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Central/Old
Souk
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Location:
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Near
Al Ain Museum
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Description:
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Household
goods, fruit and vegetables at excellent prices.
Good opportunity to try one's haggling skills.
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Al
Ain Zoo
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Location:
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Entry
from Zoo Roundabout
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Timings:
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7.00
A.M -5.30 P.M
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Admission:
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Adult:
2 AED, Children under 4 years free.
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Description:
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Regarded
as one of the best and largest Zoos in the Gulf,
the Al Ain zoo occupies an expansive territory
of 400 hectares and has a wide variety of animal
species from across Middle East, Africa and others.
The species include: Arabian Oryx, gazelles, kangaroos,
hypos, reptiles, etc. There is also a large aquarium
with sea lions, penguins, fish etc.
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Al-Ain
Al-Ain is the main town in the Buraimi Oasis, which
straddles the border between Abu Dhabi and Oman. Its
sister town, Buraimi, is on the Omani side of the border,
but visitors can move freely between the two, making
this a fine way to get a taste of Oman without the hassle
of obtaining a visa.
The oasis is probably the longest inhabited part of
what is now the UAE, with settlement dating back to
the 4th millenium BC. In more recent times, Al-Ain was
the birthplace of Shaikh Zayed, the current ruler of
Abu Dhabi, and he has lavished funds on it. Buraimi
has not received the same largesse and remains a comfortable
provincial town. The resulting contrast between the
two communities makes this an interesting spot to visit.
The other drawcard in summer is the dry heat of the
oasis, a welcome relief from the humidity on the coast.
The Al-Ain Museum and Eastern Fort share the same compound
in south-east Al-Ain. The museum contains exhibits on
life in pre-oil days, Bedouin jewellery, weaponry, musical
instruments and the interior of a Bedouin tent. An eclectic
display of the decorations received by Shaikh Zayed
includes the Order of Isabel the Catholic and a bullet
from a Palestinian commando leader who hijacked three
aircraft to Jordan in 1970. There's not a lot to see
in the fort apart from an old cannon in the courtyard.
If you're in the market for a sheep or goat, stroll
over to the nearby livestock souk, which attracts Bedouin
and townspeople from all over southern UAE and northern
Oman. It's an interesting place to wander around, especially
early in the morning when trading is heaviest. There's
also a small camel market in the morning close to the
centre of town. When you tire of the stench of animal
dung, head north across the border to the atmospheric
Buraimi Souk, which is full of fruit and veg stalls
and is backed by the Al-Hilla Fort. Nearby is the impressively
restored, 400 year old Al-Khandaq Fort; it's well worth
prowling around the fort's courtyard and climbing the
battlements.
Camel racing takes place about 20km (12mi) from Al-Ain,
on the road to Abu Dhabi, on Friday mornings during
the winter months. You can also arrange camel safaris,
ranging from one hour jaunts to overnight treks that
include a night in a Bedouin tent. Al-Ain is a two hour
drive east from Abu Dhabi; the two settlements are connected
by a tree-lined freeway plied by buses and service taxis.
It's roughly the same distance south of Dubai, accessible
by service taxi.
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