9 minute read
Top reasons to visit
Welcome
Welcome to Ajman and to the first ever dedicated sales training guide for this stunning emirate.
It might be the smallest emirate in the UAE, but Ajman more than makes up for its size with a world-class line-up of exciting activities; unique, untamed landscapes; and luxurious resorts o ering access to the pristine white sand beaches made by Mother Nature.
It’s just a short taxi ride away from Dubai, but this quiet, natural and refined emirate is a world away!
Ian Scott UK & Ireland Representative Ajman Tourism Development
Contents
2 Top reasons to visit 4 Culture & Heritage 5 Nature & Wildlife 6 Outdoor Adventures 7 Where to Stay 8 Factfile
reasons to visit Ajman TOP 8
Natural beauty and authentic heritage are hallmarks of this Arabian oasis of calm. Here are some great reasons to book a trip to Ajman 2. A ordable hotels
Spreading out along the fine soft sands either side of Ajman Creek, Ajman’s clutch of luxury beach hotels are smaller, quieter and more aordable than some of its neighbouring emirates. Well-known fourand five-star brands such as Fairmont, Marriott, Oberoi (pictured), Radisson Blu, Ramada and Wyndham all have a presence in Ajman, most with their own slice of sandy beach and oering a range of board options from room-only to all-inclusive.
1. Ajman Stud
A passion of Ajman’s crown prince, Arabian horses are the oldest purebreds in the world, famed for their beauty and grace with distinctive high tails and long necks. Founded nearly 20 years ago, the crown prince’s private stables are home to some of the finest award-winning Arabian horses. Visitors can take a tour of Ajman Stud by requesting a royal invitation, which most hotel concierges in Ajman can arrange.
4. Al Zorah Golf Club
Carefully crafted by Nicklaus Design around the natural peninsula and green wetlands of Al Zorah, and run by the renowned luxury Troon Golf brand,
Ajman’s new par-72 Al Zorah Golf Club has put the emirate on the golfing map.
The 18-hole championship golf course’s manicured lawns, green fairways and dune-like bunkers are landscaped around the protected mangrove-lined lagoons of Al Zorah Nature Reserve. The course includes a large driving range, the very latest equipment and oers PGA pro golf tuition.
7. Al Zorah Nature Reserve
The vast green coastal forests of Al Zorah Nature Reserve are perhaps the most unexpected sight in the UAE.
Designated a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention, the protected mangroves and wetlands are a haven for wildlife, providing a sanctuary for more than 60 species of bird, including flocks of pink flamingo, egret and heron.
It also acts as a coastal nursery for countless marine creatures. Visitors can explore with guided kayaking tours through its lagoons and waterways.
3. Souq Saleh
One of the oldest markets in the UAE, laidback Souq Saleh is an atmospheric treasure trove stued with trinkets, textiles and other traditional items. Between its coralline floor, marble columns and barasti palm-frond covered roof, the traditional souq is a portal into the Arabia of the past, sheltering scores of aromatic and colourful shops specialising in embroidery, tailoring, and handmade leather goods. At its liveliest, when locals visit in the evening, prices are comparatively reasonable and haggling is the norm.
5. Natural beaches
Housed inside an 18th-century fort, Ajman Museum forms the centrepiece of the emirate’s heritage district, which is currently being restored. The museum gives an insight into this pocket of authentic Arabia.
Once home to the crown prince, it’s now the UAE’s largest heritage museum with a stellar collection of exhibits including centuriesold manuscripts, antique weaponry, and locally-excavated pottery dating back as far as 3,000BC. The courtyard showcases the ancient irrigation systems and wooden dhows the emirate was once famous for.
6. Ajman Museum
Blessed with pristine shores just as nature intended, Ajman is widely regarded as having the prettiest beaches in the UAE. In fact the tranquil enclave is fringed by almost a mile of soft natural sand, separated by the mouth of Ajman Creek.
Dubbed one of the UAE’s best beaches, Ajman Beach runs the length of the town centre and is popular for watersports such as windsurfing, jetskiing and kayaking.
A collection of smart resorts have their own sections of sand and often oer non-motorised watersports as part of the package.
8. Masfout mountains
The majestic Masfout mountains are part of the Hajar chain, which skims the northeastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. This hemmed-o enclave of Ajman can be reached via a cross-desert road trip that passes between rolling dunes before climbing into the foothills.
A cool retreat from the Arabian heat, the area is a rugged and remote outdoor playground, perfect for hikes, mountain bike rides and wadi adventures. On on a rocky precipice, the tiny tower-shaped Masfout Castle is an invigorating goal for trekkers.
Authentic Arabia CULTURE & HERITAGE
Discover a hidden gem packed with cultural treasures
A peaceful pocket of authentic Arabia , and o ering a fascinating concentration of attractions showcasing the region’s heritage, Ajman is emerging as the UAE’s least frenzied and most cultural emirate.
