April 24, 2017February 3, 2022 by findingbackroads

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi

We had a long weekend last week for the Islamic holiday, Isra wal miraj and we chose to spend it in more laid back Abu Dhabi.

What is a visit to Abu Dhabi without checking out the grand mosque? We’ve visited so many times, taking friends and family visiting us in the UAE. I wrote 13 facts about the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque after we first visited it in 2008. We visited a few times years and years after but what makes it different this time? It will be Benjamin’s first time! I want to see his reaction.

LOCATION

The grand mosque, one of the few in the world open to non-Muslims is about an hour drive from Dubai.

So many things has changed since we last visited a couple of years back when a friend from Japan visited and we played tourist guides, and included Abu Dhabi and of course the never to be missed grand mosque in the itinerary (see that post for pics!). First – there’s already a cafe and an Etihad Modern Art Gallery souvenir shop. We loved hanging out at the cafe, with lots of natural light coming in and great view outside.

But one thing never changed and never will – that if you go visit this religious site with arms and legs exposed (we were in shorts and shirts), you will have to wear the abaya for women and khandura for men. Before it was just a black robe though but now, there’s brown and blue abayas for ladies with attached covering for the head, like a hood. I prefer it this way than the separate cloth for head scarf as it keeps falling off.

Some other change is that people can’t freely roam anywhere they want now. The main square is off limits to visitors when it wasn’t restricted area way back in 2008, 2010.

There’s security guy who sits at the square and wards off people trying to enter the area. Since so many people want to take pics of the beautiful view behind him, he must be in thousands of photos! He is so chill and would just do some sign language to tell people not to proceed further.

There’s a specific cordoned route for visitors to follow. The place is more crowded on, unsurprisingly, weekends, especially on Fridays that it’s impossible to take photos without someone’s uncle or auntie in the background. Hold your children and never leave them out of your sight, it’s going to be tough finding them through the crowd!

So what was Benjamin’s reaction after visiting the grand structure? He said, it’s beautiful and can’t take his eyes off the massive chandeliers inside the mosque. And then? He asked why we were in robes and he wasn’t!

Have you visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi? If not, maybe plan it in the near future. It’s definitely a very popular tourist spot with what else but throngs of tourists you can’t avoid but I still believe your trip will be worth it.

March 4, 2015February 3, 2022 by findingbackroads

Khor Fakkan roadside beach, Fujairah

We saw the coast of Khor Fakkan at the top of the hill at Al Bidyah Mosque and the children have spoken: beach next!! Our very kind driver from Novotel Hotel Fujairah, where we stayed during our trip to Fujairah happily obliged.

“Are you married?”, I asked him.

“Do you have kids?”

“No, madame I don’t have kids but I know kids. Let’s go to the beach before we go back to the hotel.”

Awww. So sweet.

So we made a quick turn and stopped at a roadside beach. Our driver parked the car and immediately the kids got down and ran.

I chased them, the husband chased me and took a photo of me chasing the kids. I finally caught up with them.

You can see the Port of Khor Fakkan ahead. Khor Fakkan is a town located along the Gulf of Oman on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates. The town, the second largest on the east coast after Fujairah, is set on the picturesque bay of Khor Fakkan, which means “Creek of Two Jaws”. Khor Fakkan belongs to the emirate of Sharjah but is geographically surrounded by the emirate of Fujairah. Source.

Once near the water, they immediately took their slippers off and attempted dip their little feet in the water. During the month of February when the desert sun just starts to pierce through our skin on mid-day, the waters off the beaches are still cold to the touch. I couldn’t imagine swimming in it.

We did not bring any swimming costumes as I already assumed the water would still be cold. Benjamin started with the rolled pants style but eventually, we went back to the hotel with only his underwear!

We were approached by some men who offered boat rides to nearby islands. It was difficult to say no but we had to go back to the hotel for lunch. I hear a collected sigh. Getting on a boat had been an adventure the day before when we went out to explore the coast of Fujairah on a small motorboat from the Fujairah International Marine Club.

“Island trip and back. 150 dirhams madame, for all, including the little people.” Definitely next time!

