2020 has been unforgiving, but we managed to get out of Abu Dhabi for a weekend for Nick’s birthday. We hit the slopes at Ski Dubai and visited Jebel Jais in Ras al Khaimah where we hiked, camped, and zip-lined. We even got to do a little off-roading in the new Jeep! As you'd expect, the August weather was hot and humid, but it turned out to be just what we needed.
What We Did
Dubai
Ski Dubai, Mall of the Emirates: Our first skiing experience… Indoors, in the Arabian desert, in the middle of the summer. We loved it. For 250 AED/person ($68), we opted for the Snow Daycation Pass that included access to rides and the slope. If they had more open lesson slots, we would have stayed all night. Once this pandemic passes, we will be back for sure.
Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, Dubai Mall (110 AED ($30)/person): We had some extra time, so we putzed around the aquarium. The labeling for the animals isn’t great, making it difficult to learn about what you’re looking at. But, it was fine enough for killing some time.
Jebel Jais, Ras al Khaimah
Toroverde zip-line: We got to chatting with some of the guides, and it turns out that the UAE had zip-lining companies around the world bid for business at Jebel Jais. A Costa Rican company won the contract, hence the spanish name. They are a great group of people with a top-notch set-up.
Jais Sky Tour (450 AED (~$123)/person for the Sky Tour + Flight Combo): This is a traditional set of 7 zip-lines across vast carbonate valleys, and it. is. awesome. We even toured alongside a few kids, one of which cracked us up the whole time. When asked if he was having fun, he’d say, “No, I did not like that one bit. Nope nope nope.”
Jebel Jais Flight: The longest zip-line in the world! You lie down like Superman, and zoom over 2,832 m (~1.75 mi) at speeds up to 120 kph (~75 mph). It was SO much fun!
Hiking
Lower Segment: This one was tough, because we started around 4 pm and it was HOT. You must have water and su protection. The trailhead was kind of hard to find. Other than that, we really enjoyed the 6 km (3.7 mi, but my watch said ~4.5 mi) Samar Trail (there are shorter loops available, as well). We walked by some fantastic camping spots, beautiful viewpoints, and a few farmers’ plots.
Upper Segment: This hike was a welcome break from the heat of the summer. We were up early to walk this 8.6 km round trip (~5.3 mi) Ghaf Summit hike, which has some incredible views, coral fossils with pyrite replacement, and little goatie bois roaming the mountainside. This route will take you to the highest “Public point” in the UAE. Beyond it is one of the sheikh’s palaces.
Camping
You can camp basically anywhere you can find space, really. Even though the heat was not optimal, we had the place to ourselves while we watched a great sunset.
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