Dhow boats and pearls
Ajman is a great place to sample the real UAE, with Ajman Dhow Yard on Ajman Creek still building traditional wooden boats and oering a taster of the Arabian past. Visitors can take a dhow cruise on the creek from Al Zorah marina, or board an Arabian abra for a tour of the waterways and mangroves.
The fascinating Ajman Museum, housed inside an 18th-century turreted sand castle that’s stued with Arabian artefacts such as ancient weaponry, pottery and manuscripts, is perfect for a history and culture fix. In the courtyard models of dhows and thousand-year-old irrigation systems chart the rise of civilisation and industry on the Arabian Peninsula.
Once home to Ajman’s crown prince, the fort is now the impressive centrepiece of Ajman’s heritage district. The charming, slightly crumbling Arabian-style buildings that cluster around the castle walls are being restored and repurposed to house shops and cafes with a revamped central plaza and covered walkways leading to the waterfront corniche. As part of the project, Souq Saleh has also been extended to link up with the main square and form an extensive culture and leisure destination.
The recently-reopened Ajman Pearl Journey is an educational boat tour aboard an Arabian pearling dhow, taking visitors on a voyage through the rich history of pearl diving in the Arabian Gulf region, which was once a thriving industry on this stretch of coast.
Tours include traditional Arabian hospitality on board, a pearl diving demo and the chance to shuck some oysters in search of pearls. If visitors find one they get to keep it!
Souqs and stallions
Laid-back Souq Saleh shelters dozens of colourful and aromatic shops under its palm-frond covered roof, with the nearby Gold Souq specialising in all that glitters. Every morning the bustling fish market down by the creek oers a glimpse of a trade little-changed for centuries. In the heart of the city, the graceful white and gold Aamnah Bint Ahmad Al Ghurair Mosque is open to visitors who want to learn more about Islamic heritage.
Elsewhere in the emirate, the inland enclave of Masfout in the high Hajar has debuted a new local history museum.
But perhaps one of the most unique ways to experience traditional Arabian culture is by a tour of of the crown prince’s Arabian horse stables, Ajman Stud, which houses the prince’s very pretty pure-bred horses.
LOCAL TIP “Hotel concierges can contact us in advance for the crown prince’s permission to visit his stables, and to agree a time for me to show visitors around”
Where the wild things are NATURE & WILDLIFE
Coastal forests, golden beaches and mighty mountains – Ajman’s natural beauty is its biggest asset
From the a verdant coastal forests of Al Zorah to the natural sandy beaches fringing Ajman’s shore and up to the hefty Hajar mountains at Masfout, the UAE’s smallest emirate has much more than its fair share of natural marvels.
Add to that the nearby glittering sand dunes and rich wildlife of Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve and you have the best of Arabian nature in microcosm.
Gold and green
In fact, Ajman’s natural beauty and scenic wonders are its biggest assets – for example, its emerald mangrove forests are probably the most unexpected sight in the UAE.
An undisturbed ecosystem surrounding a natural peninsula, the protected creeks and tidal lagoons of the Al Zorah wetlands act as a nursery for marine species, sheltering juvenile fi sh and providing a sanctuary for more than 60 bird species including greater spotted eagles, egrets, and of course pink-plumed greater fl amingos.
Aside from its bounty of bird and marine life, Ajman’s natural shores of silken sand shelving into clear shallows are one of the UAE’s bestkept secrets.
The pale golden strand of Ajman Beach is often listed as the prettiest in the region, and as word spreads, the clutch of four-and-fi ve star beach hotels overlooking the sand are helping to transform the emirate into one of the UAE’s premier beach holiday destinations.
For mid-haul winter sun, Ajman o ers great value and is just a stone’s throw from Dubai International Airport, making it very accessible.
For the best of the Arabian Peninsula’s mountainous scenery, travellers can head out on the desert highway to Ajman’s elevated Masfout enclave, a section of the high Hajar mountains.
Hikers and bikers take aim at the tiny Masfout castle, teetering on the edge of a precipice with panoramic views of the region’s rugged ravines and picturesque peaks.
Hardy desert-dwellers such as reptiles, antelopes and desert larks can be spotted in Masfout, while a very lucky few visitors may glimpse the elusive Arabian leopard, which is said to roam the highlands. the highlights of neighbouring emirates, such as the rolling dunes of Dubai’s Desert Conservation Reserve. Here, visitors can take a safari in a fl eet of classic 1950s Land Cruisers to spot endemic wildlife such as antelopes, caracal cats, Arabian hares, vultures and sand foxes.
Alternatively, there’s the option to explore like a native on camel-back, visit a traditional Arabian falconry school, have dinner with Bedouins under the desert stars, or take a dawn hot air balloon ride over the desert.
LOCAL TIP
“To join our Mangrove Kayak Nature Tours, plan in advance as tour times can vary depending on the season” Elaine Keary, Head of Marketing, Quest for Adventure
