The Al Ain Oasis, located in the city of Al Ain in the Abu Dhabi emirate, is a remarkable attraction. Al Ain is the fourth most populous city in the UAE and the greenest city I’ve seen here, with greenery and flowers lining all the roads—even outside the city limits.
The Al Ain Oasis is genuinely captivating in its beauty. It was the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the UAE, covering 1,200 hectares, featuring 147,000 date palms, and housing hundreds of eco-friendly farms.
On-site, things might not look as magical as described, but strolling for an hour through the palm forest, accompanied by birdsong, is a peaceful experience. It’s extraordinary in the desert-dominated Emirates. However, the walk is restricted to paved paths, and you can’t wander off into the palm groves. Some parts of the trail abruptly end with piles of debris, old palm branches, and other refuse. As is often the case, the area could use finer touches to make it truly enjoyable. There are some signs, but I didn’t come across any clear maps of the walking routes.
Online sources suggest renting a bicycle or a pedal cart at the entrance, as the park is said to be massive. I think it’s not so large that you can’t explore all the accessible and developed paths on foot in about an hour or a little more.
There are markets on weekends, and I imagine that during date harvest season, you can grab some fresh ones to try.
Al Ain also boasts many other fascinating spots, some of which I’ll mention later.
GPS: 24.218399, 55.762195
Google Maps
Photos: 1, 2
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