Al QUDRA CYCLING TRACK and AL QUDRA LAKES (Dubai) : A day of ducks, ponds and cycling

Dubai never ceases to amaze us. Apart from the highly-advertised-around-the-world super structures, which attracts tourists, there is so much on offer for expats here.
After few months of mall-walking, and shopping till the-end-of-your-budget, and the scrumptious restaurant dinners, one starts to crave for a bit more.

We got hold of a different type of place the previous weekend. Zain's new found passion for cycling took us on a long drive early in the morning at about 5: 30am to a place bang in the center of a desert - THE  AL QUDRA CYCLING TRACK.
But there was another exciting reason why we bundled up our sleeping daughter also in the car at this unearthly hour. We were going in hunt of AL QUDRA LAKES also called the flamingo lakes. Yes, you read right. We got our directions and information on the place from here

google map

Get your GPS, get on the Emirates road, drive to Al Qudra, that falls after Arabian ranches in the middle of Seih al Salam desert and Bab Al Shams. The entrance is marked by a huge entry board with cycles on them. You may park over here and start cycling. But best is to drive on,  three roundabouts ahead you will see a roundabout with the structure of mesh horses, then the TREK BICYCLE STORE and ZAD FOOD STORE. This is where you can park and get on with cycling. Brace yourselves for the shock of the humongous number of cycling enthusiasts here.

Al Qudra falls after Arabian Ranches

The Entrance to the Al Qudra Cycling track

The Zad Food Store

We decided to locate the lakes first, so got some directions at the bike shop. There is an unpaved well-taken road on the left of the bike shop. Easily accessible in our sedan, within the few minutes we reached the first lake.

The unpaved way to the lakes

Whoa! is that a lake in the middle of the desert?? That too with ducks, swans and plenty of other species of birds. This was just great, having home-made breakfast picnic in the middle of the desert sitting by the lake watching the ducks wade and the swans glide. Fully awake by now the little one did some bird watching with her binoculars and then slowly tread out to have a more closer look. Seems like the swans were having their breakfast too with their neck mostly under water.

This is a man-made lake, and attracts many migratory birds, a hot-spot for many bird-watchers and photographers. This is a lovely place to practice your photography skills in natural settings. Wonderful for the kids to have a natural feel of birds so up close. Drive around the area as there are quiet a few lakes there. There is a designated camping and barbecue  area, so we have our eyes set here, already dreaming of the onset of winter here again :)

We also noticed a few dog owners with their pets in certain areas. The dogs were having a much needed off-leash time.

Back to the cycle track, its a completely exclusive cyclists only track, and winds to about 80 kilometers. Trek bike shop has rental bicycles and any other accessories you may be in need of . There are well maintained restrooms, and a Food Store for your food and especially water needs.

Zain got his fix of cycling for the week, and as it started getting sticky and stuffy we headed back by 9 am.
What a weekend morning.. if only it was a tad bit cooler.

Tips....

• Have a good night sleep and get on the road early to catch the sunrise and cycle before its pretty hot
• Get the location and your directions saved in your GPS 
• Carry lots and lots of water
• Wear your comfortable clothes and shoes and be ready to spend some quiet time in the beautiful place. 
• Carry your cycles and cameras
• That's it. And this place is on our list for the winter :) for the camping and barbecuing

Speaking of winter this is the latest update. Camping in UAE is all fun and very much do-able. Hop into our latest post and have a look http://colorsofourrainbow.blogspot.ae/2015/10/camping-with-family-in-uae-beginners.html

Have fun!

ZAIN & FARZ

SHARJAH SCIENCE MUSEUM: A Perfect place for learning and fun

We keep discovering beautiful little hideouts in SHARJAH. 

For those of you who don't live in UAE, Sharjah is a less glamorous city that borders the classy and glittery DUBAI. Barely 20 minutes away, SHARJAH is supposed to be the cultural capital of the country.

Though my childhood was based in DUBAI, We are discovering so much in SHARJAH, now that we live here. 

SHARJAH has many places, which are less known, but a delight to visit and that too without spending too many dirhams. 

We paid a visit to another kid-friendly place and spent hours and hours playing. And unbelievably, though the entry tickets are a meager 5 AED for children and 10 AED for adults, we actually scored a free entry , which was on for the entire week. 

Well within city limits, just on the exit from cultural square, is the SHARJAH SCIENCE MUSEUM. But don't forget to get your GPS set for the location.

There is enough to do for all age groups.  Microscopes,  human body and organ exhibits, preserved insects and butterflies from the local environment, a bit of astronomy, planetarium, scientific games. A well stocked play pen for pretend play, reading etc. And a little cafeteria with kid-friendly food. What else do you require, there is enough to intrigue and delight the kids for a few hours:) 

Do catch the shows, demonstrations and workshops that run often, there was a bubble show the last weekend.

If you need a peaceful and less crowded fun for your kids, after school hours on weekdays are the best. We went here on a Thursday afternoon and had the place absolutely to ourselves. 

Checkout some more details on the official website. Do make a call to enquire the timings before you make the trip there, as the timings keep changing. (another tip: Don't bank on the automated timings on the call, please speak to the operator to get the real timings).

Right now it seems to be 8am to 8pm on weekdays (Sunday to Thursday) and 4pm to 8pm on weekends (Friday and Saturday).

We really hope these snaps inspire you to make a visit with your little ones, if you are in UAE.

The building has no entrance boards :(. There is a brown road sign once you reach the place though. I really wish there was more advertising and bill boards for places like this.

A really cool way to see things up close. Salt, Velcro, snakeskin etc.

Simple working model of the lungs. 

Unlimited excitement for my daughter with the plasma globe and static electricity.

Check out the workings of a hot air balloon up close.

Okay, now look close..that is my daughter's head on a tray!! Magic or illusion? We had so much fun goofing around here. 

Some creepy and crawly exhibits. These are the local species.

A planetarium and some space-based exhibits.

The Bubble show.

A make-believe play space for ages 0-4. 

So this was a fully equipped play-kitchen I totally envied. I was served lunch here fully cooked and served by my daughter :)

There's so much more in this place. It would spoil the fun with too many photos. So I stop here :)

If you are wondering for other KID-FRIENDLY  places to visit in SHARJAH without a dent to your budget , check these out too.

SHARJAH AQUARIUM

SHARJAH DISCOVERY CENTRE

SHARJAH SCIENCE MUSEUM

SHARJAH MARITIME MUSEUM

SHARJAH CHILDREN'S READING FESTIVAL

SHARJAH BOOK FAIR

SHARJAH NATIONAL PARK

Meanwhile we will keep exploring and unearthing wonderful places in this city of SHARJAH , especially the KID-WORTHY ones.

FARZ