Birthday weekend in Al Ain

Last weekend we decided to head out of the city to celebrate my birthday. We decided on Al Ain, is the fourth largest city in the United Arab Emirates with a population of just over 400k. It is located in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, directly adjacent to the border with Oman and is about 150km outside of Dubai. It is often called the 'Garden City of the Gulf' given the many parks, tree-lined avenues and decorative roundabouts within the city. Strict height controls on new buildings, to no more than four floors, emphasises the greenery of the city, and the lower number of expats living there gives Al Ain a more authentic Arabic look and feel compared to the larger and more cosmopilitan cities of the Emirates.

Just outside of the city is the 2nd highest mountain in the UAE - the Jebel Hafeet. And perched almost 915 metres up it is the Mercure Jebel hafeet hotel where we stayed. The mountain rises 1240 meters and offers an impressive view over the city, with what has been described as "the greatest driving road in the world" extending to the summit.


Photos at a picnic spot on the drive up to the hotel






































Looking down over Al Ain












































The Mercure Hotel
















The pool area at the hotel
















Geoff manking the most of the water slides before the midday heat set it










































Vire of the pool and surrounding areas from the hotel balcony














































Early morning putt putt - with a hefty fine for anyone wanting to drive the ball over the edge!

















Despite temperatures being on average higher in Al Ain it's actually far more pleasant than Dubai because of the lower humidity















Driving around the city

Fort inside the National Al Ain Museum enclosure

Walking in the Al Ain oasis.

Date palms grow freely here

The ancient falaj system of irrigation is still in use in here distributing underground water by a network of tunnels emerging eventually into open channels whose flow can be directed and regulated.

The top of the Jebel Hafeet