Getting to Hatta Outdoor at Wadi Hub
Hatta is about 135km from Dubai and it took us just over 90 mins of driving to get to the Wadi Hub on the outskirts of Hatta. Hatta is still part of the Dubai Emirate and the road between the two centres is superb. We had driven part of the same road about 7 years ago and were amazed at the transition.
From a single lane each way to up to 4 lanes either way is a testament to the growth in infrastructure that is being put in place to support Dubai’s vision for it’s future.
Wadi Hub
Wadi Hub has a multitude of adventure activities that cater for a wide range of interests and has something for just about every age group that would be interested in adventure type activities.
However, we were there for the hike up to the iconic Hatta sign that overlooks the town.
It’s Harder Than You Think
If you read some accounts about hiking to the Hatta sign, you would be forgiven for thinking that it’s a gentle stroll that will not take much effort.
Not so fast! Yes the return journey is only about 7km and the elevation is only about 200m. However, those 200m mostly occur in perhaps the last km (at most) so at times you feel that if it got any steeper, you might have to pull out some climbing ropes!
Add in sun, dust and wind and this little hike can be quite challenging even with winter temperatures (we did it in January).
Admittedly we only started out on the hiking trail at midday which was not ideal, but sunscreen, hats and lots of water should be a prerequisite no matter when you head out on this trail.
Signposted? Really? Well maybe …. sort of.
Call us old fashioned (or just plain old) but for such a popular hike, we expected a bit more effort would have been put into showing the way.
Granted there are a few maps on the walls of the Adventure Centre but there is nothing official you can take with you to help you find your way.
Fortunately we took a few pictures on our phones to refer to as we went.
Then we had to ask to be shown where the trail started – no signage for that. Once at the start we were assured that the way was well signposted.
There were a few problems with that assurance though. Firstly we only came across an actual sign post at about our fourth split in the trail. But those signs only showed the name of the next intersection, not the destination.
In fact two young men started out about 15 minutes ahead of us and got so lost they ended up behind us after we had been walking for about 20 minutes.
Fortunately for all concerned, but only if you are alert, you can catch a glimpse of the actual Hatta sign off to your right just as you begin to get into the low hills. From there you can sort of muddle along in that direction.
Funnily enough, the further you go up the trails, the better the signage gets which will certainly be helpful if your destination is anywhere else.
But it’s Worth The Hassle
The last pull up to the sign is pretty steep, but once up there you get a great all round view.
We hauled out lunch and sat in the shade of the sign while we ate and had a bit of a rest.
And Back Down We Go!
Going back down the really steep parts had it’s moments but once past that little challenge it was plain sailing back to the Wadi Hub.
When we got back down to the center we indulged in an ice cream and put our feet up for a while. The whole trip, including lunch at the top, had taken us about 2.5 hours.
We bumped into the 2 youngsters who had climbed with us and discovered that they had had no water with them and were now busy gulping down copious quantities of water bought at the center’s cafe.
I mention this because they were young and fit but were kicking themselves for not taking any water with them.
It made the little hike more arduous and less enjoyable than it should have been for them.
In short – never mess with the desert, no matter how friendly and accommodating it seems!
And Then We Headed for Fujairah
The day was yet young(ish), so we decided to head back to Dubai via Fujairah.
We popped “Fujairah” into Waze and headed out. We were soon off the main road and threading our way through the Hajar mountains surrounding Hatta.
And then we came across a massive, very expensive fence that was definitely designed to keep people out (drug smugglers mainly – apparently). The road ran along side the fence for several kms and we eventually figured out that it must be the border with Oman.
That was confirmed when we came up to a border post.
For a moment it looked like we would have to turn back but Waze showed a road turning off to the left just before the border post, and indeed there was one.
“In Waze we Trust” is a refrain that we have learned driving around the UAE! 🙂
So we turned left and wound our way down to the coastline and then onto Fujairah.
Fujairah…..or is it Sharjah?
At one stage we became confused about where we were. This despite the afore mentioned “in Waze we trust”!
But we were supposed to be in the Fujairah emirate, yet we were seeing a lot of signs saying Sharjah this and Sharjah that – and even a sign announcing Sharjah University!
It took us a while to realise that we were actually driving through Kalba, which is described as an “exclave Of Sharjah lying on the Gulf of Oman coast north of Oman” – and just south of the city of Fujairah.
In fact it is one continuous built up area and you cross a street and are suddenly in another Emirate.
We had been to Fujairah (the town/city) about 5 years previously. As with most of the major centres in the UAE, it was unrecognizable.
It’s just amazing what a vision, backed by money and intent, can produce.
At some point on our journey up the coast we pulled into a parking spot and went for a walk along the beach front.
We were keen to sit back and enjoy a coffee, but to our amazement, we found that an Americano was 6 AED more expensive than in Dubai! Which is going some considering that we were not in some plush downtown coffee bar.
We skipped the coffee.
After putting our feet up for an hour or so, and with the sun beginning to set, we hopped back into the car and headed back to Dubai.
It had been a great day with some memorable moments.
