Did you just get your off-road car and want to hit the desert in the United Arab Emirates? In this post, I am going to recommend to you four beginner off-road desert trails where you can easily learn how to drive on the sand.
BASIC RULES FOR OFF-ROADING
Before we move to the off-road desert trails, I want to touch on few important things:
- First of all, you need to have a decent off-road car with good tires that are suitable for the desert and aren’t worn out. Some cars, although 4×4 don’t handle the dunes so well;
- Ensure to have a full tank of petrol. The car uses much more fuel when you’re off-roading;
- Check if your cooling system is working properly so the car doesn’t overheat;
- Get your basic equipment like deflating device, air compressor, spare tire, tow rope, and shackle;
- Although I learned the basics of how to drive in the desert by myself, I always recommend going out with at least one other car, just in case you’d need that extra pull when you get stuck.
1. FOSSIL ROCK IN SHARJAH
One of the first off-road desert trails I would recommend in the United Arab Emirates is the area behind Fossil Rock.
Starting point: 25.141861, 55.862917
The dunes are small in height here and the sand is soft. The view is breathtaking, especially during the sunset as the sun hides behind the Fossil Rock. Also, there are a lot of trees around, which makes it a perfect location for picnics or camping. There are usually cars passing nearby so if you get stuck there’s always going to be someone to help you out.
I would not recommend starting your journey from the other side of Fossil Rock though as the sand there is more challenging, especially approaching the rocks, it’s mixed up with small stones. It makes it harder to maneuver the car at the slope. If you feel confident, you can drive up to Fossil Rock and then take the left direction to drive through Al Faya desert.
More details about Fossil Rock you can find in this article: 5 Things You Should Know About Fossil Rock
2. AL FAYA IN SHARJAH
Second – my favorite out of all off-road desert trails is Al Faya. Starting point: 25.127417, 55.839083
Amazing place to take pictures as the dunes are quite high with mountains in the background. It’s a popular place to off-road for groups so surely you are going to find trails to follow. You can take easy routes and more challenging ones. The sand is very soft and makes the off-roading pure fun. No wonder it’s one of my favorite off-road desert trails!
You can drive through all the desert and end up at this point: 25.090472, 55.802417 or at this point: 25.111500, 55.799972 (if you look at the map there is a route going through the desert connecting entry point and second exit).
Al Faya in Sharjah used to be a very popular place among off-roaders a few years ago. They all used to gather around the highest dune in this region after all day of off-roading. Sadly, due to many accidents, the gatherings were forbidden and a big sign “DO NOT APPROACH” was placed. Nowadays you can often come across the police patrolling the area preventing people from driving up to the top of the dune.
If you are heading back to Dubai there is an amazing cafeteria called Al Dana Al Batayeh (25.131972, 55.751500) where you can try some Emirati specialties. If you are in a group you can get a carpet and have your meal on the ground the traditional way.
3. AL BADAYER IN DUBAI
The third out of four off-road desert trails that I would recommend is Al Badayer. Just as the dune of Al Faya is not allowed to be approached, the same thing applies to Big Red in Al Badayer, where the signs also exist.
Next to the starting point (24.968528, 55.694806), there is a small shop where you can inflate your tires in case you decide to come back to the same point after you finish having fun off-roading. If you decide to stay on the right side of the Big Red dune, the sand here is soft and pleasant and the dunes are quite low. Al Badayer sand is almost red in color which makes the views spectacular.
Be prepared also to encounter a lot of Safari Tour Cars that will not necessarily give you a way when being close. If you decide to be more courageous you can approach the dunes on the left and drive towards Pink Rock that you soon will be able to see on the horizon.
4. PINK ROCK IN SHARJAH
The last location is Pink Rock which can make an ending point to trip from Al Badayer or starting point if you wish to do it the opposite way. Worth recommending is the 2nd December Cafeteria where I like to have karak (tea with milk and spices) or coffee. The entrance to Pink Rock as well as the cafeteria location is here: 25.041056, 55.732444.
The name ‘Pink Rock’ was given not by accident. The rock at the time of sunset looks pink in color. Also in this point, be prepared to come across a lot of Safari Tours Cars nearby as this is the final point for them usually coming from Al Badayer side. From here it’s a short distance to the main road.
At the end of this video, you can see how the area around Pink Rock looks like during sunset.
MLEIHA ARCHEOLOGICAL CENTER AND VALLEY OF CAVES
If you would like to embark on a journey back to the Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Bronze, Iron, and pre-Islamic periods and experience the history of traditional Emirati life in this region, you can visit Mleiha Archeological Center (25.126278, 55.857889) with a lovely café inside. Nearby also you can find mountain trekking paths around the Valley of the Caves (25.118694, 55.848167), where pieces of flint dating to the Stone Age were found.
REMEMBER!
- Do not leave any garbage behind, including food. Even organic waste can take months to biodegrade and meanwhile it will attract animals. It may not only make them stop eating their natural food and rely on what humans leave behind but also it may make them sick.
- Have always a bag ready to collect trash left behind by other inconsiderate people – in the end, you are saving nature.
- Hike or camp over gravel and rocks. In some areas, the vegetation can take years to grow back.
- Leave natural and historical items where you find them.
- Minimize cooking over a campfire, use the stove instead – it is less impact on the wilderness.
UAE OFF-ROADER GUIDE
If you are looking for more off-road trails to discover around the United Arab Emirates, I can recommend this ultimate guide that is packed with many routes, giving very detailed information and answering all questions you could have about off-roading in the UAE.
You can get it from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2UrKZdo
FIELD GUIDE TO EMIRATES
To learn more about UAE’s natural & archaeological treasures, check: https://www.fieldguidetoemirates.com
I hope you found this article about the beginner off-road desert trails helpful and it gave you an idea of where to head to next weekend. If you are looking for more interesting places in the desert, I recommend you to check: Al Ghail Village – Where the Mountains Meet the Desert and Desert Mirage or Oasis? Al Qudra Forest
