shiva

couple of pics in the photo post, will post more when i've shrunk em

Jammy_Dodgers

Great pictures Shiva !!

Autonomy

Seconded - great shots!

What's the drive out to Fossil Rock like - easy, hard? I've got an offroad book etc and a decent Jeep... easy to do (with some other 4x4s too of course... not just heading out on my tod!) or not for the novice (with only a few blasts up and down Jebel Ali for experience)...

Cheers,

Auto

lillygirl

It's not that hard and you can choose a fairly flat route if you want to. Once you've been with with someone and learnt the way, you can remember it pretty easily. The book gives good directions.

It's best to drive through to near Fossil Rock and mess about on the sand dunes there. That's where the huge one is on Shiva's photos.

It's a good route to learn on (she says after nearly rolling her car at the weekend! :scared: )

Autonomy

Haha - I almost burnt out my clutch (ooo - err missus!) at the weekend too. First time properly driving on the sand in the jeep and was a little bit carried away with it all!

Going camping on Jebel Ali over this weekend - first night under the stars in the UAE! What's the deal with camping on the beach - is this all ok with "the man"? And alcohol - obviously not on show, but would they search the tent for no reason if they come down? Any problems or anything to know?

Will 100% definiately do Fossil Rock very soon - looks amazing - just do it in a day or is it worth to camp near by?

Cheers!

Auto

MJC

If you're up for a day drive there then I'll be more than happy to come along. It shouldn't take too long either, we got very close to it acroos the dunes - although there are tracks, on an evening drive the other day. Incidentally, the drive to the top of Fossil Rock is meant to be the steepest track in the UAE!!

lillygirl

I'm not sure about camping on the beach. I think we are going to camp down near Al Ain this week and I guess if you are in the desert and no one can see you, there's no problem. Same goes for alcohol I would think.

Come with us if you like next time we go out into the desert. There were 5 cars last week and the more the merrier!

NooNoo

You'll have no worries at all - just keep the music at a decent level, if the police come just hide your 7ups and you'll be fine - no way will they search your tents. Unfortunately dogs aren't allowed anymore - If you go past Jebel Ali about 10 mins and take the turn off to Gantoot, there are little barasti shades all along the beach (we take our dogs there, ssshh) - might be quite busy though being Eid. Happy camping!!

Autonomy

Cool - many thankies!

I think that is where we're going - went last Friday morning and it was beautiful, started to get busier after 11am or so...

You take the dirt track at the end of the old Jebal Ali - Abu Dhabi road just before you rejoin the new main highway - there is petrol station there too...? Is this the one?

NooNoo

Yep - thats the one. If you go past the turn off for J A Hotel - about 10 k's up the road there is a turn off just past the petrol station (shah al saib????? - something like that) - then just head for the sea! You're right to get there early so you can get a good position - the ones on the end are usually the best then you only have one neighbour - if that!

Benson

you may need a permit to camp there now. I think they limit the numbers of permits so it doesn't get over crowded. You might want to try and check up on that.

Benson

You do officially need a permit to camp on JA beach from the DXB municipaliy. Also fires and BBQs are not permitted at all.

try the municipality web site, I will try to get more info.

Benson

I have found out that you do need a permit, here is the attached application. Also found out that the police do patrol and will ask to see your permit, may take up to three days to get permit and fines are fairly steep.

Might not get one before eid now.

NooNoo

Do you know how long this new procedure has been in place for? This is the first time I have heard of it - a load of our mates camped there a few weeks ago and didn't go through all this - maybe they were lucky!

Autonomy

Benson - I've got a photocopy of the form here - your link to the municipality pdf doesn't seem to work?

NooNoo - last weekend my mates camped there with no problem at all.

I'm checking into this - cheers to all though!