We spent the late afternoon in The Pearl, an artificial island with colorful architecture, lovely marina walks, cafes, and restaurants at every corner. It´s Qatar’s answer to Dubai’s The Palm Jumeirah. The Pearl is a luxurious artificial island development on Doha’s northern fringe that...
Our first stop was at Sealine Beach, one of Qatar’s most popular public beaches, where the towering dunes of southern Qatar begin. Sealine Beach sits at the end of the east road, around an hour’s drive south of Doha, past Qatar’s petroleum refineries and natural gas...
We moved towards the KSA border after dinner with Luna and other travelers in Abu Dhabi. Our last stop to relax and work before crossing it was Al Sila Beach, nestled in the rolling dunes of the Arabian Desert some 350 kilometers west of Abu Dhabi in Al Dhafra. It’s an excellent...
We made it to the smallest of the seven emirates. Most people come here for a beach break. But we parked next to the excellent museum in the fort from the late 18th century. The fort served as the ruler’s residence until 1970 and also saw a stint as the police station. Now, its...
Surrounded by the fierce Hajar Mountains, Ras Al Khaimah (or simply ‘RAK’) is the UAE’s northernmost emirate. We were around for some time doing our service of the truck. At the end of our stay, we finally made time to visit the town and take photos. We stopped next to...
On the shores of the Red Sea is another new beach destination referred to as the Maldives of Saudi Arabia. The 104 little islands north of the town of Umluj are all about white sands and ancient swaying palms. It is a future diver´s paradise with pristine and almost virgin territory...
After the Dakar Rally final ceremony, we slept on the Dakar beach, and the following day, we moved to Old Yanbu. Yanbu’s history dates back at least 2,500 years, when it was a staging spot on the spice and incense route from Yemen to Egypt and the Mediterranean region. The remnants...
We spent a day under the bare, rugged foothills of the Hajar Mountains in Fujairah City. The city’s line of mid-rises and office blocks rises from the arid plain. Its busy main street, Hamad Bin Abdullah Rd, is a muddle of worn strip malls and semi-flashier glass and steel running...
We have parked at Khor Fakkan’s long corniche for our Xmas day, just a few steps from Khor Fakkan Amphitheater and Waterfall. The corniche, meandering for several kilometers, is flanked by well-tended gardens with mature palm trees providing shade. In the early evening, it’s...
Just a few steps from Marina, we found this clean, wonderful playground with plenty of facilities, including showers, toilets, and changing rooms housed in distinctive paneled pods. Kids can keep cool in a splash zone, and there’s even an outdoor gym for pumping. Since it’s...