Dubai, UAE: Hatta Mountain Safari Tour Highlights

One of the surprising adventures I’ve experienced in Dubai is the Hatta Mountain Safari tour. We kept postponing this trip due to the (un)availability of our schedules. I was still new at the office and given that I only have one day off, it’s a challenge to find a perfect day to pursue this trip. Still I’m glad that it pushed through.

Hatta Tour in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
April 30, 2013

oman hatta tour
Dubai Hatta Tour

hatta oman tour
Passing through Oman borders to reach Hatta where you will see the rocky mountains

The trip was purchased through a discounted deal online, but we still paid an extra 150 Dirhams as it was only us and the driver inside the vehicle. This made it even better as it felt like a private tour since we had the vehicle all to ourselves! Here are a few things you can expect from this trip.

Dubai: Hatta Mountain Safari Tour Highlights

Visit to the Sand Dunes of Sharjah

I experienced the Dubai Desert Safari in an earlier time, but I noticed the difference between that common tourist activity compared to going farther from the metro. This location is a lot better as there are lesser plants and more sand! You can really feel how vast the desert is from here.  It seemed like we had the place all to ourselves.

We rented a buggy for 30 minutes, for 350 Dirhams (ouch), and had a blast driving through the sand. My first attempt I stepped on full throttle that the attendants had to run and advise me not to drive too fast as we might topple over.

desert safari dubai
Desert Sand Dunes!

dubai desert safari
Riding a buggy and enjoying the ride in Dubai desert

Swimming in a Natural Pool in Wadi Khaffi

As we drove further, I could see the landscape changing from the soft sandy dunes to the rough mountainous rocks. We went for stopover and our guide told us that we could dip in the fresh water pool below. I was surprised to see that a body of water existed here. I thought the place was all dry.

wadi hatta tour
natural swimming pool

We couldn’t resist but swim in the fresh and cool water. It’s perfect for a sunny weather as you beat the desert heat! We wanted to stay longer but we had to leave.

wadi khaffi
Had to take a dip!

Hanging Out at Hatta Mountains

We finally arrived at the Hatta Mountain. It was very peaceful at the time with only one other person in the area. It has a little resemblance of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines (which I’ve never been to) because there’s a body of water around rocks.

hatta mountain tour
calm water

Our guide informed us that during weekends, the place is filled with locals having picnics. Now it was bare. Another perfect time to have the place to ourselves!

hatta safari tour
rocky mountains in the background

Walking Tour of Hatta Heritage Village

The last stop was visiting a Hatta Heritage Village. This was another welcome treat. Learning about the life and culture of Arabs in the past and being in an actual village felt like I was there in the old times.

hatta heritage village
old set up of Hatta

It’s an educational do-it-yourself walking tour wherein you can walk at your own pace and explore the area. It had a quiet atmosphere. At times I got scared because nobody was inside the rooms, but when we opened them, lights would suddenly turn on. Sometimes a statue of a person would be staring at us and I initially thought that they were real people. hehe.

hatta heritage tour
inside Hatta Heritage village

So these are the main highlights of our Hatta Mountain Tour in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Will write a more extensive blog post about each highlight in the coming months.

Dubai Hatta Tour

Regular Cost: 300 AED per person
Time: 8:30am to 2:30pm.
Tour Guide: Shahzad Ahmad
Mobile Number: +971 56 2318281, +971 52 7866550

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Check out my other posts about our Hatta Mountain Tour here:

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Check out my other Dubai articles here:


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soloflightEd.com is a travel blog by Edcel Suyo. He enjoys performing headstands and crazy stunts during his trips in the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Now based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and working to earn a living, he takes time to enjoy the city and travel during weekends.
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16 thoughts on “Dubai, UAE: Hatta Mountain Safari Tour Highlights”

    • Bwahahaha re: richard dawn. lol.
      Comment na lang ko sa water, haha. But really the water was really inviting especially when we come from a land rich in water. A refreshing sight after all the sand. 🙂

      Reply

  3. Splendor in the sand! I thought PDA is not allowed in the UAE. 🙂 Or is this Oman so it’s ok? Yeah surprising nga to find water in the desert. Is it an oasis? Reminded me of the story of Hagar who found a spring in the desert and lived to nurture Ishmael, the patriarch of Islam. Nerd din pag may time. 🙂

    Reply

    • Thanks for the reminder AJ! Dubai is a bit more open compared to the other ME countries. But yes, practice discretion whenever doing those things and it’s not allowed to kiss in public, sometimes holding hands din. Not sure kung oasis yun, but definitely refreshing to dip ourselves in the water. 🙂

      Reply

  5. The other side of Dubai! I usually only see the photos of the business life and the big cities. I really like learning about other parts as well. Would really like to go. I have a friend who is visiting in a few months cant wait to see his photos and hear how things are going.

    Reply

  6. How great to see a part of the Emirates beyond the usual cityscape. I wouldn’t even know if that gorgeously-looking natural pool is part of this seemingly harsh landscape. You guys are lucky to go there without the crowd on your heels! Love this adventure.

    Reply

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