United Arab Emirates - which emirate is the most interesting?
The United Arab Emirates recently celebrated their 50th anniversary. This young country is made up of seven emirates, each of which shapes its own policies and builds its own offer for tourists. To some extent they compete with one another, but far more often they complement each other. After Dubai, which tourists know well, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah have now joined the battle for visitors. How should you plan your stay in the Emirates to make the most of everything this friendly, exotic country has to offer?
Dubai - the Marina, Burj Khalifa and Atlantis The Royal
'Dubai' has come to stand for something much broader than just the name of one of several emirates on the Arabian Peninsula. The consistency and determination with which this emirate has built its position in the world are admirable. Dubai has several faces, but it draws tourists mainly with the sheer scale of its developments and its futuristic, cosmopolitan image. Examples abound. Dubai Marina was created out of nothing. First a 3 km canal was dug in the desert, and then skyscrapers began to rise along it. After that the planners, architects and city leaders gave free rein to their imagination. Today, strolling along the canal - where yachts and motorboats are moored - you keep craning your neck as one spectacular development after another comes into view. Many things in Dubai are the 'most' something. The Marina has the longest urban zip line, and the world's tallest hotel is being built right now. Elsewhere in the city stands the world's tallest building, which everyone has heard of - the 'Burj Khalifa'. Here too is the 'Burj Al Arab' hotel, for which the star rating scale simply ran out. This is where the crazy idea of piling up a huge artificial island in the shape of a palm tree was realised. The recently built megahotel 'Atlantis The Royal' - fittingly, on that very island - may become a benchmark for modern functional architecture. 'Aquaventure' is the world's largest water park, with more than 100 attractions. Dubai has one of the biggest airports on the planet, and this is where most of the country's visitors land. In a word, it is impossible to imagine leaving Dubai out of a trip to the United Arab Emirates.
Sharjah - museums and the Sharjah Light Festival
Sharjah is another of the seven emirates and certainly less well known than Dubai. Sharjah's authorities stress that what they offer tourists is different: here museums and culture are meant to take centre stage, and everything is supposed to happen at a slightly calmer pace than at its better-known neighbour. Sharjah prides itself on its many museums, its centres caring for endangered animal species and places where you can experience authentic Arab culture. Open-air events, gatherings and festivals are held here frequently. Twenty modern educational museums are one of Sharjah's calling cards. They are interactive, with audiovisual displays of the highest standard, and will engage children and adults alike. Archaeology, classic cars, marine life, art and maritime history are just some of the museum themes. One of the venues designed for children presents, in an accessible way, the areas that are key to understanding how the emirate works. There is a small road-safety town and a TV studio, but pride of place goes to a model of an oil refinery. Admission to the museums is cheap - just over 10 zloty per person. Sharjah attaches great importance to preserving biodiversity. Cooperating centres for the protection of birds and other animals aim to reintroduce endangered species and to educate. This is the role taken on by the 'Birds of Prey Centre'. Right next door is the 'Al Hefaiyah Mountain Conservation Centre', where mammals have found refuge. The aim is for all of them to be released into the wild once they have bred.
Among the festivals, look out for the 'Sharjah Light Festival', held in February, when world-famous artists stage shows of light, colour and music at the emirate's most important sites. Right in the centre of the city of Sharjah, the Al Noor Mosque, which stands by a palm-lined seafront promenade, is lit up. It is hard to tear your eyes away from the evocative light show.
Ras Al Khaimah - Jebel Jais, the desert and pearls
Until recently Ras Al Khaimah was a sleepy, rarely visited emirate lying north of Dubai and Sharjah. Today it is entering the fight for tourists, and it holds strong cards. Here nature plays the leading role, in the form of mountains, desert and sea. Until recently the mountains were a somewhat underrated part of the UAE landscape. Today the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah prides itself on being home to the country's highest peak, Jebel Jais (1934 m). A new road has recently been built here, with a wide lane for pedestrians and cyclists, cutting as much as 20 minutes off the drive to just below the summit. 450 metres below the summit, 'Puro', the highest restaurant in the Emirates, has opened. To its left is the top station of the world's longest zip line (2831 m), and to its right the start of a toboggan run. A brand-new addition is the chance to hire an electric mountain bike and ride up and down the mountain hairpins. A trip into the desert in Ras Al Khaimah is a unique experience. The emirate considers its sands the most beautiful, because they have a reddish tint. A whole day in the desert brings a wealth of attractions: camel rides, quad biking along desert tracks and a wild off-road drive over the dunes, culminating in a desert sunset. The sea is another great asset of Ras Al Khaimah. It is worth taking a boat trip to a pearl farm. On the way you sail past wild mangroves and watch flocks of flamingos. The emirate proudly presents its precious pearls as part of its heritage. And what about the beach? Your best bet is the complex of four artificial Al Marjan islands. It is a beautifully landscaped area, with palm-lined promenades and atmospheric lighting at night, where hotels have been built on large, green plots. Each has its own beach and facilities for a relaxing stay.
How to combine Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah
Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah complement one another in what they offer tourists. Bustling Dubai, with its record-breaking attractions, cannot be missed. If your timing is right, you really must attend one of the open-air events organised in Sharjah. At other times, visit its museums. Go to Ras Al Khaimah for its nature. Without a trip to the mountains or the desert, your stay will not be complete. Thanks to the new direct flights being launched from Poland, the United Arab Emirates are becoming an ever more interesting destination for Poles. Whichever emirate you end up in, you can count on plenty of attractions. It is best, however, to visit several of them, as that will only heighten your impressions.
This article was produced with the support of the tourism offices of Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and the hotels Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa and Movenpick Resort Al Marjan Island
