If you head out of Al Ain to the east, past the Intercon, past the go cart track, there is this flat, rocky land just before the Omani border. The landscape is very different than the area to the north and west of Al Ain. Out here there is almost no sand, and the beginnings of the Hajar mountains on two sides.
3 comments:
OMG! I rem. this place. I was just curious to see wot the heck lies beyond the magnificent IC Al Ain...I went on and on...the red sands are so beautiful...you see camel-yards whatever they're called on each side of the road, with trucks selling ware every few kilometres. Since I had no idea where I was heading and saturation point enjoyment-wise (as a single traveller) of the landscape was just enough to turn back, so I did. I wonder what lies beyond...but the further I would have gone, the longer it would have taken to turn back, so I did a nice little u-turn...:) I like this stretch of road, though it's a bit scary at night!
That is exactly how we found ourselves out there too. Once you get past the turn off for the Omani border (i.e. you start heading south) you drive through a very large set of camel farms or holding areas. It is very quiet and deserted out there - I never went at night, I bet that it was a bit scary. I would probably also be a great place to see the stars away from the city lights too.
If you keep going, the road comes out just south of the new camel souq.
That's a strange cooincidence, how we found the place. Actually, when I started to visit the IC Al Ain I often missed the turning and headed past the IC roundabout and when straight on: I was a new driver then, and quite alarmed by the lack of street lights and speeding trucks on full-beams coming in the opposite direction. I recall having to do a U-turn on a narrow road, hoping the oncoming trucks would demonstrate some 'anticipation'!
When I saw this place in daylight, I was really tempted, and took a packed lunch. As I was alone, I would not dare have stopped at one of those roadside mini-markets...I didn't know what lay across the border at that time, but thanks for clarifying! I would love to go back, with a huge 4wd, and some local know-it-alls as company :)
Thanks for the photos; they bring back some good memories.
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