Diving in the UAE: From Dubai to Fujairah

The United Arab Emirates has a lot to offer to its residents and tourists, and scuba diving is definitely one of them. Dubai, the glamorous emirate of the UAE, has practically everything – from the world largest mall and tallest building to the bling streets and shops to the beautiful cultural heritage souks. Within the world’s largest shopping mall, The Dubai Mall, lies the enormous shark and ray-filled Dubai Aquarium. Filled with bull sharks, tiger sharks, sting-rays and many more exotic aquatic animals, this is a literal paradise for any diver. And that’s not it! At Atlantis The Palm, divers can have all the fun and adventure in The Lost Chambers Aquarium too!

I have completed PADI’s open water and advanced open water diver’s courses in the UAE, and plan to complete the rescue diver’s course too. Although I have been scuba diving for 5 years and live in Dubai, I have actually never been to either of these immense aquariums, and it’s probably because have never been able to stop myself from going for a mesmerizing dive to my favourite diving destination: Fujairah.

My first scuba experience in Fujairah was about 5 years ago, when I was 12 years old. Ever since that dive at Dibba Rock, I made it a point to dive at every single dive site in Fujairah. Normally, it is a two hours drive from Dubai to Fujairah, amidst the vast stretches of golden sand deserts and Al Hajar Mountains (which mostly lies on the eastern side of the United Arab Emirates). We leave our house at around 6:30am to avoid any rush or traffic, and to make sure we have plenty of time to relax and get ourselves ready before setting off to our dive at 9am. At Al Boom Diving Centre Al Aqah, they provide divers with all kinds of equipment, from dry and wet dive suits of all sizes to the essentials like BCD and regulator. After signing in with my instructors, getting to know my dive buddies and learning a bit about the dive sites, we put on our sunblock creams (very important!) and make our way to the dive boat, where we assemble our scuba kit and get to know each other, before reaching our dive site.

So far, I have dived at Sharm Rock, Martini Rock, Dibba Rock, Inch-cape I and II, and Hole in the Wall (I’ll be explaining the name here). Each site has a wide and unique range of marine life, and the visibility is mostly quite good which means that you can really enjoy here to the fullest. It is really an injustice to talk about all of these wonderful dive sites at the same time as they all have something inimitable to offer, so I will try to go into the details of each of these dive sites here.

Dibba Rock

One of my favourite sites, I did my first night dive here. I have been here quite a few times (4 times?) and least to say, it’s a whole new place at night.

During the day, every diver is sure to see at least one green turtle. That’s like an everyday thing here. I have seen no less than 3 turtles on all my daytime dives to Dibba Rock. Occasionally, divers can also get to see black-tip sharks (make sure to have your cameras ready because I didn’t), and if you’re lucky you will get to see a shoal of majestic devil rays. Like most dive sites in Fujairah, it has an abundance of colourful corals and fish. This area is prone to a lot of strong currents, so at high tide it is recommended to explore the shore side of the island.

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Dibba Rock makes a perfect destination for a night dive. It’s quite (very) dark, so of course we have to carry our diving flashlights with us underwater, but while navigating it’s best to rely on your dive compass because unlike daytime diving, it’s not possible to use the direction of the sunlight. Now to the interesting part: you can occasionally get to see sleeping turtles and bioluminescent octopuses. You will spot a variety of squids and cuttlefish, and sometimes black-tip sharks. The true beauty of the corals are revealed at night, when they fluoresce and provide a kaleidoscopic experience to scuba divers with their considerably heavy flashlights.

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Inch-cape I

This ship wreck site is only available for divers who are certified Advanced and beyond, and for divers who are over the age of 15. Inch-cape I lies at a depth of 30 to 35 metres, with a profusion of marine life such as boxfish, pufferfish, yellow snapper fish, angelfish and many more all around the wreck. A school of cardinalfish prefer to remain within the wheelhouse to hide from predators, while rays are nearly camouflaged under the wreck. The tires of the ship are a great spot to find moray eels, while the seahorses get comfortable on the stern of the wreck.

With a lot to offer to all enthusiastic divers, Inch-cape I is bliss for underwater photographers and videographers.

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Martini Rock

Definitely one of my favourite sites: this dive site is the furthest from Al Boom Dive Centre, and is somewhat shaped like a martini glass with two rocks on each side and a tunnel-like path for divers to explore. Martini Rock is another wonderful place to spot exotic marine life and appreciate the beauty of the life underwater.