It was a lovely side trip and wish we could have stayed longer, lay down a mat, open the picnic basket and have lunch under one of those trees looking up at the cloudless blue skies above and the blue sea ahead, feeling the cool sea air on our face, you know, just forget about the passing of time even just for a while.

February 24, 2015February 3, 2022 by findingbackroads

A trip to Al Bidyah Mosque, oldest mosque in the UAE

The UAE
Al Bidyah mosque, Family, fujairah, history, Novotel, staycation, Travels, uae, weekend
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When you live in Dubai, it’s easy to miss things as natural as rain or trees (other than date palm) or the sight of mountains. It was our second day in Fujairah and after exploring the coast by boat courtesy of Fujairah International Marine Club, we wanted to look around and show the kids some things they won’t see in Dubai (mountains!) and visit the Al Bidyah Mosque, (sometimes written as Al Bidiyah or Al Badiyah) reputed to be the oldest mosque in the country.

Novotel Hotel, the budget and family friendly hotel in Fujairah where we spent our short out of the city getaway offers tours to the city and nearby historic spots.

Our driver and guide picked us up after breakfast and we went straight to Al Bidyah Mosque. It was a longer ride from Fujairah city proper where Novotel is located but the sights along the way has something we do not see everyday. There were no bored souls inside the car.

Al Bidyah mosque is located 8 km north of Khor Fakkan in the mountainous coastal region of the emirate of Fujairah. The mosque is a charming earth-coloured structure of stone, mud brick and gypsum built between 1446 and 1668. The mosque is unique to the UAE but not the region. It was built about the same time as similar mosques in Yemen, Oman and Qatar.

I have been to this mosque before but that was way back in 2007 with my mother and if I remember, we weren’t allowed to go inside. Now, visitors can take a peek inside as it now functions mainly as a tourist attraction. Non-Muslims may enter if they are appropriately dressed and have taken off their shoes, but women must cover their heads.

Its structure has been kept true to its past. Apart from the welcome introduction of two air-conditioning units and four fluorescent lights, and some restoration work a decade ago, the mosque of mud and bricks remains much as it did in the mid-15th century.

Here, my 3 year old son is looking at a wall that existed centuries and centuries before him. It’s heartbreaking though to see all the vandalized walls on this old, small building near the mosque.

Locals says that they don’t know who built this mosque. There were no books or historical studies on who built it. There’s some sort of fort at the top of the hill behind the mosque. And there’s a pathway to it.

Way back in 2007 when we first visited, we did not have much time to explore around the area. Now that we didn’t have to rush back to Dubai and the weather was really great, we asked the kids if they wanted to go up.

I guess you know what they said next. The older one was too excited to show the place to her little brother as if she owns it, as if she has been there a hundred times. Those mountain silhouettes in the horizon, aren’t they beautiful?

The climb to the top wasn’t too much of a struggle but I guess for the little one, it was quite an effort. He loved it though and looked forward to reaching the top.

“Those mountains…where do they start and where do they end, mama?” I get overwhelmed by the questions Pristine asks during our travels because sometimes, the answers to those questions I can’t find in Google.

I am proud of my (little) young travellers. We’ve taken them everywhere we wanted to them to see and not once they complained or threw a tantrum (no jinx!). If at all, they are so eager to see more and always the reason why we need to linger more at a certain spot.

From the watch tower above the mosque you can view more of the magnificent scenery of the coast. If you’re thinking of doing something different on a weekend, you can drive to Fujairah from Dubai via the new road, stay a couple of nights at a city hotel (there are a lot of affordable hotel options!) and experience this piece of history and natural beauty in a country so focused on moving forward, with most buildings not older than cheese. Sorry for the mention of cheese, I am getting hungry.

Seriously, Fujairah is a must visit and you’d be more enticed to do so in my next post. We had a short stop at the beach on our way back to our hotel!

February 14, 2015February 3, 2022 by findingbackroads

Touring Fujairah: Day 1, from the sea

The UAE
Family, fujairah, Novotel, Travels, uae, weekend
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The color of the water off Fujairah is different. And it makes sense. The coast of Fujairah, unlike the other Emirates is in the Gulf of Oman (the others are in Arabian Gulf).

