The reason we Paynes moved to Al Ain was because we discovered this hotel a few years ago and then came twice a year ever since, then finally decided to move to this country as we like it so much! We’ve stayed at this hotel 11 times so far, ranging from 2 to 15 nights […]
Weekend fun
Le Meridien makes our 10th wedding anniversary extra special
When service is as good as it is at the Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort Hotel, it really helps make a special occasion extra special. The following story may inspire you to try this hotel out… I booked a table on the beach for a moonlit dinner for my wife and I on January […]
Green Mubazzarah in Al Ain
If you look south when you’re looking out of an upstairs window in Al Ain, you’ll see the mountain Jebel Hafeet (or Jebel Hafit), with the Le Mercure Hotel at the top. This mountain is 1,240 metres high. It’s a 25-ish minute drive from the Hilton Hotel in Al Ain. The steep, windy Jebel Hafeet Mountain […]
Al Ain Wildlife Park Bird Show
At 7.30pm at the Al Ain Wildlife Park most evenings, you can watch a 25-minute bird show which is in Arabic and English. The female presenters are terrific, using just the right language to engage and inform children. I shot the following video to give you a little idea what the show is like. It’s […]
Hili Oasis
If you drive out from Al Ain towards Dubai, you’ll see this fort on your right… Here’s a photo of the sign you can see to the far left in the photo above… It says: “It says that this tower was re-built by the Department of Antiquities and Tourism on top of ruins of an […]
Al Ain Paradise Hanging Gardens
The Al Ain Paradise Gardens is probably Al Ain’s most famous attraction, attracting 7,000 visitors in one day when it reopened in February 2012 after being closed for months for refurbishment. On average, about 1,000 people visit each day when it’s open. Note: Please do not travel to this attraction unless you know for certain that it […]
Hilton Hotel in Al Ain
We spend one afternoon most weekends at the Hilton Hotel in the south east of the town… …because of its excellent facilities. There are 3 pools: a laps pool for adults… a paddling pool for infants… …and a large family pool with water features and a water slide. Here’s a video lasting a few […]
Weekend activities
Many families with children spend at least a few hours most weekends, or even after school in the afternoons, by the pool. Some villa compounds have a pool, but most people will use a pool at a local hotel or club. The Hilton Hotel is excellent. See the separate post on it. There are similar […]