The easternmost of the United Arab Emirates, '''Fujairah'''[http://www.fujairah-tourism.ae/] is the only Emirate not to have a coastline along the Persian Gulf. It is also the youngest of the Emirates, only becoming independent from Sharjah in 1952.

Understand

Get in

By plane

While Fujairah has an airport, it is closed to passenger aviation at the present time. Airborne visitors will arrive at one of the western Emirates.

By train

There are no trains operating in the UAE.

By car

Fujairah is roughly 2 hours by car from Dubai and the trip is on sealed roads throughout.

It is also quite easy to reach Fujairah from nearby Oman, as the border is very close.

Note: Fujairah is in UAE, which is separate from Oman (two countries), although they belong to the group known as GCC Countries. Visitors must have separate visas for Oman and UAE in order to move from one to the other by car or any other mode of travelling.

By bus

Buses run reguarly from Dubai and other Emirates. Fujairah has something of a reputation as a vacation spot in the Emirates, which should equate to reliable bus coverage.

Bus services are available from Dubai to Sharjah, from where a traveller must take the Fujairah bus. The bus service bound for Fujairah from Sharjah operates every hour. The bus service is comfortable and inexpensive. As UAE is an Islamic country, male and female travellers have separate seating areas(females in the front two to three rows and males in the remaining seats.

'''By Taxi''' Taxis run from Fujairah (next to the old cinema) to Dubai and Sharjah. A shared taxi to downtown Dubai (Deira taxi stand) costs around $7 and they go as soon as the car is full. An unshared one costs about $28 but it depends on where you want to go in Dubai. Add another $15 if you want to go the Marina area where all the tourist hotels are. Beware - metered taxis from Dubai to Fujairah are twice the price.

By boat

Get around

Fujairah city itself is most emphatically 'not' designed for pedestrians, being dominated by main roads. Thankfully, taxis, which have been completely changed to a new fleet of Nissan Altimas and Toyota Camrys, are metered,and start at 2 dirhims during the day (2.50 at night.) are plentiful. In fact, visitors attempting to walk around the city will attract horn tooting from taxi drivers, who seriously cannot believe that anyone would choose to walk.

See

Despite its location, there is very little to see in Fujairah city. The city is a business centre first and foremost, with none of the enticing atmosphere of the other large cities of the UAE.

Of some interest is the fort, located just outside the city itself. The main structure is still undergoing renovations, but visitors may walk around the reasonably large site (for free). Compared to other forts in the UAE, though, Fujairah Fort is a poor cousin.

Do

While the Indian Ocean is enticingly close, some parts of the beach would not seem to be a good option to swim at. However, the city of Diba which is 30km far from Fujairah city would be a good choice, where you can enjoy the sunny beaches and you can practice any sea activity you like. One more interesting thing to do is that you can make a boat trip to one of many islands that lay in the Gulf of Oman, a really wonderful places to visit and it is a good place for fishing.

All things considered, Fujairah is probably more suited as a base from which to go on excursions to the surrounding areas (most of which are enclaves of Sharjah), rather than doing anything much else. The city is growing in stature as a business destination, particularly where oil is concerned, but tourism remains some how significantly behind...

Learn

Work

Buy

The local souk tends to sell products for residents (plants, spices etc) rather than tourist merchandise. A smaller souk is open along the Corniche in the evenings, but the main focus there is on generic goods - and copies of brand-name items.

For souvenirs, most top-level hotels have at least one gift shop with the customary array of items. Prices are not negotiable and tend to the higher end of the spectrum.

Eat

Budget

Mid-range

The al-Meshwar restaurant is located in the centre of the city in a whimsical-looking building and features a ground-floor "cafe" serving the regional staples (shawarma, felafel etc) and shishas. Above that is the main restaurant, which serves good-quality Lebanese fare.

A franchise of the Persian restaurant chain Sadaf is also to be found in the city. The decor is rather startling (including a waterfall in the middle of the dining room), but the food is of a good standard.

Splurge

Drink

There are no local specialties as far as drink goes, which means that the usual collection of water, juices, tea, coffee and softdrinks are readily available.

Alcohol is mostly only available within top-quality hotels. Cheaper alternatives include the Fujairah Marine Club on the corniche and Fujairah Beach Motel, which also has a retail "hole-in-the-wall." You'll have to ask as it's hidden away a bit.

Sleep

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

The Al Diar Siji Hotel (part of Abu Dhabi-based Al Diar Hotels) is generally designed for business travellers. Staff are attentive and the rooms are pleasant. There are also a number of clubs attached to the hotel, including a 10-pin bowling alley.

[http://www.aldiarsijihotel.com '''Al Diar Siji Hotel Fujairah''']

[http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=SHJHITW '''Hilton Fujairah''']

[http://www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien/search/hotel_detail.html?propertyID=1901 '''Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort''']

Miramar Beach Resort

JAL Fujairah Beach Resort

Fujairah Rotana Beach Resort

All Hotels Fujairah [http://www.hoteldeals.ae

Contact

Stay safe

The customary cautions regarding drivers in the UAE apply in Fujairah as well. Road rules are understood to exist, but drivers will tend to take risks which would seem borderline-suicidal to many visitors. Additionally, bear in mind that most roads are multi-lane in each direction in the city, which may well mean that a taxi or one's own car is the best bet here.

Surprisingly for such a simply laid-out city, many taxi drivers do not know their way around Fujairah. Be prepared to play navigator in these situations. Additionally, where the trip meter is either not present or "not working", agree on the fare ''before'' starting the trip.

Cope

Get out

A trip to nearby Khor Fakkan (an enclave of Sharjah) is highly recommended, as the beach is regarded as one of the best in the region.

A drive through the Hajar Mountains (which extend over the border into Oman) may also be enjoyable, however this will require some planning as regards the standard of car to be driven.