Amid sweltering heat and sapping humidity in the UAE, outdoor activities have almost come to a halt. Residents are either confined to their homes or are at best flocking to malls and indoor play areas. However, there are still a few cool outdoor spots where they can have a good time during rising summer temperatures.
Here’s a look at four such places:
Kalba Mangrove Centre
With its lush green forests and the cool waters surrounding it, the Kalba Mangrove Centre is a rare place of serenity, shade and coolness during the summer. Visitors can enjoy an outdoor tour and enjoy the oldest mangrove forest in the UAE, with trees up to eight metres tall. Inside the centre, they can also have a good time watching beach birds, crabs, green turtles, and fishes.
Al Ain Oasis
A Unesco World Heritage site, the Al Ain Oasis is a beautiful, green retreat spread across 1,200 hectares of land. Home to 1,47,000 date palm trees and over 100 different varieties of vegetation, the oasis is free to enter and provides a much-needed relief during the scorching summer. Visitors can also learn more about the 1000-year-old ancient irrigation system known as falaj, which periodically provides water to the oasis through intricately connected channels.
Shajar, Sharjah
Imagine walking along the shades of hundreds of trees during the peak of summer. That is what Shajar, a unique nursery by Arada, offers. Spread over a 1.6 million square foot area, it is one of the largest nurseries in the country that contains 1,30,000 trees that are being nurtured prior to being planted in various communities. Completely free to enter, Shajar gives visitors the chance to learn how various trees grow in the region.
Hatta Falaj
Imagine being able to explore a centuries-old Falaj irrigation system from underneath. That is exactly the opportunity that Hatta Falaj provides.
Visitors can walk through a 587-metre-long tunnel under the ground wearing helmets and boots. Nothing to feel like an explorer like this activity that is priced at Dh49 per person.