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Glimpses of the UAE brings you hidden gems, golden oldies, old treasures, new treasures, a few foodie recommendations, quiet beaches, lively waterfronts, great camping spots, hiking trails, interesting museums, inspiring art spots and much more. In short, a guide to exploring and discovering the northern emirates of the UAE.

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Glimpses of the UAE is feeling relaxed in Dibba Dib, Musandam, Oman.

13 hours ago

Glimpses of the UAE
Yesterday we had an amazing trip to Dibba Musandam with our great local guide Mohammed of Musandam Sands TourismWe started our trip with a quick stop at the fish market where freshly caught fish was being auctioned. Next we drove through the wadi past abandoned villages and up to the cliff top view over Zighy Bay. As well as being home to a luxury resort one side, Zighy Bay is also still home to some locals on the other side. At the cliff top, there is the fine dining restaurant, Sense on the Edge. It opens evenings only and menus start from 610 dhs for a five course dinner. You can climb up the steps to higher points for great views over the bay and the wadi. The cliff top also serves as a take off platform for paragliding for the adventurous. From there we drove along the road that goes towards Khasab and stopped on the way at a stream with beautiful clear water and rocks of many colours and patterns and then to Wadi Khab Al Shams, a canyon with enormous walls. Look at the photo and find the tiny person at the bottom! We first attempted to do this trip at end of December but the storm was on its way then. Today we weren’t lucky with the weather so couldn’t do the dhow but it was calm enough to do a speedboat trip along the coast instead, so all good! Speeding on the beautiful turquoise waters and along the stunning multi-coloured rocks was lots of fun. We went by the beach where you can enjoy overnight camping with Mohammed of Musandam Sands and swimming in the sea. You can also hike here from the wadi on the other side. Then we went along to the village of Haffa, which can only be reached by boat. It was too windy to go further out than that in yesterday’s winds. After having lunch with freshly caught fish at Shati Lima in Dibba (Oman), we took a walk along the top part of the beach. Dibba Beach Resort (previously Golden Tulip) is designed to blend into the environment and sits at the top of this beach and rates are currently very low. Mohammed was a wonderful guide. He has three dhows and also smaller boats so he can take large groups. As well as dhow trips, he can take you hiking, fishing and set up camping for you on a secluded beach. Please contact him directly at WhatsApp +968 9223 1595 or through Instagram (Instagram.com/enjoy_musandam for prices as this differs according to activities and number of people, etc.REQUIREMENTS TO ENTER How can you go to Dibba Musandam? (This does not apply to crossing the Musandam border at Al Jeer, Ras al Khaimah) Who can go? UAE residents and GCC Nationals Do you need a visa? You don’t need a visa. You need a permit. You get this permit either through a hotel booking or through a tour agency. When you book a trip with @enjoy_musandam you send a copy of your passport at least three days before and you will meet someone at the UAE side of the border to receive the permit and then proceed through the border where you hand it over with your passport. They will return it to you and will have to present it upon exit so keep it safe. If you are a GCC National, you do not require a permit. To return to the UAE, you need a negative PCR within 14 days if fully vaccinated. Children aged 12 and over require a PCR. UAE nationals require a PCR. Always double check with tour guide for latest requirements as these can change at any time. Your face will be scanned by an EDE scanner just as at the Abu Dhabi border. Follow also on Instagram.com/glimpsesoftheuae#musandam #oman #omanroadtrip #uaeroadtrip #uaetravel #uaeomanborder #dibbaoman #zighybay #exploreoman #experienceoman #uaeweekend #uaedaytrip #uaefamilyfun #uaefamily #beautifuldestinations ... See MoreSee Less

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Glimpses of the UAE is in Umm al-Quwain.

3 days ago

Glimpses of the UAE
There are some places I particularly like to go to in moody weather and this area is one of them. Today I walked along a firm sand and later coral strip of land and back and around the shore to the nearby peninsula. The strip goes round in a curve and almost meets the peninsula just a few metres away. Take care here as the beach shelves and the water becomes deep very quickly. I’d planned to walk around the peninsula but the first part took longer than I expected and it was already sunset. I estimate the loop of the peninsula is around 2km. The peninsula is firm sand with a stone-built front on the shore and there is some wild growth on it. I don’t think camping is allowed here as there were signs further down saying no camping and there were no caravans of locals there. To get to the peninsula by the shore you need to cross some flowing water and cross wet sand so you can turn back or get your shoes a bit wet and muddy.There is a lot of litter around unfortunately so either skip it, ignore the rubbish or take a black bag (or 10)You could do most of this on a suitable bike too. The area in general is good for both cycling and dog walking. There’s a large area of salt flats between the shore and the road but lots of worn tracks to follow. I’ve added the walk in Wikiloc under Ar Ra’fah. It was just under 4k. My Wikiloc is Glimpses of the UAE #ummalquwain #uaq #uaemangroves #uaeoutdoors #uaeoutdoorsblog #uaebloggers #uaqwalk #saltflats #moodyskies #worldcoolestwinterchallenge @visitummalquwain ... See MoreSee Less

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