After a restful night at Novotel Fujairah Hotel, our wonderful budget and family friendly accommodation in Fujairah, we woke up early for breakfast and headed to the Fujairah International Marine Club. Though lately it has become a bit warm in desert land, the weather is still very nice to spend time outdoors and today, we will be doing something different: explore the coast of Fujairah by boat!

The children were ecstatic!

Photo credit: Fujairah in Focus

The Fujairah International Marine Club is a non profit organization that was established in 1999 to host and organize some of the world’s best maritime sports such as the Class One, The Formula One, Formula 2, and X-Cat World Powerboat Series. It also organizes national and local events such as UAE Jet Ski Championship, rowing races, and fishing competitions.

The first race for the 2015 X-Cat World Powerboat Series will be held at the Fujairah Internatioanal Marine Club on 25-27 February 2015.

There is a Biker’s Cafe at the Marine Club which serves light snacks and refreshments. Other dining outlets include licensed Harbour Club and a Chinese restaurant.

The Harbour Club is a trendy, relaxed bar restaurant, offering five star international cuisine and an extensive range of beverages. Both indoor and outdoor seating is available, with a shisha terrace and outdoor bar overlooking the marina. There’s also the Zhonghua Huiguan restaurant serving authentic Chinese and International dishes. The dining facilities are open to all, not just members of the marine club.

We did not get to try any of the dining outlets so I can’t say anything about the food or service but would love to try them out once we’re back to Fujairah, soon.

It was time to head out to sea. The weather was perfect, not too cold and very moderate wind. I’ve always loved sailing but never get to do it as often as I like. There’s something about the sea and the quote: “The cure to everything is salt water: tears, sweat and the sea” is so true. Just being near the sea, looking at it and smelling the salt water air is very therapeutic, at least for me.

The other members of the family loved the experience too, except for the littlest one who became very quiet. He is usually very bubbly and tend to move around, now he is stuck in his father’s lap!

We move away from the coast and here we see the some buildings in the city and the Hajjar mountains in the background. Living in Dubai does funny things to you – you’d be actually happy to see mounds of earth!

Fujairah port and Khor Fakkan port are nearby so there were many ships stopped in the middle of the sea. So, so big ships!

We got closer.

And closer.

Then we turned around to see another ship alongside this big one.

I’ve been asked by the little humans, “how do these things float, mama?” These boats have tons of weight and they float. WHY? I cannot tell them to Google that time so I used big words like law of bouyancy, etc. They looked at me like I’m crazy. They’re not convinced with my answers.

These boats can accommodate people for fishing trips as well, in fact, there are fishing rods in it. Pristine was waiting for any fish to bite the bait but unfortunately, the fishes were on a weekend break, maybe went on a trip to Dubai. LOL.

A trip to Fujairah is worth it because it gives you one of the most scenic natural environment in the UAE.The Hajjar mountains and the Gulf of Oman make for a wonderful combination and offer plenty of year-round options for recreational activities.

The Fujairah International Marine Club organizes to hire a small boat for the family or a traditional dhow for a group of friends.There are plenty of activities for families; a nice relaxing trip on the dhow, take a fishing or diving trip on one of our boats or enjoy lunch or dinner at one of the restaurants inside the club.

We loved our day trip out to sea in Fujairah. It’s so easy to say, this won’t ever be the last.

February 8, 2015 by findingbackroads

Fujairah: a sneak peek

This was taken aboard a speed boat along the coast of Fujairah, the only Emirate among the seven with a coast line facing the Gulf of Oman and not in the Arabian Gulf.

I’m going to write about our two-day weekend getaway to this charming emirate including where we stayed, our trip to one of Fujairah’s historic spots and what my little travelers were up to. But first, real world work.

It’s Sunday and back to work again here in Dubai. I have a full inbox to tackle and lots of papers on my table. Hopefully, I can take a breather later on and write about our wonderful weekend. I can’t wait to share them with you. You can check my Instagram though for little snippets of the trip.

