road (exit 43), turn left at the lights, first right and then second right and you should see about 3 sandy parking bays for people visiting the Antique Warehouse. Their number is 04 347 9935. The receptionist is lovely and friendly and speaks English, and is used to people asking for directions because they’re very lost.

Over the last 6 months I’ve travelled so much that I’m taking (@JamesWorldNews) advice for my blog next week. I’ll be talking about how to use the UAE as a hub to travel around the world and will also do an airline review. Be sure to check in for that!