Fabulous Desert Resorts of Dubai
Margham, United Arab Emirates, another unit of Dubai property is a dream destination for many travelers to this part of the world. One can enjoy complete privacy with benefits of pool and a private bungalow in an exquisite desert environment. The Al Maha desert resort for e.g. allows its visitors a pleasured stay in midst of eco-tourism, Dubai style. It has 40 magnificent bungalows architectured like Bedouin Tents stocked with pillow menus where visitors can pick their favorite pillow heads. They also provide Bulgari soaps and crystal decanters of free sherry. Al Maha occupies the slope of a dune inside the desert conservation reserve, which is a small part of a huge block, approximately 5 percent the entire landmass of Dubai.
An overnight trek to northern Emirates of Ras Al Khaimah, gives visitors an advantage of climbing the sun-shattered rocks of Hajjar Mountains; this region is also known as middle-east’s epicenter of luxury tourism.
Al Maha is an expensive eco-tourism resort in Dubai compared to other hotels in this region; however, it doesn’t always follow the eco-friendly rules. It uses Air conditioned bungalows and huge loads of electricity to give the best to its visitors. The resort owners and Emirates Airlines have together introduced many non-native plants here along with more than twice as many animals the desert can support. Although this move was to promote tourism in this land, but on the down-side it has led to an ecological imbalance. Al Maha is working towards ways for preservation of natural habitat form the growing development race in the region. The resort is comfortably placed with a scintillating view of sand dunes meeting rocks at Hajjar Mountains at the horizon. The valley has an artificial watering hole at the bottom making it a centre of attraction for visitors as well as the animal population. Tourists can use binoculars to get an eye-shot of these animals from the resort itself. The more frequent ones in a 108 degree May environment are Arabian Oryx and big white Antelopes, which suffered extreme poaching during 1960’s reducing their numbers to less than 50 then. From subsequent efforts by the Al Maha even the declining numbers for Arabian Oryx have now climbed to more than 300. The region also has a small population of desert foxes and sand skinks, which is an 8 inch long lizard with skin much like Porcelain. The non-natives of this place are, the Scimitar Horned-Oryx, initially of Sahara it is now extinct in the wild. Its reducing numbers in this region has sent alarm signals to conservationists; these have declined from 35 to 18. Another misplaced race is that of Thomson’s gazelles, native of East-Africa. Also the most destruction-friendly is the Camel which is banned from most resorts due to efforts towards building up natural vegetation in the region. Camels which were initially bred for racing purpose in Emirati desert have almost stripped of the natural vegetation there, turning it into a large waste land. Still many powerful sheiks have kept a few herds despite disapproval from resort owners.
Staying here can be very expensive, the resort charges about $1000 per night prompting visitors to spend every hour in best way possible. The rates however are discounted for frequent fliers on Emirates Airlines. For Leisure one can spend a lot of time exploring the desert and if lucky, even watch a display of falcon hunting as well as owl hunting along with delightful shows from owl-tamers. Tourists can also enjoy camel treks to the summit of tall dunes or have champagne and fresh strawberries to enjoy their evening. Al Maha also organizes treks to the remote mountain villages of Shihhi tribes of northern Emirates of Ras Al Khaimah and neighboring Oman; a casual climb however can lead to Jebel Qiwi at a height of 5,900 feet. One can also hike to stone villages crossing Machu Picchu with Grand Canyon.
John Falchetto is a 33 year old successful hiker known to this region. He is a Canadian mountaineer and entrepreneur and is experienced with hikes into the deep rugged Wadi Bih canyon or even to peaks of Hajjars for overnight hikes rigging through two of the tallest mountains here. Falchetto has been making investments towards re-development of abandoned Shihhi villages and even turning them to base camps for hikers. Many villages here are accessible only through foot, being placed at remote locations even at cliff-side edges over looking the Indian Ocean. Dusty and barren during the day, these villages are cool and silent during the night coupled with breezing mountain air.
How to get there:
There are 110 airlines serving Dubai’s airport. Daily there are two non-stop services by Emirate Airlines from New York to Dubai and vice versa. A 40 minute driv from Dubai leads to Al Maha. The hotel can arrange transportation for $250, but visitors can rent a car or hail a taxi for less. One can also get to the Mountain Extreme’s base with a little more than an hour by road. Mountain Extreme is a prominent mountaineering and hiking company of this region. The cost of journey here is $55 on each way.