September 6, 2014February 3, 2022 by findingbackroads

A day at Yas Waterworld, Abu Dhabi

We finally got around to visiting Yas Waterworld in Abu Dhabi last weekend! We love water parks but this latest one in the UAE is far from us. It’s in another emirate and about two hours drive from where we live.

With 43 rides and experiences, it’s hard to get round them all. Others will probably opt to try the most extreme first, while we first dipped our feet to the cool waters of the artificial beach, the most tame among the attractions there.

Most of the rides are for those with height of 110cm and above so Benjamin wasn’t able to join in. But he had so much fun anyway, just hanging around Amwaj – a cool place that looks like a beach, without the sand but with waves!

The water play section for kids won’t fail to entertain the water bugs!

The ride with the huge funnel called the Dawwama was closed for maintenance so we were not able to try it out. To be honest, I was happy it was not available otherwise, I would have lost excuses with my thrill-seeking daughter.

My favorite ride was Sebag as it is a combination of fear and delight. It’s only a few seconds of your life which could either be your best or your worst. LOL! It’s unique because you lie belly down on a special rubber mat with handles to hold on to and then slide down with super speed. You can race with your friends who gets to the finish line at the bottom. Super fun!

We also got into that suspended roller coaster called Bandit Bomber – a one of a kind ride that will keep you hanging on the Middle East’s longest suspended roller coaster for 550 metres!

Another one we experienced was the Slither Alley. The name says it all, it has sharp snake-like turns (some in pitch dark – my absolute fear!) that’s very exciting. You either go on your own floaters or a team of two. Pristine and I went together and she almost lost her voice when we landed in the pool below!

We survived one day in Yas Waterworld in August (when some people highly discourage it as it is still so hot). It was pretty manageable we just needed to be in the water always and in the shade as much as we can.

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When you get there, don’t miss this big bucket challenge at the children’s area!

TIPS {a few hopefully helpful tips based on our experience}

1. From now until maybe the end of October (or when you decide midday is still hot), it may be better to arrive at the park at around 4 pm when the breeze is cooler and the sun’s rays are tamer. The park closes at 8pm so even if you arrive at 4 in the afternoon, you still have time to enjoy. Otherwise, prepare to get really tanned and with the humidity still high, it is tough especially for younger kids.

It might even be wiser to wear sun protective swim wear than regular swim wear, at least for the younger kids (although I wore my UV Skinz too!).

2. Lockers and towels are to be rented so either prepare cash for it or bring your own towels.

3. Buy the Premium tickets (can also be called “fast track” tickets) if you can. Premium ticket holders have a separate queue and it’s generally quicker as there’s virtually no one in the queue (at least when we were there). Otherwise, be prepared to wait for up to an hour on popular rides especially on the weekends!

4. You may already know this but bringing outside food is not allowed inside the park. Security at the entrance strictly checks all the bags. There are food outlets inside if you get hungry of course.

5. Be prepared to climb to several flights of stairs for most rides. It is exhausting but that’s what makes the rides so thrilling as the drop is from so high!

We recommend this part as a great day out for families! If you’re in the living in the UAE, do not miss it!

Tickets cost Dhs240 (regular), Dhs440 (premium), Dhs195 for children under 1.1m tall. Kids under the age of three go free. For more information about other ticket options, visit www.yaswaterworld.com.

May 16, 2014February 3, 2022 by findingbackroads

Playing tourists in Abu Dhabi

The UAE, Travels
abu dhabi, culture, Grand Mosque, Travels, uae
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We toured Dubai for a day, now it’s time to head to the next Emirate of Abu Dhabi!

Our first stop was Yas Marina Circuit and it was eerily quiet. We asked if we could get inside and the security at the gates said yes. We can see the sprawling wide Ferrari World roof at a distance but other than a few gardeners tending the green spaces, no one was there because there was no event.

We were lucky enough to catch a corporate racing event at Yas Marina Circuit. I don’t know anything about racing…except that boy, it makes so much noise!

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There were only a handful of cars, less than 10. What happens during the grand F1 race (happens once a year)?

