Wadi Bih Good

I had been hankering to take the drive up to Wadi Bid for sometime - but for one reason or another (usually as I was traveling) I missed a number of the trips. The opportunity came up last weekend to go on an office outing I was quick to sign up.

The drive toward Dibba and though Ras Al Khaima up towards the entry point for Wadi Bih is pleasant. I always get a great feeling of calm once I leave the hustle and bustle of Dubai.

We had a convoy of seven cars with almost as many children along for the ride. This made it a very family oriented day which was a great diversion from the usual madness that is dune driving. It was also nice to see a fellow Hummer drive come along:




As the trail through the Wadi was in really good shape - despite being rather dusty - Kinda was keen to pilot the Hummer and she did an excellent job:




The UAE Off-Road explorer describes Wadi Bih as "The UAE's answer to the Grand Canyon". I have to agree with that assessment. The vistas were spectacular and easily as good as the North Rim vistas in the Grand Canyon:





Here is the view from well over 1000m above sea level:




Just after we got to the peak - we spotted a nice diversion off the trail with a shaded area which proved to be an excellent spot to break for a picnic and some relaxation. I was amazed at how well prepared some people are - Gary appeared to not only pull his lounge and dining room from out of his Tahoe but his kitchen as well:



It was a really fun day spent in great company and I want to thank Carol for doing a great job organizing everything and using her charm at the various border crossings. I will certainly be going back, as to witness such scenery only a couple of hours out of Dubai is too good an opportunity to miss. However, I had to get the Hummer a good valet after as it was really dusty on the trail:




The day was tinged with a little bit of sadness as I realized it would probably be the last time I would get to spend time with my colleague John Foster in Dubai. I have been working on and off with John for over five years and had the pleasure of working with him directly in Dubai for the last eight months. He is an old hand in the region and was a real mentor to me - showing me patience, knowledge and appreciation of the local culture and practices, without which I am sure I would not have gotten half as much out of my current position. I wish him well as he starts a new challenge in Singapore. Here is a nice photo of John and his daughter Jasmine having fun on our Wadi Bih trip.