Last weekend I ventured out of town, away from the post Christmas haze in Dubai, along the Emirates Road into Fujairah. The plan was to get a bit of peace and quiet whilst taking in the natural beauty of the Hajar mountains. I didn't know too much about the emirate, except that it was near the scuba-haven of Dibba and that it was meant to be ‘pleasant enough'.
There are a couple of routes from Dubai to Fujairah and after a few false starts and u-turns, my friend and I finally made our way onto the dusty Masafi Road where we saw the famous Friday Market, or Souq al Juma as it is known locally, strewn in an unruly fashion along either side of us for about half a mile.
It's an unusual market, not least because, despite the name, it's open all week. As we drove past, I took in the endless chaotic stalls of fruit and veg, the garden tree vendors and the rug merchants. Being well and truly broke after the holidays, yet needing to furnish a new flat and restock an empty fridge, I made a note to have a proper browse on the way back and pick up a few bargains.
Straight lines and soaring mountains
On first impression central Fujairah reminded me bizarrely of the final scenes of the sci-fi film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, when eager scientists create a landing strip in the mountains in preparation for an arriving spaceship.
The long, impossibly straight Hamad Bin Abdullah street, the main road through the emirate, has a distinctly runway feel and the amazing mountains rising all around you give you the feeling of being somewhere a bit mysterious and hidden from view.
We were booked to stay at the Al Diar Siji Hotel for one night. This independent five star business hotel is centrally situated close to a few small malls and plenty of shops and cafes. It looks like a business hotel from the outside and the lobby carries on the feel. But its light and airy and generously proportioned, so the passing tourist will feel perfectly at ease.
Comfort comes first
We stayed in a deluxe room which was simple in design, but huge. You could techically run from one end to the other (we tried this out for the benefit of Explore readers). The room comprised two double beds, a lounge area with sofas, a crisp white bathroom and a spacious wardrobe area.
I'm not unused to staying in hotels in the UAE, but I have to say the bathrobes provided at Al Diar Siji are the most gorgeously comfortable garments ever created. Not exactly towelling, they're like wrapping yourself in marshmallows. I wore mine for a shamefully long period and would have happily donned it to go shopping, but eventually prised myself out of it. It's funny how the smaller details of a hotel stay with you.
The view out of the window was pretty spectacular too, with the grid-like roads laid out below you (we were on the tenth floor) and the moody mountains in the background.
We headed down to the hotel's Al Diwan all-day dining restaurant and grabbed a late lunch. A straightforward international menu threw up the usual suspects (prawn cocktail, steak, fish and chips, pasta and so on). I plumped for some mixed tempura which was pretty good and most tastes are catered far. I wouldn't classify it as five-star fare — but it was decent enough.
Shopping suprises
Keen to see a bit of the surrounding area, we ventured outside for a stroll. Fujairah is the UAE's youngest emirate and as such it's still pretty undeveloped — and I mean this in the best way. There are some striking buildings, such as the ball-headed Du tower, but the place has a relaxed, modest ambience which makes you want to just hang around.
The shops in Fujairah are pretty basic and a far cry from the glittering malls of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. But they're great! My top tip to the ladies reading this is that there is a large shoe shop around the corner from Al Diar Siji which is a revelation (I won't name it, but you'll find it easily enough). It doesn't look much from the outside but I picked up several pairs of really funky shoes (average price Dh70 per pair) and had to be physically restrained by my friend from blowing all my wages. And there were plenty of similar cheap but trendy shops to be found. Think Primark and you get the idea. Budget friendly retail therapy wasn't really what I expected from Fujairah.
A night to remember
After a look around Al Diar Siji's sister hotel and apartment property located ten minutes away by taxi, followed by a great pizza at the onsite eatery, we returned to base and decided to chill out in the Zorba Lounge for the evening (armed, or rather footed, with shiny new shoes).
A somewhat retro cabaret duo belted out the hits as a few kids wrestled on the floor, parents propped up the bar and we played pool with a few house drinks. Everything was really reasonably priced and I'd strongly recommend Fujairah as a fun-on-a-shoestring break with a good pal.
Later into the evening we headed down to the hotel's impressive sounding Starlight Supper Club and Discoteque. It's hard to write about this place without breaking out into a broad smile. If you're a regular of Dubai's chic Cavalli Club then this venue probably won't be your cup of tea. This place has to be seen to be believed. It's dark and loud and the semi-circular upholstered booths are straight from an Al Pacino gangster filmset. It's the cheapest club I have ever been to (Dh25 a drink anyone?) and is an absoloute riot. It has an extremely multicultural clientele, disco-dancing regulars, a somewhat ‘inner-city' feel to the main bar area and a fun-loving Filipino girl band — one of whom kept banging into the onstage Christmas tree. What more do you want from a night out?
And so, off to market...
In the morning, somewhat dazed from an evening of throwing shapes on the dancefloor and hanging out with the Fujairah set, we ordered room service for breakfast. Another pleasant surprise was the most gorgeous buttery yellow scrambled eggs I've had in a long time, with proper granary toast. It's suprising how few hotels can get this most basic breakfast dish right.
We departed Fujairah in the early afternoon to visit the eagerly anticipated ‘Friday' market. After parking the car by the side of the road, we browsed the various stalls, haggling with the vendors. Be firm with them and you can name your price. They're a little pushy but it's all done with a smile so it's not intimidating. We trawled the market for at least an hour and ended up leaving with tomato plants, some jasmine bushes, bottled local honey, bags of fruit and veg and a few colourful nicknacks.
So, in short, a trip to Fujairah is a breath of fresh air and very easy on the pocket. My advice is throw out the agenda and go for a wander.
