Travel through the original Middle East
Baked air under the ever-shining sun? Air castles that will collapse for lack of cultural ground? This trip proves otherwise. The prejudices about the Emirates are already made short on day one by a visit to Dubai Heritage Village.
Modern skyscrapers are built on an oil-rich surface out of nowhere. Here lies a thick layer of history and culture as a solid foundation for the modern Emirates. In this trip you will go beyond 163 floors of the Burj Khalifa,you will look for its origin. You'll find it in the small oasis towns of Dhaid and Masafi. In the mangroves of Abu Dhabi. In the fortress of the northernmost emirate Ras al Khaimah. And in the Bidiya Mosque in Fujairah, the smallest and oldest in the Emirates. Traverse the Hajar Mountains and spend the night in the desert like Bedouins. Follow the caravan's trail to Oman and enjoy the beaches in Musandam. But history doesn't stop at the coast, and so your trip doesn't. An old Arab ship is ready to welcome you on board.
Tips & tops from In search of origin:
- Visit Sharjah,the cultural capital of the Emirates. A collection of Islamic art, culture and history from around the world can be found in the Museum of Islamic Civilization, located in an ancient souk
- Swim and snorkel in the tropical waters of Musandam, the northernmost tip of Oman
- Traditions and customs from the Emirates are explained in the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding. The Wind Tower House in which this centre is located is an example of traditional architecture from the days when skyscrapers did not yet exist
- Sleeping under a blanket of stars in a Bedouin camp in the Liwa Desert
- Board the ship that sailors braved the Arabian waters centuries ago in search of pearls
- Delve into the history of pearl diving and try your luck: can you open an oyster? You can keep the pearls!
- Life of agriculture: small oasis towns of Dhaid and Masafi stand still in time
- The Emirates are more than sand, the green mangroves of Abu Dhabi mirror in the water you paddle over
- Off Road with a 4WD: racing across the sand dunes to the Hatta mountain valley in Madham
- The Al Fahidi Fort (1787) is the oldest building in Dubai. The perfect location for a museum about the city's history: the Dubai Museum
- Follow the trail of wadis through the Hajar Mountains. To finally get to the great lakes, you must leave the paths
- Hard to choose from the many local restaurants in Fujairah, but luckily there's plenty of time for an extensive lunch
