Fujairah: ‘So Much to See Here!’

Journalist for The National, Tala al Ramahi, has written a great article on the delights of the United Arab Emirates, especially Fujairah and the East Coast.

Here is a taste of Tala’s reflections after getting out of the Abu Dhabi office to show a friend the whole country:

“A three-hour drive to Fujairah, two weeks ago, provided me with enough evidence that I did not need to travel far to witness beauty on a par – if not surpassing – that which I have seen in places I could reach only through a long (and dehydrating) plane trip.”

“Fujairah’s geography, particularly, the mountainous terrain that lines its 90 kilometre coastline, brought flashbacks of my trip to Waikiki, Hawaii’s most famous beach. Not only were the similarities uncanny, but I was also pleasantly surprised you did not have to pay hefty hotel entrance fees to gain access to the crystal-clear waters of Al-Aqah beach. And while divers I met have constantly praised the rich marine life of the emirate, it took a snorkelling trip around Snoopy Island to make me realise they were not exaggerating.”

“Equally moving, I thought, was one of the wonders of the north to be found just a couple of minutes drive from Al Aqah beach: Al Bidya mosque, a mud structure built in the 15th century, making it the oldest mosque in the country.”

Tala’s final words are these: “Do not forget that this country has more to offer, historically, culturally and environmentally.”

To see the entire article follow this link, ‘So much to see here – and I just didn’t know’, The National, 20 May 2008.

Dr. Geoff Pound

Image: “Fujairah’s geography, particularly, the mountainous terrain that lines its 90 kilometre coastline, brought flashbacks of my trip to Waikiki, Hawaii’s most famous beach.”

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