Desert Poulence
Down the road of progress conservative Abu Dhabi has a few lessons for its neighbour
- Published: 11/03/2010 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: Horizons
Jaunting off to a desert country in the Middle East may not be the biggest travel trend, but it is definitely growing. And the hottest destinations for such expeditions now is nowhere but the United Arab Emirates of which Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the most well-known.
In recent years, however, rapidly growing Dubai may have outshone Abu Dhabi, the largest of the UAE's seven emirates, but Abu Dhabi's US$25 billion rescue late last year to bail Dubai out of a crisis that could have spun out of control is proof enough where the two neighbours stand.
And as far as tourism is concerned Abu Dhabi is a rising star, having been listed by leading travel guides Lonely Planet and Frommer's as the ''Top 10 Cities to Visit in 2010'' and ''Top 10 Destinations 2010'', respectively.
Of course, because of the shared cultural and geographical background, both emirates offer tourists a number of similar attractions, such as camels, desert safari, belly-dancing, not to mention numerous exciting development projects.
But unlike Dubai, Abu Dhabi's more conservative approach to progress has resulted in a city and population that is more relaxed and at peace with itself.
Besides, the emirate has never been branded a ''paradise for money-laundering'' or a ''criminal crossroads'', which is important considering ''responsible tourism'' is an evolving trend and travellers nowadays think more about reputation of their next holiday destination than just the attractions it offers them.
The clock in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, is about three hours behind Bangkok and, unlike Thailand, working days in the emirates are Saturday to Wednesday with Thursday and Friday being weekend holidays.
You haven’t been to the UAE if you haven’t been tossed around in these Japanese 4x4s up and down sand dunes during a desert safari. According to a veteran driver, the largest dunes are in an area called Empty Quartre near Liwa, an oasis town about 100 kilometres south of the capital.
The desert safari ends at a camp where guests are entertained to belly dancing and dinner. Free henna is also offered. Make sure your henna artist is a good one, otherwise you might end up with a fat, ugly scorpion that will linger on your arm for a whole week!
For people in desert areas, camels have always been part and parcel of their lives. Camel racing is a sport as popular as it is controversial. Violations of the ban that bar jockeys less than 15 years old from racing, many of whom hailed from poor families in the Indian sub-continent, are still commonplace.
The Grand Mosque, one of the largest in the world, can accommodate over 40,000 people. Like the city itself, this magnificent place of worship has an international flair about it, courtesy of marble from Italy, hand-woven carpets from Iran and giant chandeliers from Germany. Non-Muslims can visit the mosque outside praying hours. Women must wear traditional dress and cover their head with cloth they can borrow at the lobby without charge. Guide service, also free, is available, so visitors can ask about anything they wish to know about Islam and the emirate in general.
At the Heritage Village, you get a glimpse of how people lived in this part of the world before petroleum changed their lives and destiny of their country. Not to be missed is its small museum which features interesting antiques and old photographs. The compound also has handicraft workshops where visitors can buy souvenirs.
How many hotels in the world qualify as national landmarks? The Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi is one of the rare few. Owned by the government and managed by the Kempinski Group, this imposing property boasts a 1.3-km-long private beach, 850,000 square metres of floor space, 1,200-strong staff drawn from over 50 nationalities and many other unique statistics. The suites on the top floor of the hotel are meant exclusively for visiting heads of state, members of royalties and international superstars. Just being super-rich does not give you the key or access to any one of them.
Portraits of respected sheikhs grace the lobby of the Emirates Palace. No matter what the system of government, a country still needs an able and honest political leader who is also its spiritual voice. Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates owe much of what they are today to the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, father of this federation of seven emirates, fondly remembered for this famous quote: ‘Future generations will be living in a world very different from that to which we are accustomed. It is essential that we prepare ourselves, and our children, for that new world.’
With popularity of Thai massage growing to all corners of the globe, spas in Abu Dhabi are no exception. Here, too, there is a demand for skilled therapists from Thailand. But Thai tourists visiting the emirate, however, would save a lot of money if they just waited a few days until they got home rather than go for muscle-soothing kneads in Abu Dhabi.
With all the petro dollars at disposal, Abu Dhabi and the rest of the emirates have built expensive desalination plants that ensure freshwater supply for their 7.5 million population. Still, they realise the need to conserve water because the desalination entails high power consumption and release of toxic chemicals into the sea.
Abu Dhabi’s skyline is obviously not as daunting as Dubai’s. Still, the city today is a great transformation from the tribal settlement it used to be less than a century ago. The tower seen on the left of the skyline is where Marina Mall, one of the city’s most popular shopping centres, is located. Like Dubai, the city boasts several manmade attractions, including the Ferrari Theme Park and world-class museums scheduled to open in a year or two.
About the author
- Writer: Pongpet Mekloy
- Position: Horizons Editor
You have shared such a nice post...there are so beautiful pics in this blog,i like it very much.There are such great scene of desert Safari and info also.Thanks for sharing.
ตอบลบOernight desert safari Abu Dhabi