Escape to the Garden City: Why Al Ain offers the ultimate immersion into Emirati culture

Escape to the Garden City:

Why the Al Ain Region offers the ultimate immersion into Emirati culture

With the Al Ain Museum set to reopen soon, there’s never been a better time to plan a getaway to Al Ain Region

Words by Harriet Shephard

Jebel Hafit Tombs and the Hili Archaeological Park

While the UAE turns just 54 this December, the UNESCO-designated city of the Al Ain Region is one of the world’s oldest continually inhabited settlements. Marvel at the 5,000-year-old Jebel Hafit beehive tombs at the base of Abu Dhabi’s tallest mountain, and spend hours wandering around the sprawling Hili Archaeological Park, home to Bronze Age and Iron Age villages, burial grounds, forts and the four-metre high Hili Grand Tomb (dating back as far as 2500 BCE).

The Hili Archaeological Park is home to Bronze Age and Iron Age villages (©Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi)

Al Ain Oasis

Containing more than 147,000 date palms and scattered with 3,000-year-old falaj water channels, the green and lush Al Ain Oasis feels a world away from Abu Dhabi’s desert and bustling capital city. Taking in 1,200 hectares of shaded walkways and untouched nature, it will leave you in no doubt about why the Al Ain Region is known as the emirate’s ‘Garden City’.

Travel tip: If you are short on time, rent a bike to get around the oasis, and don’t leave without stopping by the eco visitor centre to learn more about its fascinating flora and fauna.

Al Ain Region is known as the emirate’s ‘Garden City’ thanks to green sites like Al Ain Oasis (©Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi)

Qasr Al Muwaiji and Al Jahili Fort

Along with its UNESCO World Heritage Sites and greenery, the Al Ain Region is also famed for being the home of Abu Dhabi’s ruling Al Nayhan family. Made up of grand towers and long hallways, the impressive Qasr Al Muwaiji and Al Jahili Fort hosted the royals for over a century, and they have now been transformed into immersive museums. Al Jahili’s photography exhibition about British explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger’s adventures crossing the Empty Quarter desert in the 1940s is particularly unmissable.

Modern coffee culture

The Al Ain Region has developed a thriving coffee culture in recent years, and caffeine fanatics travel across the country to sample its legendary homegrown concepts and trendy pop-ups. Amongst the palms of the small oasis at Qasr Al Muwaiji you’ll find the very photo-worthy Bayn Coffee, while much loved homegrown brand Le Pré hosts an annual winter pop up here, too. Grounded in the history of Abu Dhabi, Ethr at Al Ain Oasis is another unmissable refreshment stop. Crafted from sustainable materials like recycled date seeds, LOEWE Perfumes hosted a chic perfume workshop in its greenhouse earlier this year.

Travel tip: While the Al Ain Region’s fancy independent coffee shops are a must-try, nothing embodies genuine Emirati hospitality like a cup of traditional cardamom-infused gahwa (Arabic coffee) and dates. Look out for them being served in hotel lobbies.

Coming soon

Established in 1969 by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the UAE, the Al Ain Museum is the country’s oldest museum, and it is about to reopen after a landmark renovation. Now featuring a new sustainable building, it contains Bronze Age tombs, ancient falaj channels, arrow heads, flint tools, jewellery and other artefacts recovered from across the region. The century-old Sultan Fort (also recently renovated) is on the same site.

Where to stay

Continue your Emirati cultural immersion at one of the Al Ain Region’s many unique, heritage-infused resorts. Balancing invigorating outdoor fun and high-end luxury, the plush dome tents and lodges of Pura Eco Retreat at Jebel Hafit Desert Park invite you to sleep under the stars in the middle of a UNESCO heritage site, while Telal Resort Al Ain comes complete with a heritage village and authentic Arabian souq, all surrounded by desert that was once inhabited by the Bedouin tribes.

Travel tip: While driving to Al Ain region from Abu Dhabi City takes roughly an hour and a half by taxi or hire car, you can also get there via the X90 bus which is great value.