Liwa

What can I say about Liwa? Well, first of all, it's an oasis in the middle of the desert. It is a small town with nothing near it for two hours of driving. There is a large resort that has seen better days but is still fairly nice. I know a guy that will take me out on a dune bashing tour in the desert. There are a few forts that are nothing special but easily accessible. Camping is pretty secluded with some cool dunes, most notably the Moreeb dune which has an annual drag race up it.

With such a mediocre rating, then why do I love this place so much and keep going back? There's camping about an hour out of town between Al Ain and Abu Dhabi. There are plenty of resorts and five star hotels with much better facilities. There are plenty of desert tours that will take you on a wild ride through the desert. For me, the attraction is the link to the past, simpler life of Abu Dhabi and the UAE. The people out here may be under a centralized government, but this is the frontier. These are the true desert nomads out here. The Emiratis that you talk to here are more genuine and will offer to show you a part of their culture.

I found the same when a student of mine from another part of the UAE invited me to come to Dibba and showed me his favorite camping spot. There is a sense of genuine hospitality that I get when I go to Liwa and if you get the chance, you should go there.