It was very hot that day in Abu Dhabi too, with temperatures swelling up to 37C. Our friend was amazed how lucky we are to be blessed with this kind of weather most of the year – yeah I almost forgot about that. How lucky we are to hang our wet laundry in the morning and get it in dry at midday.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque looked majestic against the perfect summer sky. The incredible Sheikh Zayed Mosque or Grand Mosque as it is also known, was named after the UAE’s former ruler and President – Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan whose body was also buried at the grounds in 2004. It was Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s dream to build a grand mosque meters above sea and street level in order for it be seen from miles afar.

We’ve been to the Grand Mosque a couple of times before – this is a staple tourist spot that won’t disappoint but I think this is the first time we visited when it’s summer. It’s so hot outside you would want to run and seek cover inside an airconditioned room.

Did I mention, the mosque really looked beautiful against the sky that day? I wish I took more photos.

If it was beautiful outside, wait till you see what’s inside. This snowy white mosque – conceived by Sheikh Zayed himself – can accommodate up to 40,000 worshippers and is architecturally impressive inside and out.

Taking design cues from Morocco, Turkey and even India’s Taj Mahal, the interior is a made-to-impress mix of marble, gold, semi-precious stones, crystals and ceramics. The mosque also houses the world’s largest Persian carpet with seven massive gold-plated crystal chandeliers dangling above the domes.

The large Persian carpet was made in Iran by 1200 female weavers working in 3 shifts over 2 years, the mammoth carpet measures 60,500 sq ft and weighs 47 tons.

I love how the photos turned out so well (for my standard, at least!). I’ve attempted to get these angles since the first time we visited but with the lack of proper camera, I wasn’t able to. See the red cords? I am surprised they have blocked off the center part of the mosque. There were no restricted spaces and tourist trail when we visited a few years ago.

Other side of the mosque and my favorite blue chandelier.

The other changes include the abaya counter being more organized now and located at a different venue, at the basement of Building B. Also, you now need to present and leave an identification card when borrowing an abaya (women need to wear an abaya to get inside the mosque). I left my wallet in the car so I did not have any ID with me.

Building B is at the farther side from the entrance, it’s a long walk.

I dreaded the idea of going back to the car but my ever reliable husband was luckily carrying my driver’s license! It as a coincidence that we had the car serviced the day before and he removed the important stuff there like my driver’s license and forgot to put it back. Otherwise, I could not bear think of walking through that hot and humid basement and to the car park in that heat!

You have no idea how fast we ran towards the shade the moment the camera clicked!

The Sheikh Zayed Mosque is open to non-Muslims everyday except Friday. Entry is free. Please note to dress conservatively when visiting Sheikh Zayed Mosque. Women should wear lose clothing, either long trousers or skirt and cover their hair with a scarf (this can also be provided when arriving at Mosque). Men should avoid wearing shorts. No shoes permitted in the building. No intimate behavior is permitted i.e. holding hands even if you’re a married couple.

Being a tourist is all about feelings of novelty and awe – it gave us a renewed appreciation of the place we live in. Have you played tourists in your own city lately?

Top photo credit

August 26, 2013 by findingbackroads

Visiting the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo

We’re almost seven years here in Dubai and this being a ‘small’ city, we feel we’ve been to the places, no more room to explore. Actually there are lots left to explore, we are just too lazy to go out on our day off.

Since it’s still searing hot outside, where else to go but to the temperature controlled shelters like the mall. Dubai Mall is wonderful on early Friday morning: there’s only very few people there! Most people stay up so late on Thursday nights (night before the weekend starts) so they are in still in bed until noon. That’s how it is I guess in hot countries: people go out at night while the sun is hiding.

I took the kids to the Dubai Mall Aquarium and Underwater Zoo.

It’s so huge this is the only aquarium in the world that can accommodate divers. There are people inside the aquarium, can you believe that?

We bought the Ultimate Aquarium Experience Package that includes the aquarium tunnel, underwater zoo, glass bottom boat ride and 40 dhs worth of gift certificate redeemable at the souvenir shop.

Honestly, I thought it would be boring…but then I enjoyed it! Lots and lots of fishes in the underwater zoo, we were all excited to see them all!

