An unexpected jaunt to Al Ain

I recently found myself enjoying an unexpected weekend in Al Alain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It took exactly 1.5hours from Dubai Marina to reach the centre of the town, and we filled our time of the journey watching lots of camels in the desert either side of the road.

I'm not sure what I expected from Al Ain but I was pleasantly pleased with what I found. It's known as 'The Garden City' due to its greenery and following my visit this now makes sense as I saw trees and plants, perfectly manicured wherever we went. Other noticeable factors were the lack of high rise tower blocks, as there are controls over the height of new buildings. The only thing imposing over the city is the Jebel Hafeet mountain, which makes a stunning backdrop. And, the history of one of the world's oldest permanently inhabited settlements was clearly visible as we saw a number of historical monuments and forts, quite unlike the tourist attractions of nearby Dubai.

For those who really want to know more about the heritage of Al Ain there are a number of museums and an Arts Centre. My visit was brief so I didn't get chance to take a look, but maybe next time...