The country, especially Dubai, has grown a lot, and I’ve seen how it keeps changing. Something new is always coming up, and things are getting better. Infrastructure, public transportation, and city services are all top-notch. There is a lot of greenery, and seasonal flowers add color to the roads and area during the hot summer months. In summer Jebel Jais is the best place, the highest mountain in UAE, and the coolest place in the country. During the cooler months, the best places for family gatherings, barbecues, and picnics with friends are the clean beaches and large, well-kept parks.
The land looks very different when we go to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah, two smaller Emirates in the UAE. The drives up Jebel Hafeet Mountain in a car are the best mountain rides I’ve ever had. Since I learned about the Jebel Jais mountain road drive a few months ago, I’ve been eager to do it. As the weather got cooler, I was hoping to go, and in December, I was finally able to. The road just opened not too long ago, and there aren’t many tourist attractions along it yet, but you can still enjoy the long drive.
This drive was fun for me, and you might like it too if you like long drives and being in nature. We sometimes see mountain goats roaming around, some even at the very top of some mountains. The rough, wind-carved surface of the mountains was where the road went, giving it a beautiful, carved look. A word of warning: If you are driving in December, ensure you have the right winter clothes because the temperature drops at the top of the Jais Mountains in the evenings.
Trip to Jebel Jais by car
Depending on how busy the roads are, it takes a little more than an hour to drive from Sharjah to Ras Al Khaimah. As you drive toward Ras Al Khaimah, the road goes through a desert, and when you get to the emirate, you can see mountains in the background.
I’ve driven through other mountainous areas like Kalba and Fujairah, but this is the first time I’ve been to Jebel Jais. The Hajar mountain range, which borders Oman, includes Jais Mountain.
When we got to Ras Al Khaimah, we used the Google Maps app on our phones to find the road to the mountains. I did see signs that told us how to get to the Jais Mountains. It was a cloudy, windy day, and the sun played hide-and-seek in the late afternoon, which made for a beautiful view of the area. A nature lover couldn’t have asked for more.
The road to Jebel Jais is flat.
We ate our homemade packed lunch in the middle of a flat area surrounded by a mountain range. This land has toilets, a place to camp, and a grill. People in the UAE like to go outside or camping when it’s cooler because it’s a fun way to spend time. From November to February, long drives, barbecues, and picnics are some of the most popular things to do. I also went on a long drive and camped in the Hajar Mountain range in Musandam, Oman, during the Eid holiday in October a few years ago.
When going to the Jais mountains.
We kept driving uphill after we ate lunch and took a lot of pictures with the camera and selfies with my cell phone. Most drivers were careful, and the sun helped give us a beautiful view of the mountains in different colors. Even though I didn’t get to drive on this road, I was still able to enjoy the view and take pictures from the passenger seat of our SUV.
View of Jais Mountain from below
Still, we can’t get to the very top, but we can drive almost to it. There is room to park, set up camp, and look at the mountain from the top. We saw a lot of families sitting around bonfires, using their grills, and even setting up tents. Others crowded around the cafeteria, which was set up in a truck. It had everything a picnicker would need, even plates and glasses that could be thrown away. So, even if the picnic group didn’t have enough food or other necessities, the cafeteria guy seemed to have everything. Garbage trucks were busy picking up trash and making sure everything was clean. It’s sad to see so many people throw trash around and ruin the natural environment. I think it’s important that we all do our part and pick up trash when we visit such places to help protect the environment.
From the top, you can see the sea.
The sea could be seen with the naked eye, but the picture is not very clear. For this reason, I want to return to the place and wear my sneakers, which I forgot to bring because I hadn’t planned to go to the mountains. It could be painful if you miss a step and decide to climb a mountain top after parking your car. I saw many people hiking and climbing the smaller peaks of the mountains, which I couldn’t do because I was wearing flip-flops.
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Near the top of Jais Mountain is a cafeteria.
Remember that the road doesn’t have electric poles, so driving downhill in the dark in a zigzag pattern would be very dangerous. We got on the road before it got dark.
I read in the news that people were setting up tents at the top to spend the night. At the top, it would be very cold at night because temperatures drop to deficient levels in December and January.
I loved telling people about my long drive to the top of Jais Mountain. I hope the people who read this find it interesting and enjoy this drive any day as long as the weather is good.