Along with a variety of corals, you will find plenty of damselfish and mackerels, along with shrimps and crabs. Divers have often spotted jaw fish, lionfish, scorpionfish, barracudas, hawksbill and green turtles, pufferfish, butterfly fish, angel fish, guitarfish, moray eels and many more.

If you’re lucky, you might get to see some black-tip sharks, zebra sharks, batfish and sea pens, and at times, a whale shark.

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Hole in the Wall

This underwater tunnel has a maximum depth of 15 metres, and is regarded as one of the most beautiful and vivid diving sites in the UAE. Along with a large variety of fish, divers often spot turtles, rays, and if you explore further you might get to see nudibranchs and seahorses.

Sharm Rock

With low currents and high visibility, Sharm Rock is quite a relaxing dive. It is comparatively shallow, reaching a maximum depth of about 15 metres. You will always find plenty of turtles and anemones with clownfish, along with parrotfish, pipefish, puffers and many more. There are a lot of urchins and stonefish so it is advised to be aware of your surroundings to avoid any injury. A dive at Sharm Rock is a great way to end the day, and is a wonderful place for night diving too!

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31˚C/88˚F

Water temperatures in Summer

24˚C/75˚F

Water temperatures in Winter

26˚C/79˚F

Water temperatures in Spring

29˚C/84˚F

Water temperatures in Autumn

 

Usually after a dive, we have lunch at Subway and then drive further into Fujairah’s desert. Before making our way back to Dubai, we make sure to drop by the Kalba Mangroves to grab our favourite Emirati delicacy – Harees.

It’s not just all about going underwater! As scuba divers, we are very passionate about marine life conservation and eliminating or reducing the threats that some species face. As a part of Project AWARE, divers and non-divers alike help to clean up the beaches and sea beds, and create a better, plastic-free life that the aquatic animals deserve. Anyone is free to become a part of this initiative.

Just as most divers all around the world right now, I’m looking forward to more underwater adventures in the times to come!

Nepal

15/02/2019 to 19/02/2019

As mountain lovers, Nepal was a breathtaking place to visit. Since we wanted more of the mountains, we spent very little time in the city and an enjoyable amount of time in the mountain villages.

We spent some time and enjoyed our breakfast at the airport lounge while waiting for our flight’s boarding time in Dubai Airport Terminal 2. Our journey to Nepal was not too long as we had a direct flight to Kathmandu Airport. Due to a clear sky, we were lucky to catch a glimpse of the Karakoram Mountain Range, as we also flew over our previous destination, Ladakh (see on my travel diaries). After a three hour flight, we landed in Nepal’s capital city, Kathmandu. Once we collected our luggage, we were welcomed by our wonderful travel guide who gave us a beautiful pink-coloured Nepali shawl and provided us with a car to drive us to our first destination – Nagarkot.

We stayed in the delightful Club Himalaya Resort, Nagarkot, for one night. Our drive to the resort gave us a sense of the adventure that we are going to experience throughout the trip and oh my, I was thrilled already! When we reached our hotel, we dropped our luggage in our rooms and walked around a bit on the terrace until dinner was ready. Dinner really made us more energetic after the long journey and so we decided to do some experiments with our DSLR camera. When we were finally sleepy enough to fall asleep standing, we decided to go to bed.

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The next morning, after breakfast, we walked in the terrace, hoping for a glimpse of the mighty Himalayas and its tallest peak, Mt. Everest. Unfortunately, it was too cloudy, so we waited for a few minutes before starting off for our next destination to the Gandaki District – Ghandruk.

Day 1

From Nagarkot, we drove to the domestic airport for our flight to Pokhara. The domestic flights were like air taxis! All you had to do was to book for the next available flight, and if there are any seats, just get a ticket, board the wonderful little airplanes and have a safe flight! Just as we landed in Pokhara and stepped out of the airport, we saw the Himalayan peaks. Very excited, we got in our car and took off. Our drive to Ghandruk was a long one packed with beautiful landscapes. Initially, the roads were quite good and we saw lots of terrace farms. A few miles ahead, we decided to stop for lunch. After lunch, we continued on our voyage to Ghandruk. The roads were a bit rough but the views were marvelous.

After about 6 hours of long, winding roads, we reached Ghandruk. It was cold. Our car was parked as there were no more roads from that point, so we climbed uphill to our homestay, Hotel Milan. And how wonderful, we were welcomed with a group of Nepali travelers dancing and singing around the bonfire. We made our way up to our rooms and kept our luggage and headed straight down to the dining hall for dinner. Traditional Nepali Thali was our dinner menu – and it was the perfect dish after our long and hectic journey.

