Overnight Camping at Jebel Jais

Who wouldn’t love public holidays? I actually have the list of the Holidays for the entire year with the things I want to do.  However, don’t let your excitement eat you up, just what happened to our overnight camping trip in Jebel Jais.

Jebel Jais (Map) is a rocky mountain located in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah and the tallest peak in the UAE.

It was a quite sunny Thursday afternoon and the UAE was  observing the Arafat Day. We left Dubai at 4 pm in a sedan packed with our camping equipments. There’s no traffic not until we enter the Sharjah Emirate and everything went slow. We candidly made fun of all the cars that we might all end up on the same place and indeed we were right. 

Parts of the main road of Sharjah and RAK were under construction and cars were everywhere trying to overtake which caused a lot of collision made the traffic horrible. We reached the base of the mountain at 6 pm -  It was like a parade of cars. While driving towards the peak, we noticed that people already patched their tents on the base of the mountain which alarmed us - meaning the peak is already full but still we proceed. 

The winding road was perfectly made for the adventurous adding  the astonishing rock formations and the breathtaking views of the mountain as the sun set which gave more life and color to the sky  - I felt like we teleport to Mars. 

Halfway through, cars were all parked on both sides of the road and campers just settle on every space available specially on the View Deck. Music were so loud and people started to dance on the street which made it so difficult to proceed. Though Police were visible, it was so hard for them to control the crowd.  The road heading to the actual peak was blocked from the Main Observation Deck so we decided to look for a place to camp but it was hopeless. People started to fight for a parking space. I went out of the car to look for a space since we cannot move. I luckily found one and waited for  our car to drive in.  We camped adjacent to the car beside the road. It was a very rough, hard and rocky site but we don't have a choice so we settled and patched our tent. 

Jebel Jais View Deck has food trucks and portable toilets with running water. My friend insisted to do some barbecues - camping is not complete without fires and barbecues, he said.  We managed to do it but it took roughly an hour for we had difficulty making fire. Good thing we have some cooked food ready. With few drinks, we called it a day and hit the sack. I was wearing a pull over and still awaken by the cold temperature from time to time. 3 am when we were awaken by a very loud music. We checked what was going on and saw people dancing again in the middle of the road - seems like Bollywood was transferred to Jebel Jais right there and then. 

We woke up at 5 am to catch the sunrise. People were starting to leave since its going to be hot if the sun is up already. We went for a short hike to watch the sun rises and to capture the amazing  view rising right in front of our naked eyes. We waited until majority of the cars left then we packed up. The place become so quite as the people slowly leave the peak however the mountain was left literally full of trash from top to bottom.  We occasionally stop to take pictures and then head to Emirate of  Fujairah for a road trip and for a quick dip on Fujairah's lovely cost. 

Filipino Passport Holder Schengen Visa Application via Czech Republic in Dubai

I hate applying for a Visa - not because I am lazy processing requirements but I am scared I might be denied. Paranoid? Nah, I think its just normal specially if you are an expat from a third world country, you know what I mean. (I've been held for questioning in an immigration office twice on 2 different occasions so I think I have a valid reason to be paranoid.) 

I took the privilege of my country being an ASEAN Member then availed the VOA to the countries I am qualified but pity my passport only has a handful of countries to visit. 

So there, to cut the story short, I booked a multi city flight arriving Budapest, Hungary and departing Prague, Czech Republic via Sky Scanner. Yes, I know its risky but I booked my flights  first since its cheaper to book  ahead. 

Tip: You can apply for a Schengen Visa thru your country of entry or from the country where you will stay the most. 

Embassies in the United Arab Emirates are located in Abu Dhabi though some has their respective consulates in Dubai however, Schengen Countries direct all short term visa applicants to a service provider which is  VFS Global http://www.vfsglobal.com/

The good thing about service provider is that you don't need to travel all the way to Abu Dhabi for the application and no need to Schedule for an Appointment, just simply walk in to VFS Global located at Wafi Mall in Oud Metha, Dubai from 09:00 till 15:00 working days however, you need to pay extra AED 109.00 for the service fee on top of the AED 261.00 Visa Fee. 

Tip: Payments must be in CASH 

The website has everything if you have patient enough to browse and follow the links but here are the important ones -  Visa Fees, Documents Required and Application Form  but for quick answer, give their hotline a ring. 

Before dropping your application, make sure that you fully accomplished all the necessary documents. 

How did my process my requirements?

Between Hungary and Czech Republic, Czech has the feasible requirements. I stated the countries I am covering  and the dates of my travels on my NOC Letter. The cheapest travel insurance I found over the web that fits the criteria was with AXA Insurance. My bank details, I personally went to the bank and requested for the statements, you can also request for it over the phone but it will take 3 days to be delivered, Bank Statement cost AED 25.00. It is not true that you need to have AED 5K on your account for the application, as long as you have a salary coming in every month, you will be fine. I booked  my Free Cancellation and No Payment Required Hostel Reservations thru Booking.com. and for the train and bus tickets, I searched thru GoEuro.com. Train Tickets are expensive so most of the transportation I booked was with buses. I thoroughly checked and compared the prices and its really better to book ahead and that's what I did. Since I am aiming for a Multiple Entry, I was advised to attached a Letter of Application with my detailed travel plan including my Tour Reservations. 

