Mehbooba Mufti, the first woman Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, says she will never ally with the BJP again. “The purpose of allying with the BJP was to usher in times of peace by facilitating dialogue and constructive engagement. Given that...
When someone mentions a caravan park, what do you imagine? You might think of a modest place, with tent sites, a couple of amenities blocks, a small reception office, and… that’s about it. Not so at Hatta’s new caravan park.
The recently-launched park features stationed luxury caravans that visitors can rent and use as a base for exploring the surrounding national park and all its many outdoor adventures.
Also read: The What’s On Guide: Things to do in Hatta
Each of the bespoke caravans features luxury interiors with curved wood and leather upholstery. The caravans are fitted out with televisions and provide Wi-Fi access to ensure all guests are never too far away from the connectivity of city life.
There’s enough space to play Twister inside here!
Cosy kitchen and dining room included…
All caravans come with free mineral water, tea & coffee, and free WiFi
UAE’s outdoor explorers can park their cars right next to the caravan, allowing easy access in and out of the park. While barbecue areas are installed in the vicinity, guests looking to get a bite to eat without doing their own cooking can head down to the food trucks located at the nearby Hatta Wadi Hub.
Facilities include air conditioning, 24-hr security, a TV, indoor eating area, free WiFi, complimentary mineral water, tea and coffee facilities, fridge, and a BBQ area. Plus, access to the Wadi Hub food trucks and Hatta Wadi Hub activity centre.
Prices start at Dhs950 per night for a non-smoking caravan fitting a family of four (two adults and two children).
For more information, check out visithatta.com/en/caravan-park.
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The post Now you can stay at a caravan park in Hatta appeared first on What's On Dubai.
It is impossible to know whether this post at Al-Emirati.com on the victims of the recent Air India disaster is intended to be some appalling attempt at humour or satire, but by every single measure it is absolutely beyond the pale:
Not really. Not only do I not care if the victims "rest in peace" but it seems to me that they are, rather, resting in pieces!
I am of course talking about flight IX 812 from Dubai to Balglapour (or some other hell hole, they're all the same) that recently crashed (click here)
I know I know. Mean, blah blah. The way I see it is as follows. The UAE is (about) 50% Indians, Something that I, and 90% of all other Emaratis see as a bad thing.
This plane, carrying Indians who live and work here, means that 160 indians that clog up the roads, cause accidents, fail code inspections at Indian restaurants, speak like this guy, and are a general drag on the security of the UAE, wont be coming back. That is a very GOOD thing!
I can only pray that this happens every week!
Sadly, we'll probably have 160 new VISAs for 160 new Indians issued in 3 hours... And the authority in charge of this will flaunt that, as if it's a good thing.
Before the booming oil industry, the heartbeat of the UAE economy revolved around pearl diving, an industry that firmly put this tiny region on the international map. And while that may be a tradition of yesteryear, in the sleepy fishing village of Al Rams, the Suwaidi Pearls Farm is keeping this part of the history of the UAE alive.
Found around 10 minutes offshore, you’ll need to take a traditional pearling boat to reach the cultured pearl farm, which occupies four thousand square feet at the foot of the expansive Hajar mountains.
Suwaidi Pearls Farm is the region’s first cultured pearl farm. Founded by Abdulla Al Suwaidi in 2005, Suwaidi Pearls Farm is the region’s first cultured pearl farm, and the only one in the UAE to provide locally sourced pearls to jewellers around the world.
Abdulla’s grandfather was one of the last remaining pearl divers in the UAE before the discovery of oil in the 1920s, and frequently visits the pearl farm to lead tours and guide visitors through the farm. He’s animated, charismatic, and passionate about reviving the country’s proud pearling legacy – proving a brilliant tour guide that keeps visitors entertained for hours.
While the action takes place in neatly lined drills under water, a two-storey boat serves as the base for visitors who come to learn about the deep rooted pearling history of Ras Al Khaimah.
After going through a timeline of the history of pearling, from where it was done to the life-risking process of pearl diving, the tour brings you into the present day, and to the extensive work that goes into pearl farming today.
ALSO READ: The What’s On guide: Ras Al Khaimah
As only 1 per cent of wild oysters fished produce pearls, oysters need to be farmed and cultivated for a quicker, higher success rate. Tours will take you through the 5-step processes used, which have allowed Suwaidi Pearls Farm to cut down the cultivation process from 18 to 12 months.
The expert team will take you through the process of seeding, where experts insert a round bead made from mother-of-pearl shell, along with oyster tissue, to allow a layer of nacre to grow around the bead, and forming a pearl in the course of time.
The oysters then spend up to a year in vertical baskets, where they’ll be cleaned regularly so as to maintain their health. The farm produces around 40,000 oysters each year, with a 60 per cent pearl production rate.
After a downstairs tour, guests head upstairs to learn about the different sizes, colours and grades of pearl produced not just at the farm, but around the world. You’ll get to marvel at the difference between pearls worth a couple of hundreds of Dirhams, up to those you can’t even put a price on.
At the end of the tour, guests will get to take part in an oyster opening experience. A handful of matured oysters are kept in an aquarium, and guests can choose which one they’d like to have opened in front of them, in the hope that they’ll find a precious pearl inside.
Guests seeking a little more adventure can also book to go pearl diving at the farm, and experience it all first hand.
Once you’ve got your culture fix at the pearl farm, head out to the nearby mangroves for a mangrove tour in the pearling boat, where you’ll see camels playing in the water, flamingoes bathing or may catch a turtle or two swimming by.
Feeling adventurous? Grab a kayak and go exploring for yourself – it’s the perfect way to switch off and end your day.
Suwaidi Pearls Farm, Al Rams, Ras Al Khaimah, two to four hours tours, from Dhs300. Tel: (07) 221 1124. suwaidi-pearls.com
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The post Watch: You can visit a pearl farm in Ras Al Khaimah appeared first on What's On Dubai.
For almost three weeks, heavy rain and flash floods have battered most of Iran's 31 provinces.
