# Camping UAE



## Walle (Oct 7, 2014)

Greetings Fellow Expats,

It seems that many Emiratis as well as ExPats love camping. I've seen a few websites with basic info about camping in the UAE, but there seems to be very little detailed information available.

From what I've read, it seems that free overnight camping is allowed pretty much anytime and anywhere in the desert - no licence, no fees, correct?
But how can I tell if I am on private land or not?

Eva and I don't have a 4-wheel-drive, so we are interested in places that are accessible by 2-wheel drive. We've read that Wadi Koo (or Wadi-e-Koo), off the E87, is a good place for 2-wheel drive camping - but where exactly is Wadi Koo? If you Google Wadi Koo you will get nothing useful. Any help please?

Also grateful for info on any other good camping places (with explicit details please, not just a name, GPS coords if possible  ) accessible by 2-wheel drive in UAE (not Oman please, that's for Eva and Walle next year  ).

In return, I promise Eva and I will post a full report on here of our experiences!

Thank You!!!

Walle


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## Smanda (Jul 9, 2014)

Hi, I too was going to ask that question, though we do have 4x4. Camping in the cooler months will allow our dog to run free. We don't have equipment yet. So look forward to your replies.


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## looper (Apr 30, 2013)

Check the UAE and Oman Offroad Guides that are sold at a lot of places, e.g. Adventure HQ, book stores at malls, etc.

Also there are a lot of groups for camping/hiking at Meetup....


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

Camping with only a 2x2 is tricker as so many of the best locations are off the main road. 

It's still possible, however. You can always leave your car alongside the road and trek into a wadi or dune to camp. 

You can camp anywhere that isn't a recognisable private property. Any place that isn't enclosed or clearly a farm field is open to campers. It's obviously sensible not to pitch your tents next to a private house or farm complex.

You might want to start with Wadi Bih, just across the border from Dibba. The road through and up the wadi is doable in a 2 x 2 although there are certainly steep bits. There are quite a few slip dirt roads going into a sheltered camping spot where you can pitch your tents and enjoy the evening and view. Feel free to take a short trek from your camping spot. 

If you want a fire, you should bring wood with you if camping in the dunes. In the wadis there's uprooted tree debris that you can collect.


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

TallyHo said:


> Camping with only a 2x2 is tricker as so many of the best locations are off the main road.
> 
> It's still possible, however. You can always leave your car alongside the road and trek into a wadi or dune to camp.
> 
> ...


Forget Wadi Bih, the Dibba crossing has been closed to non-Emiratis or non-Omanis for a while now, and the only way you'll get across is with a confirmed booking at the Zighy Bay resort.

My recommendation would be head up Jebel Jais in RAK. The road to the top is nearly finished, and somewhere you'll find spots to your choosing that you can probably pull off and pitch up. The summit is however 1,900m up so I expect it'd be near enough freezing in the depths of winter.

Dubai to Jebel Jais

Dubai to Wadi Koo


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## Walle (Oct 7, 2014)

OK, Eva and I tried Wadi Koob - very desolate and rocky camping spots, accessible by 2-wheel drive. We weren't really sure where we were allowed to camp, so we just picked a nice looking place just off the dirt track and pitched our tent. We were alone under the starry sky. The only problem was the incessant wind - didn't stop all night so we had a restless sleep. Then suddenly the wind stopped as the sun rose. Very strange.

(We wanted to post a pic of our campsite here, but the site doesn't allow any pics until you have submitted 5 posts!)

Next we'd like to try either beach camping, or camping in the sand dunes. I read that beach camping is permissible around Al Rafaah (Umm Al Qwain) - does anyone have any details or recommendations? Has anyone been there recently?

And for camping in the sand dunes - any recommended locations around Dubai which are accessible by 2-wheel drive? I read that here are some locations around Bab Al Shams that are accessible by 2-wheel drive?

Thanks!


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

There always seem to be some locals camped out near the cycle course overnight and you can get out there on a 2 wheel drive for most of the way. I suspect the problem is that you're quite close the some riding stables so you may get a night visitor checking up on you, and the dunes are lRge ripples compared to the area around Big Red for example.


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## Walle (Oct 7, 2014)

Thanks, twowheelsgood. Are you referring to the area just south of Bab Al Shams? Can you tell me more about Big Red, is any part accessible by 2-wheel drive?


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## Martyn580 (Nov 28, 2016)

Hey guys,

Im planning to go camping on top of Jebel Jais december 4th. I was wondering if there is a tourist agency that provides everything for me: tent, sleeping bag, transport. 

Or, any of your guys planning to go up there and wouldn't mind me tagging along? Or, anyone would let me borrow their camping equipment??

Thanks in advance!!!


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