The kids can’t get enough of the fishes!

There’s this particular fish that needs a lipstick, according to Pristine, LOL!

Then, I got excited when I saw Nemo…actually a LOT of Nemos! They were swirling round that thing (seaweed? coral?) – totally adorable!! I love clown fishes!

And Nemo’s aquarium friend Gil was also there!

My husband almost always works on Fridays so it’s just me and the kids, however, we thought we’d improvise our family time by going out with him (he works in the mall), spending time at the mall where there’s plenty of space to walk around and then having lunch with him on his break.

We had so much fun, I would recommend it to anyone especially if you have kids.

Unfortunately, Benjamin is not allowed to get into the glass bottomed boat and they wouldn’t take Pristine without an adult chaperone. But still, our trip was worth it.

I was too scared to stand on the glass bottomed flooring! (below is the deep aquarium)

Ben slept after lunch so I let him be. We strolled around and around Dubai Mall, and for the first time in my life, I spent 8 hours in a mall. You don’t want to know how my feet felt that night!

The Dubai Aquarium is located inside the Dubai Mall,open during mall hours.

May 21, 2013February 3, 2022 by findingbackroads

Camels in the wild!

It’s been a long while since I last saw and got near a camel so my brother brought me this photo.

I’ve always been fascinated by camels. These are creatures I only saw in my story books as a child so when we first came to Dubai in 2007, I took a lot of camel photos: during our first close encounter with these humped animals, camels in Ras Al Khaimah, camels at the Camel Racing tracks, and in so many other camel meetings.

My brother works in a camp in Abu Dhabi, in the middle of nowhere. There’s nothing there but sand, more sand, seemingly unending roads and THESE.

February 13, 2013February 3, 2022 by findingbackroads

Visiting the Abu Dhabi Grand Mosque, again

This post was first published in 2011 but Abu Dhabi’s iconic Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque has been named among the world’s most talked about attractions by Trip Advisor so I thought I’d resurrect this post again so new readers can see the beautiful photos. If you’re a regular of this blog and have seen this one, it wouldn’t hurt to see this beauty again. Enjoy!

*****

When we went to Abu Dhabi last Eid, my husband insisted that we drop by the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The first time we went there was three years ago. We decided to go again last Eid holidays because it was rare that my aunt (my mom’s sister who also is in Dubai) and my two cousins had off from their respective work.

It was still hot and humid in September even after 3 pm but the sky was blue and it served as a beautiful backdrop to the giant minaret of the mosque.

For those who are curious what is inside the mosque, this one’s for you.

I see some people raising their eyebrows…”But isn’t this exclusive for Muslims?” Yes, it’s a place for worship for Muslims. But this mosque is special.

…special in the sense that it is open to the public.

Not only that – even non-Muslims can enter! Here is the husband curiously looking at the worshipers during their mid-afternoon prayers.

Now, I don’t know if there’s a rule that says it is prohibited to take photos (and post them online) of people who are praying. If there is, please let me know. There were so many people taking photos of these worshipers aside from myself inside the mosque, though.

Moving on…other intricate details of the mosque includes these very pretty doors.

A bright colored mosaic flower on the floor.

These two very exquisite chandeliers – which one do you like more?

The grandeur of the mosque against a small subject, my daughter Pristine.

The mosque is open to anyone wanting to know more about Islam, or simply want to see what’s inside a mosque (this was not an ordinary mosque, though). However, there are rules. Ladies have to wear an abaya (black robe and head dress – provided at the entrance) and slippers/shoes are not allowed inside. Here’s my mom, aunt and cousin with their flowing black robes.

These abayas (black robes) are available at the entrance for ALL ladies. Don’t worry, every one gets a fresh piece. Once worn, it goes straight to a hamper and they only give out freshly washed abayas, packed in plastics. Men don’t have to wear the traditional Arabic costume of long white dishdasha unless they come in shorts. Then they have to cover their legs.

More facts about the Grand Mosque in my past (popular) post: Getting to know the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.

Finding Backroads

Get out of the tourist trail

Category / The UAE