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Day 2

On our second day, we decided to go for a day hike to the top to get a better view of the mountains. The route was exhilarating, and so was the panorama of the mountains. Our path was a bit uneven, and there was nothing on our sides most of the time, on top of the fact that the rocks were a bit wobbly and the path was wet and muddy. This meant that we were extra careful and alert, and who could be better to help us do that than this dog we met right when we started. He didn’t leave our side throughout the hike and actually gave us directions to the top. The fact that he also enjoyed the songs that I was playing was the cherry on top (but my parents didn’t really like the songs). After walking for about two and half hours, we made it to the top – a beautiful temple with a mesmerizing panoramic background of the Himalayas. Luckily, the sky was perfectly clear as it was still about 8am, which meant that we were able to enjoy every bit of what we saw up there. While my parents sat and took photos of the mountains, I walked around and explored the top with the dog.

After spending about two hours, we decided to make our way back to our homestay, which took us only an hour and half. We walked into the garden of our homestay, to find the delicious Nepali Thali served and ready on our table. We spent our evening exploring the area and trying to find the best spots for getting a clear photo of the mountains. But if you want to see the Annapurna I Peak, Annapurna III, and Mount Machhapuchhare the front porch of our homestay was the best spot, and on that note we decided to spend the second half of our evening relaxing and giving ourselves a break from all the walking and hiking.

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Day 3

Although were going to spend two more days in Nepal, our journey in Ghandruk had ended and it was time to say goodbye to the beautiful Ghandruk. But of course, before leaving we had to take some more photos of the mountains and have breakfast with the wonderful family at Hotel Milan who made our time at Ghandruk extraordinary. After giving our regards to everyone, we made our way back to our car (which was not so close).

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Once we were ready, we made our way to Sarangkot in the Kaski District. We saw a baby deer on our way but I was not quick enough to get my phone out and take a photo of it. Our journey to Sarangkot was longer than we expected, so we stopped about halfway through to get some fruits and chocolates and waited until we found a restaurant (we were quite hungry!). But before stopping at any of the restaurants we came across, we drove straight to the Himalayan Front Hotel. Once we reached, we did the usual (take our keys and all). We dropped our luggage in our rooms, freshened up and went for a hike up the mountain and ate on our way. At the top of the hill, we were hoping to get a glimpse of the entire Annapurna Massif but unfortunately it was quite cloudy so we couldn’t see anything. Since we had spent quite some time up there, we decided to grab a coffee quickly and then make our way back to the hotel. On our way down, we came across lots of local stores that sold jewelry and traditional Nepali clothes, and then I felt a huge raindrop hit my forehead. It was getting dark too. We walked as fast as we could before the rain got heavy and sun went down, but I must say that walking in the dark (in rain) with dense forest on the sides was exhilarating. After walking for about 2 hours, we finally reached the hotel, dried up and made our own dinner (Maggi noodles).

Day 4

Sunrise in the mountains should never be missed, so we were up early and went straight to the rooftop of our hotel hoping to see the mountains and sunrise. Clouds again, so no mountains, but we did get to see the sky go from navy to a bright orange. We wasted no time in getting ready and made our way down to get breakfast. On our second last day in Nepal, we visited the beautiful Phewa Lake and Devi’s Falls. We hired a boat and rowed across the Phewa Lake to look around the other side of Sarangkot. After spending a formidable amount of time looking around the city, we decided to stop for lunch at a Nepali restaurant, where they served our favourite Nepali Thali.

Following lunch, we made our way to the stunning Devi’s Falls where we had to climb A LOT of stairs to make our way to the tunnel, which was about 100 feet below ground level, that is formed by the waterfall as it reaches the bottom. We then had to enter a cave which was quite wet and slippery with bats on the cave walls, so we had to be careful about where we were going. After a valiant walk to reach the tunnel we finally heard the sound of the waterfall, and looked up to see the beauty of Devi’s Falls. Needless to say, taking photos were a must – so we spent some time looking around, took photos and made our way back up.

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As the day was coming to an end, we stopped at a local restaurant to grab dinner and then made our way back to the hotel.

