Dubai is not the only glorious Emirates. His neighbor Sharjah may look more modest, but when you get to know each other, it’s much better: there are noticeably fewer people here, prices are lower, beaches are cozier, nature is more picturesque, and in terms of the number of attractions and entertainment, the hospitable emirate goes to record. Here are just a few obvious reasons to go on vacation here. Sharjah is washed by the Persian and Oman Gulfs, beaches stretch in the west and east – sandy, well-groomed, safe, equipped for a comfortable stay. Al-Khan beach is considered one of the best – not crowded, snow-white, with clean clear water and developed infrastructure for children and adults. Next to it, a modern Al-Hira beach area has recently been equipped with swimming pools, playgrounds, restaurants and jogging tracks. The pearl of the east coast is Khor Fakkan, where you can sunbathe and swim, go parasailing, kayaking, diving (stingrays, stone fish, lionfish live in the thickets of coral reefs), take a look at the amphitheater and a 45-meter man-made waterfall. /9h/ms/9hms6mblqcso800k0ooo00sws.jpg Accommodation in Sharjah will not hit your pocket as much as in the starry Dubai. At the same time, even in the “three rubles” there is excellent service, stylish interiors, and sometimes even their own beaches. A double room costs from 145 AED per day, local residents rent rooms for 70–80 AED per day. For those who prefer luxury, we recommend the brand new DoubleTree by Hilton (from 260 AED per night) or the “five” Sharjah Beach (from 440 AED). In Kalba, at Mysk Kingfish Retreat, you can rent a luxury tent right on the beach for 1100 AED per day. /0j/ji/0jjij40j7ez48s4gs8cgscoc0.jpg
1. Serenity on the shores of two bays
2. Hotels for every budget
3. Shopping in authentic scenery
It is in Sharjah that the famous Al-Markazi blue market is located, where there is absolutely everything, from gold to antiques. For the freshest seafood, there is a direct road to Al-Jubail, for unusual souvenirs – to the historical complex “Heart of Sharjah”, where three markets with handicrafts, carpets, perfumes, spices and national clothes are noisy at once. And at the Shark market in Khor-Fakkan, you can not only buy profitably, but also watch the work of craftsmen in the Museum of Crafts.
/1j/ej/1jejkseid3400o40kogo4w4oo.jpg
4. Architectural eclecticism
Mosques, palaces and ancient fortresses side by side with the skyscrapers of the future. The only mosque where non-Muslims are allowed in is Al Noor, which is reminiscent of Sultanahmet in Istanbul. Al-Hish Fort was built in 1820 from adobe, coral and stone blocks. Interactive tours are held at the Mleikha archaeological complex, the ruins of a Portuguese fort and the Al-Advani tower of the 17th century await in Khor Fakkan, and traditional clay houses in the village of Najd Al-Maqsar.
/3m/b5/3mb5vdzju2o008kgks0s04wk0.jpg
5. The richness of the museums of the cultural capital
It is not in vain that Sharjah has been repeatedly recognized as the capital of Arab culture: local museums cannot be bypassed even in a week. In the Archaeological Museum you can trace the history of the emirate from the Stone Age to the present day, in the Art Museum you can admire the creations of the Orientalists. But there is also the Museum of Islamic Civilization, the geological park “Buheys” in the desert, “Hisn Khor-Fakkan” with impressive three-dimensional projections, the Museum of the Old Airport and other interesting things.
/a2/5t/a25t83yv68g8g4goo0soo880c.jpg
6. The beauty of nature under the protection of man
The pride of the emirate is the largest safari park outside of Africa in the Daeed region. On a huge area, 12 different habitats have been recreated, which have become home to 50 thousand (!) Animals: rhinos, giraffes and lions, crocodiles, elephants and buffaloes. A botanical garden, a Natural History Museum, a zoo and a children's farm fit in the no less large-scale Desert Park, and on Al Noor Island there is a park with outlandish flora and the Butterfly House with hundreds of colorful beauties. In the Wasit Reserve, people travel on golf carts, stopping to watch rare birds, and on the mountain-ringed Al Rafisa Dam, they go kayaking and feeding ducks.
/9n/4e/9n4euhq53e4og0gsok808wgsg.jpg
More to read on the topic
- Affordable Emirates: 7 best hotels Sharjah with its own beach
- Shopping in Sharjah: what to buy and where to go
- 7 questions to ask yourself before traveling to the UAE
7. Fun for the whole family
You can safely go to Sharjah with children, because no one is bored here. The best place for family walks is the Al Kasbah promenade with a Ferris wheel, go-carts and trampolines. Even more attractions can be found at Al Montaza Park with a lush garden, the Island of Legends themed area and the Pearl Kingdom water park.
Visitors to the grandiose Aquarium of Sharjah are literally surrounded on all sides by a column of water in which sharks, moray eels, rays and other inhabitants of the Persian Gulf swim. We also recommend a trip to the paintball park and golf club, visit the unusual “Rain Room” (and come out of the water completely dry!), try to tame an eagle or a hawk at the Birds of Prey Center in Kalb … and in the evening, be sure to admire the fantastic singing show fountains.
/co/zj/cozjbidsqvc4k8c4wsco8kkok .jpg