Many Dreams, Not Just One: A trip to Liwa, Abu Dhabi

I first heard about Liwa a couple of years ago while reading about the date festival which is conducted in Liwa during summer. Since then I was looking to visit there. I tried to know more about Liwa, I googled with different key words, browsed through a number of Abu Dhabi's official websites, but there was no much information available. All I could knew was that it is a large oasis consists of some 50 villages, with date farms and other agricultural activities. I recently read that the Liwa has the one of the largest dunes in the world. I also could read that it has come in the radar of tourism and some efforts are being made by the authorities to promote its tourism possibilities.

I am very passionate about beauty of nature with natural water resources, rivers, hills, forests and greeneries, agriculture and the likes. It is nostalgic to see all those things as being in the Dubai for last 10 or more years leaving such a beautiful village in southern Indian state of Kerala where I was born and brought up and lived for more than 24 years!

I discussed about visiting Liwa with a couple of family friends, but I could not find much interest from them to see such an unknown place which have nothing exciting to boast about which is some 350 km far from Dubai. Finally I decided to go alone with my family. She is very much with me for my passion to drive through the villages and our children enjoy it too.

Liwa is in the western region of Abu Dhabi which is know as Al Gharbia, 240 km away from Abu Dhabi City. I started from Jebel Ali at 7.30am setting my trip odometer to zero. The route is E11 (Sheikh Zayed Road) from Dubai toward Abu Dhbai and head towards to Gweifat/Tariff staying in E11 without turning to E10 which goes to Abu Dhabi City. When we usually go straight to Abu Dhabi from Dubai, at the Shahama, the road becomes E10 without you notice it and a bridge that turns to left is actually E11. I realised this fact only on this trip as I reached Abu Dhabi city and wasted more than 50 km drive.

Instead of taking the route marked green, I missed the exit at Al Shahama and headed towards Abu Dhabi City and then got back in to the right route travelling through the route marked in red. If you are in Abu Dhabi City, drive towards direction of airport/Al Ain looking for the direction sign towards Gwaifat (E11). Once turned right towards Gwaifat, the direction boards shows Al Ain (E22) and Tariff (E11). Then after a few kilo meters, turn right at the direction sign Tariff and Gwaifat. At this point, it was 158 km in my trip odometer. (Started from Jabel Ali, came through Abu Dhabi City. I drove approximately 50 km more by going to Abu Dhabi City).

This route is to the Sila, the boarder town with the Saudi Arabia. The sea on right side, the desert on the left, small palm trees on both sides of the road - This is the view throughout this route.

After driving further 76km, take the exit at the direction sign Madinat Zayed and Liwa (Mezaira'a). 3km before this exit, there is a petrol pump at Abu Al Abyed. From this exit, it is 50km to Madinat Zayed and 120km to Mezaira'a, the centre of Liwa. You can see the alternation of forest belts, agriculture and sand dunes throughout this route.

A scene on the way to Madinat Zayed.

Welcome to Madinat Zayed (Zayed City)

We didn't get down at Madinat Zayed. On the way through the city, could see many low rise building. Almost all banks got their branches there

A view on the way to Liwa after Madinat Zayed

When we reached the village Thamaniya which is about 20km before Liwa, it was time for Friday Prayer. We found a mosque there. It was bigger than expected and the people were even more than it can accommodate. Most of them were labours working in the farms in the village. They seems to be from Bangladesh.

The mosque at Thamaniya Village

After the prayer, we roamed around the village. Visited some of the farms.

Snaps from the farm

Finally we reached at Liwa at 1.30pm and it was 355km in my trip odometer. Before reaching the town is the Liwa Hospital, Liwa Palace and Liwa Souque.

Liwa Hospital

Mureeb Dunes (Tal Mireb) some 25 km away from the city is one of the largest dunes in the world. About 20km road to the Mureeb Dunes is through small and large sand dunes and it is a pleasant driving experience.

Snaps on the way to Mureeb Dunes

Some scenes at Liwa:

We returned from Liwa at 4.10pm and it was 440km in trip odometer. We took the different route back to Abu Dhabi through the eastern villages of Liwa. We reached Hameem which is 65km from Liwa city and end of the Liwa oasis at 4.45pm. On reaching here, the first sign board appears for direction to Abu Dhabi. It is 195km to Abu Dhabi from here. 141km stretch from Hameem to the entry point on E11 is two-way and speed limit is 80kmph. But I don't think any one would drive below 120km/h as it was that smooth and free of any vehicle. This road intersects with the E11 at 20km from Abu Dhbai.