Hi,

I am traveling to dubai on the 28th and during my stay I was hoping to take my partner camping on a motorbike, but apart from the fact that i have absolutely no idea where to go or what to do, I have tried to search for motorbike hire places (with my sis who lives in Dubai) but this is quite impossible it seems unless we want a harley, so we can hire a small 4x4 possibly.. Does anyone have any suggestions ?


Thanks and I am looking forward to your advice,

Lara

You should be able to rent a 4X4 if you want, but there are also camps that will take you out for the day or even overnight. If your sister lives there, she will know about them. Definitly go to the Mall of The Emirates and go snow sking. Lots to do and see. For a real treat, visit Oman, incredible beachs and deserts. Great friendly people. Muscat and Nizwa are good spots to visit.

John

THanks John,

I do like mall of the emirates, but shopping can be a wee bit boring !!
We will rent a 4x4 i think. Can you recommend anywhere in oman? we arent particularly interested in guided tours so something that e can do ourself would be brillliant.

Thanks, Lara

One easy suggestion is to drive up past Ras Al Khaimah to the Omani border of the Musandam Peninsula. Go one way on the motorway extension of Emirates Road and return down the old coast road for a change of scenery. When you reach RAK, turn right at the clock tower roundabout, go across the mangrove/golf club causeway, follow signs for Nakheel and then Rams (a village in the UAE) and/or the Oman border. The road after RAK has improved considerably now that road works have finished.

The border crossing takes about 15 minutes (you'll need to take your passports) and costs 25 dirhams each to exit the UAE and 60 dirhams for an Omani visa.

Having entered, the good part starts. The road along the coast is beautiful and spectacular all the way to Khassab.

In Khassab (port), you can hire a speedboat (around 300 dirhams) to take you around to Telegraph Island or head instead into the wadi and visit Khor Najd - the only road access to the sea on that piece of coastline (N26 05 30.8 E56 19 31.0) - and the acacia forest (N26 02 34.4 E56 21 59.4).

The turn off to Khor Najd is at: N26 04 20.3 E56 18 39.0

You can easily return to Dubai in one day with a total of about 400km driven.

If you go towards Nizwa, Jibreen fort (N22 54 55.1 E57 14 58.1) is worth a visit as a lovely example of an old house-style fort - not the usual military ones which are everywhere in Oman.
Stephan

Hi Stephan,

Thanks for the post. It has been really helpful.
I have some futher questions for you if thats okay.
We are probably going to rent a 4x4 and my partner would like to travel on some off roads, not in the desert exactly, but not on main roads and then we would like to camp so if you have any suggestions on where to camp also that would be brilliant.

Thanks again,

Lara

Hi again,

Another qucik question. When we have tried to hire a 4x4 we have been having a number of problems getting insurance. Do you know of anywhere that we can rent with insurance to travel on non tarmac road ?

Thanks,

Lara

Sorry for the delay in replying, Lara, Christmas and all that. I hope you managed to sort out at car. You can do the trip to Khassab in any vehicle as it's all tarmac unless you go into the wadi. Even then, you can get to the acacia forest in a saloon car as long as the rains have stopped. (It was a bit flooded up there last week.) I wouldn't advise the climb up and down to Khor Najd in a 2WD however!

I'm afraid I don't know that much about 4X4 car insurance but I think it's standard that insurance policies don't cover off-roading even for 4X4s. I only have third party for my old Nissan which makes me liable for any damage I cause. It's not such an issue with a 15 year-old car but I can understand your reluctance to risk a new car off road.

Stephan
PS re: camping I've sent you a PM.

Just come back from Oman. Whether by bike or car, but "Explore Oman" which give routes for driving, walking, swimming in pools etc and really excellent. Best spots for hills and wadis is the Nizwa area. Lots of place to see (hidden villages etc) even by hire car - rule 1: Hire cars go anywhere!
Enjoy a beautiful place.

My (cats') vet recently hired a 4x4 in the UAE with insurance cover for off-road. If you still need details send me a PM and I'll find out further details.
Stephan