Information for Al Maha: The night rates for two persons range to $1000 with summer discount schemes. As an example the Emirate Airlines frequent flier club members were offered discounted rated of $490 per person. These rates also include the meals and private guides.
An overnight trek to northern Emirates of Ras Al Khaimah, gives visitors an advantage of climbing the sun-shattered rocks of Hajjar Mountains; this region is also known as middle-east’s epicenter of luxury tourism.
Al Maha is an expensive eco-tourism resort in Dubai compared to other hotels in this region; however, it doesn’t always follow the eco-friendly rules. It uses Air conditioned bungalows and huge loads of electricity to give the best to its visitors. The resort owners and Emirates Airlines have together introduced many non-native plants here along with more than twice as many animals the desert can support. Although this move was to promote tourism in this land, but on the down-side it has led to an ecological imbalance. Al Maha is working towards ways for preservation of natural habitat form the growing development race in the region. The resort is comfortably placed with a scintillating view of sand dunes meeting rocks at Hajjar Mountains at the horizon. The valley has an artificial watering hole at the bottom making it a centre of attraction for visitors as well as the animal population. Tourists can use binoculars to get an eye-shot of these animals from the resort itself. The more frequent ones in a 108 degree May environment are Arabian Oryx and big white Antelopes, which suffered extreme poaching during 1960’s reducing their numbers to less than 50 then. From subsequent efforts by the Al Maha even the declining numbers for Arabian Oryx have now climbed to more than 300. The region also has a small population of desert foxes and sand skinks, which is an 8 inch long lizard with skin much like Porcelain. The non-natives of this place are, the Scimitar Horned-Oryx, initially of Sahara it is now extinct in the wild. Its reducing numbers in this region has sent alarm signals to conservationists; these have declined from 35 to 18. Another misplaced race is that of Thomson’s gazelles, native of East-Africa. Also the most destruction-friendly is the Camel which is banned from most resorts due to efforts towards building up natural vegetation in the region. Camels which were initially bred for racing purpose in Emirati desert have almost stripped of the natural vegetation there, turning it into a large waste land. Still many powerful sheiks have kept a few herds despite disapproval from resort owners.
Staying here can be very expensive, the resort charges about $1000 per night prompting visitors to spend every hour in best way possible. The rates however are discounted for frequent fliers on Emirates Airlines. For Leisure one can spend a lot of time exploring the desert and if lucky, even watch a display of falcon hunting as well as owl hunting along with delightful shows from owl-tamers. Tourists can also enjoy camel treks to the summit of tall dunes or have champagne and fresh strawberries to enjoy their evening. Al Maha also organizes treks to the remote mountain villages of Shihhi tribes of northern Emirates of Ras Al Khaimah and neighboring Oman; a casual climb however can lead to Jebel Qiwi at a height of 5,900 feet. One can also hike to stone villages crossing Machu Picchu with Grand Canyon.
John Falchetto is a 33 year old successful hiker known to this region. He is a Canadian mountaineer and entrepreneur and is experienced with hikes into the deep rugged Wadi Bih canyon or even to peaks of Hajjars for overnight hikes rigging through two of the tallest mountains here. Falchetto has been making investments towards re-development of abandoned Shihhi villages and even turning them to base camps for hikers. Many villages here are accessible only through foot, being placed at remote locations even at cliff-side edges over looking the Indian Ocean. Dusty and barren during the day, these villages are cool and silent during the night coupled with breezing mountain air.
How to get there:
There are 110 airlines serving Dubai’s airport. Daily there are two non-stop services by Emirate Airlines from New York to Dubai and vice versa. A 40 minute driv from Dubai leads to Al Maha. The hotel can arrange transportation for $250, but visitors can rent a car or hail a taxi for less. One can also get to the Mountain Extreme’s base with a little more than an hour by road. Mountain Extreme is a prominent mountaineering and hiking company of this region. The cost of journey here is $55 on each way.
Information for Al Maha: The night rates for two persons range to $1000 with summer discount schemes. As an example the Emirate Airlines frequent flier club members were offered discounted rated of $490 per person. These rates also include the meals and private guides.
posted by Property Reporter at
11:00 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home