Hiking is not something that we did much in the past and we definitely did not expect the kids to love it. We used to do a short hike in the past when we visited other countries such as Lake District in UK but the kids was not very excited and would always wanted to go back to our hotel/accommodation rather than doing a couple of hours of hiking.
We did our first proper hike in November 2020 with a couple of friends and their family. The weather is still warm in the daytime in November so we decided to leave Dubai early and head to Al Rabi in Khorfakkan which is an hour and a half away. We met up at McDonalds to grab some breakfast to eat on our way there.
To reach the parking spot for the hike, just search Al Rabi Hiking Trail or Al Rabi Tower on google map. When you reach there, park at the long term parking area which is below the Al Rabi tower. You might risk getting a fine if you park at the short term parking area and go for a full hike. Short term parking are reserved for those who wanted to visit Al Rabi Tower.
The hardest part (IMHO) is actually climbing the steep slope to go up to the Al Rabi Tower from the long term parking area. It definitely takes up lots of our energy and strength.
TIPS: There are no washroom available at Al Rabi Tower so do visit nearby petrol station before heading for the hike. There are also no stalls selling food so do bring your own food and water. I would recommend getting 1L of water per adult if you plan to do the full hike which is about 7.5km, around 3.5 hours hike with rest.
The trail is well marked with many good spot for photo taking. It overlooks the city and port so you get both city and sea view. The pros of this trail is that it is not a loop so you could hike until a point that you are comfortable with and then double back on the same trail. It is well marked so it is good for beginner and it is not easy to get lost in this well marked trail.
However, it gets quite crowded over the weekend as it is very easy to reach plus it has a great view and easy to moderate trail. Definitely worth a try if you wanted to try hiking for the first time.