Day 5

Still hopeful on our last day, we gave one last try at getting a glimpse of the Annapurna Massif along with the sunrise – so we were up and ready with our bags packed. Once again, we made our way to the rooftop, and how blessed we were to see the massive Annapurna Range standing bold right in front of us. We admired the breathtaking mountains and the first light in the morning, before making our way down to grab breakfast and drive back to Pokhara airport.

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We flew from Pokhara airport to Kathmandu International Airport, where we had to wait for four hours before boarding our flight back to Dubai. To make the best use of the time that we had in our hands, we decided to visit Nepal’s renowned Pashupatinath Temple. After spending a good amount of time at the temple, we decided to have our lunch in Kathmandu before going back to the airport. Our expedition had come to an end.

We knew well that this was definitely not our last time visiting Nepal. Before our flight even took off, we already starting planning our next trip to Nepal, this time making our way to Namche Bazaar and trek to the Everest Base Camp. I spent my time in the flight reading Reinhold Messner’s “My Quest for the Yeti: Confronting the Himalaya’s Deepest Mystery”, which really reminded me our beautiful trip and upcoming odysseys to the Himalayas.

 

Ladakh, India

09/08/18 to 15/08/2018

Packing your bags for a trip is often considered a tedious job when going for a trip, but it is different when you go to Ladakh. Key Rule : Just take clothes that will last for 5 days each and won’t be a big deal if it gets dirty!

On August 9th, we started from our home in Dubai to the airport terminal 1. We had a connecting flight : from Dubai to New Delhi and then from New Delhi to Leh, Ladakh. It was a long journey because we had custom clearance in Delhi Intl. Airport before going to the domestic transfers. And once it was done, we just waited near the boarding gate eagerly. In Ladakh, the best time for visit is from June to September. Due to this reason, we saw many people who were journeying to the same destination as us.
Oh finally! It was time to board our flight to Leh. The most exciting part : you get to see an aerial view of The Great Himalayas. It was a breathtaking view…the snowcapped mountains, the Zanskar and Indus River confluence, and everything! Everyone was amazed and staring out the window in the 50 minutes plane journey. We already fell in love with Ladakh.
After landing, we collected our luggage and put on some winter clothings…it was COLD!

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Day 1
As expected, everything was bewildering. We exited the airport while our tour guide gave us a brief description of our adventure trip. We were taken to Teyser Holiday Home, our place to stay in Leh for the 10th and 11th of August. Just like its name, it felt like home. Upon our arrival, we were served ‘Butter Tea’, a Ladakhi delicacy. Leisurely sipping our tea, we admired the beautiful garden with apple trees, and a pet dog, Becky. During our stay in Teyser, I spent a good deal of time with Becky.

We took a quick nap for 30 minutes while our lunch was getting ready. After lunch, we slept for 2 hours, I guess? It took us a day or two to acclimatize to the cold weather and low oxygen level. Due to this, we always had few oxygen cans with us. 

In the evening, we decided to take a tour of the Shanti Stupa, a Buddhist white-domed stupa on a hilltop in Chanspa, Leh district. We had to climb a few steps to reach the top, from where you can have a good view of the Karakoram Mountain Range. On our way back to the hotel, we had a quick glimpse of the Leh Market and Leh Palace. Since we were exhausted already because of the long hours of travel and low oxygen, we had dinner early. For dinner, we got to try the delicious “Thukpa”, a noodle soup. And then we were more than ready to sleep : we needed to get ready for the city tour the next day.

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Day 2
On our second day, we went to Military Hall of Fame, Indus & Zanskar River Confluence, Magnetic Hill, and Hemis Monastery.

Our first destination was the Indus & Zanskar Confluence, where two rivers met at a point but their distinctive colours did not mix. The river had extremely strong currents and tourists were advised not to venture too deep in it, as it could carry you away!
Our next destination was Magnetic Hill. At this point of Ladakh, drivers turned off the car engine and left it as it is. Due to the magnetic force, the car went downhill on its own, without anyone driving. It is also known as a gravity hill. After Magnetic Hill, we stopped on our way for lunch. Menu for lunch : Thukpa and Mok-Mok.

After that, we went to the Military Hall of Fame. Constructed and run by the Indian Army, this war memorial house/museum was built in memory of the brave and daring Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in the Kargil War, Indo-Pak Wars, and Indo-Sino War. It is located on the Leh-Kargil road.  In the OP Vijay Gallery, we saw the various kinds of weapons used in the Kargil war, along with the arms and ammunition captured by the Indian Army during the war. In another section, various kinds of apparel and amenities used by the Indian Army in the Siachen region have also been displayed. Some of these show the pictures of army posts on the glacier, living accommodation of the troops and the training process of the troops on ice walls, besides others. On the ground floor, we witnessed the burial ground of all the Indian soldiers who were martyred in the Kargil War. Salute to the Indian Army!

