Where the Wild Things Are in the United Arab Emirates: 6 Spots to Experience Wildlife

[Rocking Trips]

Kaippally

When you think Dubai and the UAE, it's mostly manmade marvels that spring to mind - the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall, Palm Islands, and the like. But there is a more "eco" side to the Emirates, as well - and not just parks and gardens like Dubai's Zabeel and Mushrif Parks. Outside the shiny canyons of glass and steel, the desert awaits - some of which has been set aside as nature reserve and beyond desert safaris by camel, jeep, and ATV, there's also a significant amount of ecotourism. Here's a look at a half dozen ways to experience the flora and fauna of the Emirates:

Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary

Would you believe wetlands in the UAE? Dubai's Ras Al Khor (which means "Cape of the Creek" in Arabic) is a delicate oasis of 6.2 square kilometres amid the urban sprawl (about a 25-minute drive north of the Burj Khalifa), with lagoons, mangroves, and intertidal marshes as well as salt flats, all home to many bird species - some fairly rare - and other animals, both land-based and aquatic. The most prominent fauna are some 500 greater flamingos (top), along with myriad other avians such as cormorants, egrets, kingfishers, sandpipers, spotted eagles, ospreys, yellowbilled storks, and dozens of others, which can be observed from three vantage points. Other animals include Arabian red foxes, Cape hares, desert monitor and other lizards, and Ethiopian hedgehogs. Birdlife International has recognized this urban wetland area as a globally important habitat, and it's included in the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. You can visit on your own or book wildlife-spotting tours. Admission is free of charge and opening times vary according to season, but generally run 6 am to 6 pm.

Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve

A bit more typical of the UAE's desert environment, this much larger reserve (22km²) is a 45-minute drive southeast of the downtown area. The the Emirates' first national park, it's a popular place to experience a classic desert safari, as well as outdoor activities such as hiking, dune sand boarding, horseback and camel riding; hot air ballooning; and falconry (you can even overnight out here at the luxurious Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa). Go with a guide to spot fauna such as the caracal (a lynxlike desert cat); Gordon's wildcat; the Arabian red fox; the endangered Arabian oryx (a kind of antelope that's the Emirates' national animal); two types of gazelles and hedgehogs; various kinds of reptiles; and hundreds of bird species, all living among some 50 species of flora. Admission is free, or you can book expeditions and activities with several approved tour operators.

Wasit Nature Reserve

Bordering Dubai to the south, the Emirates' third largest city, Sharjah, also has a wildlife sanctuary, established in 2007 in its northern suburb Wasit, that's another fantastic wetland mecca for birders. Along a long stretch of coastal sand dunes, these 86 hectares of mud flats, salty lagoons, and freshwater pools is home to around 200 species of birds - native to the Gulf as well as migratory ones who stop here to mate; many of them are endangered (you'll also spot mammals like the Arabian oryx. Sine 2015 there's a visitor center with a long, soundproofed gallery, in addition to golf cart tours to various observation stations, all allowing visitors observe the many species in their natural habitat, including the greater flamingo as well as the glossy ibis, grey heron, marbled duck, northern bald ibis, pink-backed pelican, and purple swamphen.  It's a great experience for kids, who can feed the ducks and flamingos as well as play interactive educational games; there's also a café on the premises. Open 9 am to 6:30 pm. Admission is INR 300 for individuals above 12 yrs of age.

Al Hefaiyah Mountain Conservation Center

Also located in the emirate of Sharjah, at the foot of the Hajar Mountains 130 km east of the capital city, this 12km² reserve, established in 2016, includes some mountainous as well as desert zones, and more than 30 animal species. There's an indoor/outdoor visitor center which includes dozens of animals enclosed in habitats simulating their natural environments, and on the rest of the reserve visitors can take golf-cart tours where they may spot a multitude of birds as well as mammals from small (caracal, rock hyrax) to larger (the Arabian leopard, the goatlike Arabian tahl, Arabian wolf, desert lynx, gazelle, and striped hyena). It's open 9 am to 5:30 pm, Saturdays till 4 pm, and the cost is INR 1000 for adults; children under 12 enter free.

The Green Planet

Dubai being Dubai, there are also glitzier attractions which center around flora and fauna, and this is perhaps the jewel in the crown - and the first of its kind in the Middle East - part of a shopping/dining/entertainment complex called City Walk. It's a biodome simulating a very un-Arabian environment: a vertical tropical rainforest where visitors can get an immersive experience of more than 3, 000 species of animals and plants and birds - including encounters with critters like sugar gliders, sloths, reptiles, and birds. Watch a piranha feeding session, and marvel at the world's tallest artificial tree, at 35 meters. It's all quite amazing, even if it's not the Amazon. The Green Planet is open Sunday to Wednesday 10 am to 7 pm, otherwise till 8 pm; admission is INR 1000 for adults and 500 for children

Sea Lion Point

Although not native to the waters off the Emirates, sea lions invariably delight adults and children alike, so this attraction at Atlantis Dubai's Aquaventure Waterpark is a surefire favorite. Visitors can swim with and get hugs and kisses from these aquatic clowns, and the park offers lots more watery fun, as well, including swimming with bottlenose dolphins (which are found in local waters) in Dolphin Bay; 30 exhilarating water rides; and 500 meters of lovely white beach. It's open 9: 30 am to 5:30 pm and admission is INR 10,000.

 

I hope I've intrigued you! Now come plan your Dubai tour package with us at Rocking Tours - we look forward to welcoming you!