Journey across the Hajar II

Since we’re on the Hajar Mountains topic, I might as well finish this post.


Anu, Karishma & Justin at the Hajar Mountains, Fujairah, Eastern UAE

Last year, we did a repeat trip of what we did in 2008, a journey across the Hajar Mountains, to Dibba, then along the east coast of the UAE down to Fujairah, and back. This time though, we had the kids in tow, and Karishma.

We decided to make this trip because 1. We ran out of places to picnic in Dubai (heck, how many parks do you expect to find in the city? And after a few parks, you’d find them almost the same!?), and 2. We remember how nice the place was, and wanted to show the kids (meaning Justin and Karishma, …Jayden’s too young OK?) our adventures when there were just the two of us.

The place is still nice …but my favourite view of the mountains, the one with the deep cut crevasses, is sadly not as magical as it used to be anymore. This is a classic example of how development (in this case a new road) can destroy natural beauty! Don’t get me wrong, I love roads (I’m a road builder after all) and man-made structures, but not at this expense!!

I’ve reproduced the 2008 picture below (the first time I’ve reproduced a picture from my own blog), and put it together with one we took in 2015. Majestic mountain with deep crevasses and a tinge of green, …now with a scar of a road cutting across! What a waste!




2008 vs 2015 – Hajar Mountains, from the road to Dibba, north of Masafi, Fujairah Emirate, UAE


That blasted new road that destroyed the scenery!


Karishma posing with the rocks…


Getting Justin to stand still for a photo can be quite a feat as you can see


There, finally a family photo


Justin doing a Titanic, or is this a Karate Kid? Check out this 2008 photo of Anu at almost the same place


Plantation inside a wadi! These are still around, luckily (there’s also a 2008 version of this)






At the beach between Dibba and Khor Fakkan, Fujairah Emirate




Scenes from Khor Fakkan Beach (a territory of Sharjah) (and for photos of Jayden in Khor Fakkan, check this out)


Hills on the Sharjah-Kalba Road – We decided to take a new road back this trip. Drove down all the way to Kalba (another territory of Sharjah), and drove on the new road through hills and tunnels back to Dubai. (We used the Fujairah to Sharjah Road in 2008, the Kalba road wasn't built then)

Dubai's Mountain Village

Hatta, UAE – view from the Hatta Hill Park

Hectic times call for drastic measures. Therefore, another short picture post haha.

Here’s where we go for picnics when we get bored with Dubai, the city I mean. Dubai has a little enclave (territory) in the Hajar Mountains far to the east of Dubai proper. I don’t really have time to describe the geography of the Hajar Mountains in relation to the Arabian Peninsula, and so on. Let’s just say it’s a range of mountains which runs along the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula separating the coast of east Arabia (the UAE and Oman) with the desert in the interior. Heck, just Google Map or Wiki it, will ya?

This enclave, Hatta, is about 90+ km from where we stay in Dubai (or about an hour and 15 minutes’ drive). But to get there through the shortest and most direct route, you’ll have to enter Sharjah territory, then Oman (yeah, that’s correct, Oman, the country), then re-enter the UAE into a tiny enclave that belongs to Ajman (another constituent emirate of the UAE), and finally Hatta, part of the emirate of Dubai. Complicated? Well, that’s the way it is here. The UAE’s borders are full of complications. Check out this post.


A picnic in Hatta – at the Hatta Hill Park. We made a couple of trips to Hatta last year, for picnics (obviously) and also to get Jayden’s visa done. Hatta is one of the popular exit points for Dubai visitors to get their visas extended, for those who can get a visa on arrival that is. (Example, Malaysians hehe). Exiting and re-entering is also required for conversion of a Visitor’s Visa to a Resident’s Visa (don’t ask me about how this works, I have completely no idea. If I’ve had some idea, I wouldn’t have blown a couple of thousand bucks on the darn process!)






More pictures from the Hatta Hill Park, UAE

Pictures from the Hatta Heritage Village: -




Those spotlights sure spoil the 'village' effects eh?


Now that’s more like it, an oil lamp


Posing with a dummy in the Hatta Heritage Village – they’ve converted the actual village into some sort of a museum




More dummies!






More scenes from the Hatta Heritage Village, UAE


The Hatta Dam – Was actually trying to get to the Hatta Rock Pools, which are located in Omani territory. Didn’t succeed, stopped by an Oman border guard. Later found out that we had to take a completely different road. Aw, heck, better luck next time.

Here’s another post on Hatta, …our very first visit there, the time we got our aunt’s visa extended in 2009. Justin was less than a month old then!