Our last destination for the day was Hemis Monastery. We had climb quite a lot of steps to reach the top. On our way, we spotted a prayer wheel and made our wishes. Hemis monastery is considered to be the most popular monastery in Ladakh.

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Day 3
The big day!!! On our third day, we went to Khardung La Pass and Nubra Valley

Khardung La Pass is the world’s highest motorable road, not to mention that you will need oxygen cans because of the extremely low oxygen levels. The drive to Khardung La Pass was somewhat bumpy but adventurous, thanks to Border Roads Organisation who were constantly at our service. I must say that nature was our only friend for the next 3 days (take a guess😛). As we ascended the temperature dropped. At the top, we were panting and everyone was advised not to stay outside the car for more than 15 minutes due to less oxygen. We also took oxygen from the military medical facility. The view from the top was stupendous. The bold and vast Karakoram mountains were a sight to see.
We were now heading to Nubra Valley. It was stupefying to see how the terrain that consisted of extraordinary fold mountains with snow peaks, rivers with intense currents, white sand, and trees bearing apricots and apples, all at the same time. In Nubra Valley, we stayed at the Organic Retreat Camp, Hunder. First, we freshened up and then headed to the dining hall for lunch. After lunch we took a walk while picking some fresh apricots and apples from the trees. In the evening, we went for a bactrian camel ride in the white desert in Hunder. It was entertaining and the camels were so unique. After the camel ride, we drove back to the camp. I met a German Shepherd named Jerry and we were playing until dinnertime. Highlights of dinner menu : Broccoli soup and zucchini curry. All fruits and veggies were freshly hand-picked from the garden. Farm to fork!

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Day 4
Our destinations for day four was driving to Pangong Tso Lake through the Agam-Shyok River road. It was an escapade, the entire journey. Most our journey was alongside or over the Shyok river. Shyok River, also known as the River of Death. The alignment of the river is quite strange, beginning from the Rimo glacier, it flows in a southeasterly direction and, merging with the Pangong range, it takes a northwestern turn, running parallel to its initial path. The roughness of this river makes it seem more powerful and there are songs in the Nubra valley about the destructive powers of Shyok. On our way, we saw wild Himalayan marmots and wild horses. After a long journey of about 6 hours, we reached Pangong Lake, the highest saltwater lake. It extends from India to China. The lake was bitterly cold. We camped for one night near Pangong Lake. Behind our camps were the great snow-capped mountains (so you can take a wild guess of the temperature). In the evening it was 6˚C. My mother was sitting outside our tent while I was building a rock structure. My father captured beautiful photographs (some featured here). After an hour, we had dinner and went to sleep.

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Day 5
In the morning, the temperature drop was quite unexpected, from 6˚C to -1˚C. And it was snowing. We also noticed a rainbow and it was a perfect start to the day. We freshened up and got ready and then went for breakfast. After breakfast, we spent some time in the tent and then made our way to Chang La Pass, the second highest motorable road in the world. The road to Chang La Pass was uneven but nevertheless exciting. But before reaching the top, we had to cross a few avalanche zones. It was an accident prone area and there were a few smashed and broken cars lying below. So we had to be careful. The top was another exhilarating experience. More snow-capped mountains, colder temperature, less oxygen. We stopped for about 30 mins, clicked some pictures, and then headed back down. Once again we crossed the avalanche zones. The roads were still rough. We were now going back to Leh. We stopped near a cafeteria after about 5 hours of drive for lunch. After lunch, we continued our journey back to Leh. We spent our last night in Hotel Charu Palace. Our journey had come to an end.

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PS : During our road journey, we passed by many military camps and army bases and waterfalls.

Day 6 : Indian Independence Day
Our destination for day six was the airport. We said goodbye to Leh and boarded our flight to Delhi. Upon our arrival in Delhi, instead of going straight to international transfers, we decided to step outside the airport to see the independence day celebrations in the national capital of India. This was the first time that I saw the grand celebration of Indian Independence Day in Delhi.
After the celebration, we went back to the airport and checked in. 4 hours later we boarded our flight to Dubai.

It was time to say our final goodbye, until our next journey to Kargil, Ladakh.

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