How was my application experience?

So, I have all my requirements ready. I went to drop it as early as possible since VFS caters to all  Short Term Schengen Visa Countries. Expect that security will be tight. Fall in line at the reception, they will ask for the country you are going to apply for the visa and the purpose then they will give you a number that also indicates the Zone you need to proceed. When my number was called, I informed the lady that scanned my requirements that I am applying for a Multiple Visa and show her my Letter of Application but she said that its not a guarantee. Well. I paid a total of AED 418.00 including the Courier Fee and the SMS Fee. I was told that it will take 2 weeks for the Visa to be released. After that, I proceed to the Biometric Data Collection. It was just a quick and hassle free application. I then received an SMS that my application has been received and the next day a message saying that its been under process at the Abu Dhabi Embassy. However, those are the only messages I received from the SMS Service. I tried checking my application thru the website's track my application but no updates. Excalty after 10 days from the day it was processed in Abu Dhabi, a parcel came to the office with my passport - I was so excited and tense at the same time - I opened my passport and saw a Schengen Visa pasted on its page however I was only given a single entry and strictly with the days of my travel. That was disappointing, I even attached my next trip's ticket after this one but still, they didn't allow it, however, its still a Schengen Visa and I got my first one. It an accomplishment. 

Ready for the your application? Just follow the requirements and you will be fine. Good luck! 

Hatta Day Trip

If you’re up for an awesome road trip adventure for a day in the UAE, then Hatta is one of the best place to visit. Hatta is an inland enclave which is 115 KM from Dubai relatively high in the Hajar Mountains bordering Oman .

Important: The closest exit from Dubai is the Al Madam-Hatta Diversion E44 however the Exit is only exclusive to UAE Locals and Omanis.

Expat Route to Hatta: Turn left to the Al Madam roundabout and get onto the E55 heading to Al Malaiha and turn to Sharjah - Kalba Road then right turn to Hatta onto E44.  

It was the Islamic New Year when we head to Hatta leaving Dubai at 0730 and took the E44 Route relying our lives to Google Maps ( MapHere ) but when we reached the border, we were instructed to turn back and take the Sharjah/Kalba Road instead which took us an additional hour to get to Hatta but it was all worth it. UAE Roads are one of the finest I've ever seen so far. My eyes were filled with the picturesque landscapes of the Rocky Mountains, fine cunning desert and camels along the way.

After 2 and a half hours of driving with few stops for photo ops, we reached our first destination - the Hatta Dam. Yes, it is man-made but it’s a master piece. The artificial lake is perfectly tailored filled with stunning turquoise water surrounded by rocky bare mountains. Be ready for a steep drive to reach the view point. There are limited parking areas and there's no toilets available. Dubai Police are visible within the area, just follow the rules and regulations and you will be fine.

Hatta Mountain Conservation Area 

Apart from sight seeing and picnic,  Kayak and Pedal Boat Rentals are also available but if you are not up for it or simply scared you'll get roasted, you can still stay and sit for free while admiring the amazing view. (Another Dam is under construction which is  5 minutes away). Visit www.hattakayak.com for more info. 

View Deck

Hatta Kayak Entrance 

Next stop - Hatta Heritage Village. With just 5 minutes drive from Hatta Dam is the Heritage Village. Travel back in time and know more about the culture and discover how the Emirati Village was like centuries ago. Entrance is Free. To know more, visit www.dubaiculture.gov.ae

Hatta Fort

Hill Park Entrance

Third Stop was the Hatta Hill Park - its 5 minutes drive from Hatta Heritage Village and is a popular spot for picnics and barbeques. Entrance is Fee. If you don't have food, just like us, there's a grocery store beside the mosque after the roundabout going to the Hill Park, you can stop to shop then go. Parking Area shouldn't be a problem - there's a lot of spaces available. Though it was quite  tough going up the hill but the green scenery from the cottages with the cool breeze was very rewarding. The cottages has a barbeque area and trash bins. The area was very relaxing but be careful with the bees and other instincts flying and crawling around that may sting anytime. 

We then decided to head to Hatta Pool, we're not actually prepared for it and as per my research it was already in the territory of Oman, but then we still tried to go since its just 15 minutes drive from Hill Park. When we reached the border, we were advised that we can't cross ( perhaps if we have a visa) so the officer suggested some places that we can go and gave instructions using our maps. We were thinking of Al Ain, Abu Dhabi but since we can't cross the E44 border, we then decided to drive to Kalba, Fujairah via Rugaylat Road/ E99. It was a 51.5 km awesome drive with breathtaking views on an unbelievable road. With the Kalba Flag Pole as our destination, which is beside a corniche, we immediately took a rest - literally just lay on the grass and sleep. The Kalba Corniche is so clean and has well maintained rest rooms. Too bad we were not ready for some picnic but the nap on the grass was enough. We wander over Kalba's Beaches before hitting the road again back to Dubai and stopped for some quick affordable bites on a resto along the road. 

Rugaylat Road/ E99

Kalba Beach, Fujairah

So, thinking of hitting the road? then go drive to Hatta for an awesome road trip.