The Garden of Little Houses

Indonesian House, Mushrif Park, Dubai

Oh, here’s another park in Dubai which we visited recently. How can I miss it out? This park has no beaches. But it makes up for it by being far less crowded (hence far less smoky, from the darned barbecue fires). There’re actually signboards all over the place saying that if you barbecue at non-designated areas, you’ll be fined AED 500 (or was it 1000?), but no one seems to care! Maybe it’s not enforced, or maybe 500 is peanuts for the people here, but I’m not gonna push my luck. I could do a lot of things with friggin 500 dirhams!

And that’s our life here. Pack some food from home (or pack some from the hyper market, or local takeaways …depending on the costs, ahem), drive to a park, then sit around and eat, while the kids run around. Hell, this is the only time of the year where the kids can run around outside, OK?


Thai House


Giant man with baby attacks Arabian House


What’s a windmill doing in Dubai?


English House


Norway House (didn’t know houses look like that in Norway?)

That’s not all. There’s more. If you wanna see them, visit us, haha!




Looking for a picnic spot in Mushrif Park, Dubai

The End of Picnic Season

Al Mamzar Beach Park, Dubai, with a view of the Sharjah skyline across the sea

Looks like another UAE winter has come to pass. It’s been difficult sleeping without the air-con/ AC for the last couple of days. Nope, we’re still not gonna switch it on. First, it’s not very healthy. Second, it’s been lying unused for …let’s see, 3 months?? Who knows what’s lurking in the AC now huh? (Note to self: Get AC service man to clean it up as soon as possible). Third, and most important, do you know how much electricity costs when the AC is on? (Hey, we’re stingy for a reason OK? My pay’s not that good! I have 2 kids to look after, and …we have big plans for exotic trips around the world! What’s a few sleepless nights without the air-con? Besides, it’s good training for our big travelling plans. Imagine being stuck in Europe during a heat wave. You think the hotels there have air-cons?!?)

Very soon, the only places that we can go to outside in Dubai, will be the fabulous shopping malls. But if heat is your idea of fun, I strongly recommend visiting Dubai in summer. The perks are just fantastic. For example -

1. You can have the parks all to yourself – glorious 50 C sun, date palms, trees, flowers of all kinds (um …maybe not), empty playgrounds, etc. Go to the parks in winter, and you’ll come out smelling like barbecue. What do you expect when the entire population of Dubai, and beyond, visits the parks to barbecue stuff and picnic? Some parks are worse i.e. Al Mamzar Beach Park (pictures below), Creek Park (see this post). Don’t believe me, give it a try on a weekend!

2. You can have a free sauna experience everywhere you go. Wanna have the real deal? Just park your car under the sun for 30 minutes, then hop in and enjoy.

3. You can get hotel and tour packages for a fraction of the normal cost due to the low season.

4. You can experience the real Middle East, take a dhow (boat) cruise on the creek all by yourself, sweating on the deck. Get exclusive desert safari adventures with no one else to bug you, and feel the hot oven-like desert wind (and dust, and sand) blowing over your face.

Before all that heat-related fun arrives, here’re some photos of our park outings, in less extreme times. If I could add smell to these photos, it’d be the scent of barbecued lamb.


The central arena of the Al Mamzar Beach Park – entrance is not costly, 5 dirhams per head. It’ll be cheaper if you have a car, 10 dirhams per car, regardless of how many people are squeezed in it. But everyone will be having the same idea, so be prepared to be stuck in a traffic queue if you try driving in on a weekend


Some weird observation tower in Al Mamzar Park




More beach scenes of the family at Al Mamzar. And here's a 2008 photo of Al Mamzar Park


From left - Xu Jiangang, Office Assistant & resident handyman; Ji Yuansheng, Head of Roads Department & unofficial cameraman; and yours truly, designated carrier of baby Jayden (who's hidden in the picture by mysterious head of unknown person)


Catching up on some action at our company’s Chinese New Year 2016 gathering at Al Mamzar Park. I dunno who those 2 main actors are, but the one on the left, holding the toy trumpet, is our Tender & Cost Control Manager, Fu Chunlei


Anu and the flowers, Al Mamzar Beach Park, Dubai


Here’s another park, the Uptown Mirdif Park, Dubai – Justin having fun at a classmate’s (Miriam) birthday party


Beautiful sky, with an Emirates plane in sight. Mirdif lies right next to Dubai International Airport, so if spotting planes are your thing, this is the place to be


Flowers at Uptown Mirdif Park, Dubai


Another view of Mirdif, outside the park (can’t get enough of that amazing sky, hehe). Those apartments were built by the Company I’m working for