Re-discovering Al Ain

Al-Ain is a beautiful emirate and we have visited it a lot of times already. During our previous trips, we visited Al Ain Wild Life Park and Zoo, The Green Mubazzarah and the Top of Jebel Hafeet.

This time around we planned to see other tourist destinations such as Hili Archaeological Park, Al Ain Oasis and Al Ain Museum but of course, we wouldn't want to miss the ones that we have seen before, our trip will never be complete if we were unable to visit those famous places again.

It was UAE National Day when we hit the Dubai-Al Ain highway. It was a holiday so the road is free flowing and I am happy that it was accident-free as well. On our way, we stop by the gas station to load up on fuel (long drive ulit) about 120 km from Dubai to Al Ain. A group of Dubai Bikers is on their way to Hatta, Oman. I read it in the news earlier this week that they are doing this for a cause. Oh man, they really have beautiful and expensive bikes!

We reached Al Ain by 12 noon and we didn't know where to go first. The good thing was that I researched the day before and familiarized myself with the names of the places we want to see. As I have said we have been to Al Ain many times however still we let the road signs guide us to our destinations.

Our first stop was Hili Archaeological Park, literally, it is a park where people come for picnics, b-b-q and relax a little but the main attraction here is the archaeological findings dating back to Bronze Age. It is the biggest bronze age site in UAE which dates back to 3rd Millennium B.C. Some of the remains we have seen are falaj or underground irrigation system, the Hili Grand Tomb that belongs to Um-an Nar culture and early settlements with unique architectural designs. Finds from the site are now displayed at Al Ain Museum which we also visited later on.

Al Ain Oasis is the largest oasis in Al Ain and it is famous for its "falaj" which bring water from boreholes to water farm and palm trees. The falaj irrigation is an ancient system dating back thousands of years. Al Ain Oasis is among the many oases existing in Al Ain.

They allow cars to enter the Oasis however the narrow path can only accommodate one car to pass and the winding road can take you to the other side of the city if you wish to or can go back from the main gate but manueovering is a bit of a hazard. It is green inside the Oasis, with tall trees and the air was undeniably cool and clean, that is the effect when lots of trees are there to filter air.

We felt like being time warped back to our provinces in the Philippines."Parang nasa Batangas lng tayo!"-my husband commented. I myself felt like being transported back to the place when I grew up surrounded by big acacia tree. Our friends say it's like being back to their tumana on a sunny day. We are used to greenery back home and we have been missing it a lot so being in a place like this brings back old but beautiful memories.

Al Ain Museum is the oldest museum in the UAE and it is just right around the corner beside Al Ain Oasis. We headed to the museum where the finds from the Hili Archaeological Park are displayed. The rich culture of Al Ain City and the UAE itself was well illustrated in this place. The museum is categorized into two sections, the ethnographic and the archaeological. The museum is open Saturday to Thursday from 8 am to 7:30 pm and on Fridays from 3-7:30 pm only. There is a small fee of 3 AED for adults and 1 AED for kids below 10 years old.

It is worth coming here specially if you have kids. Exposing them to the tradition, culture, and heritage of the country where they are growing is good. As much as we want to expose our kids to the Philippine culture and heritage our resources here abroad are limited. Visiting places like this in the Philippines is an addition to our itinerary when we head back home for our annual vacation.

One of my favorites on display was the metal soldier armour dating back to the 18th century used by Arabs during the war. Another was the hoard of about 300 silver coins minted in the mid to -17th century, accidentally discovered near Al Ain.

to be continued...Part 2