This is sponsored content as part of an Instagram campaign with Visit Abu Dhabi. All transport and accommodation was provided complimentary in return for Instagram content.
Al Ain is a city I had never heard of, until Visit Abu Dhabi* sent me there back in January as part of an Instagram campaign. I loved my visit to the UAE’s most underrated city so much that I wanted to share a guide with you and show you around this beautiful and historic place. Being a two-hour drive from Abu Dhabi, it’s perfect for both a day trip or an extended stay, and has so much to offer visitors! An inland oasis city located in the Easter Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, it’s right on the United Arab Emirates’ border with Oman, one of my favourite countries in the world. So, let me tell you which sites you need to visit to get the most from a visit to Al Ain…
Where to stay: Telal Resort
You can find out more about Telal Resort in my full hotel review, but this resort is an incredibly special place. Set in the desert about 45-60mins from Al Ain, it’s the ideal base to explore from if you want to visit Al Ain for longer than a day trip. Stay two or three nights at Telal to give you enough time to relax in the resort and also visit the city. Whilst in Abu Dhabi we stayed at the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, and it was so lovely having the beach time at the Park Hyatt, and then a unique desert stay at Telal resort.
Qasr Al Muwaiji
Al Ain is known as the Garden City for its palm groves and natural springs, and I could see why from the moment I stepped out of the car. Our first stop was Qasr Al Muwaiji, the birthplace of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the current Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the United Arab Emirates. Built during the early 20th century, the restored fort is surrounded by beautiful date palms, and historically served as a place where officials met with the community to discuss the different issues and provide all the needed support to them, and was the family home of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
The fort has had a beautiful restoration, with a glass museum located in the centre, which prevents the modern building from distracting the eye from the original historical fort. As well as the glass museum, you’re able to visit one of the fort’s towers to see where Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan was born and grew up.
Added extra: Muwaiji Oasis
As an added extra, next to Qasr Al Muwaiji is the Muwaiji Oasis. Muwaiji Oasis is the smallest oasis in Al Ain and contains approximately 21,000 palm trees, as well as a falaj irrigation system that uses ground-level and underground water canals to bring water from the nearby mountains. The grounds of the fort have been used over the years for date palm cultivation.
Al Jahili Fort
Al Jahili Fort was my favourite place in Al Ain. There’s a surprising amount to see and learn, with another very tastefully created museum within the historic building. Al Jahili Fort is one of the largest forts in the United Arab Emirates, and was built in the late 19th century by Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa the First, both as a symbol of power and as a royal summer residence.
The museum exhibitions when we visited included one on buildings around the world that are made from natural, earthen materials, as Al Jahili Fort is made entirely from mud bricks. The second exhibition was a beautiful photography exhibition on Wilfrid Thesiger, whom the Emirati revere due to his love and friendship with the Sheikh and the Arab people. It was super interesting and I learnt a lot about Wilfrid and his life in the Arabian Peninsula!
Al Ain Palace Museum
The Al Ain Museum didn’t take as long to visit as we thought it would, as to be honest most of the rooms are very similar so there isn’t a *huge* amount to see. But the architecture of the building is beautiful and it really was interesting to see how the Royal family lived – I was really surprised at how simply they lived given they were Royalty. The rooms were very basic and the contrast between those rooms and the modern palaces in Abu Dhabi were just world’s apart!
A beautiful place to escape the city
Al Ain was a really beautiful place to escape the hustle and bustle of Abu Dhabi. We adored our stay here, and it was fascinating seeing a completely different side of the United Arab Emirates! If you’re visiting Abu Dhabi I really recommend making sure you organise a day trip or overnight visit to Al Ain.
Honesty Box
*Our visit to Al Ain was provided complimentary as part of an Instagram campaign with Visit Abu Dhabi. Our Al Ain entrance fees and private driver were booked and paid for by the PR agency, and none of the attractions were aware that we were there in collaboration with the tourism board. The blog content created was not part of the contract as it was a pure Instagram-only campaign, and as such it has been written purely because I wanted to share my experience with you all and provide you with – hopefully – useful content.
Catherine Lux is a veteran travel blogger by night and the Head of SEO at Havas Media Group by day. Originally from Surrey, she spent four years living in Australia (2007-2009, and 2016-2018), and now lives in London. An ex-party girl sometimes prone to relapses, she loves nothing more than sharing her fine dining and luxury travel experiences with her loyal readers.
