Celebrating the recent launch of Green Motion in the United Arab Emirates, take a look at our travel guide to the jewel of the Middle East
UAE Travel Guide
For many, Dubai is the only place that springs to mind when thinking of travel to the United Arab Emirates. And it’s true. There is a certain attraction to the super metropolis with its heady, glass skyscrapers, vast modern shopping malls and extravagant beach resorts. However, there’s more to the country than the city. Hiring a UAE car rental gives you the opportunity to see another side, one that’s full of rippling sand dunes, the starkly beautiful Hajar Mountains and traditional village life. There are adventures to be had too. Whether you’re interested in sandboarding, water sports or hiking, you’ll find it all in this tiny Middle Eastern gem.
Dining in the UAE
Emirati cuisine is particularly enticing. While you’ll find modern eateries with everything from sushi to French fare in the city, head beyond the skyscraper laden capital in your Dubai car rental and you’ll find dishes like thareed, a hearty slow-cooked stew topping unleavened flat bread, or machboos, a rice dish flavoured with meat, spices and onions. Visit during Ramadan and you could be tucking into specialities like harees, a porridge-like dish spiked with butter and cinnamon. If you’re lucky, you could even be invited for a khuzi, a Bedouin feast of roasted lamb or goat served or rice and nuts. You can be sure that you’ll eat well when you visit the UAE.
Attractions in the UAE
It’s true that many of the attractions are in the city, and if you want to get around with ease, you can’t do better than your own UAE car rental. While it would be simply impossible to list every attraction in Dubai, highlights include the soaring Burj Khalifa, the tallest free-stranding structure in the world. If you take the hour or so drive to Abu Dhabi, you shouldn’t miss the extraordinary Sheikh Zayed Mosque or the Sharjah Arts Museum. Of course, if all that sounds like too much effort, you could always drive down to one of the white powdery beaches and settle in for some serious sun-worshipping or hop on board one of the traditional dhow boats and see the towering skyline from the water.
UAE driving routes
The United Arab Emirates may be small, but it’s teeming with interesting driving routes. Some of the best to take your car rental in the United Arab Emirates include the winding route to Khasab, a city often nicknamed the ‘Norway of the Middle East’ due to its abundance of fjords. For starkly beautiful desert scenery, try the drive to Liwa which passes endless golden sands. Alternatively, take the rocky roads to Ras al Khaimah around 115 kilometres from Dubai where you’ll find a smorgasbord of adventure activities including sports fishing, horse riding and paragliding along with a long list of fabulous hotels.
UAE car rental
It’s a shame that most people limit themselves to the city. While there’s enough to keep you busy in Dubai, you’ll never truly understand the country unless you head out into its interior. If you’re sold on a car rental in the UAE, your best bet is picking one up from Dubai or Abu Dhabi international airports. It’s worth remembering that the driving may be quite different from back home. Local drivers don’t often use indicators when changing lanes and many drivers will stick to the fast lane for the entire journey. Try to avoid driving at night and during rush hour traffic in the morning and evening.