Abu Dhabi Off The Beaten Path Tips by zuyao

Dalma Jetty

Dalma Jetty is located at Jebel Dhanna area, near Ruwais. This is where you can catch a boat to Dalma Island. The area around the Dalma Jetty is a kind of bay with a beautiful sea view. You can spend a quiet evening fishing here. The place is peaceful and calm.

Not sure what is there on Dalma Island itself. According to Wikipedia, Dalma is an island approximately 20 miles (32 km) off the coast of Abu Dhabi. The population consists of about 10 thousand inhabitants, most of whom are Iranian Arabs and Qatari who have been granted United Arab Emirates (UAE) nationality. The island has many private farms for the ruling family of Abu Dhabi.

I also found a short description on the web: "Delma Island does not look like a desert strip. Rather, it is as if a giant farm has been torn out of a fertile European country and transferred to Abu Dhabi. Visitors to the island are surprised to see cabbage, cauliflower, onion, cucumber, tomato, melon, pepper, parsley, banana and mango growing here. They are even more surprised to see such trees that are alien to the area as apple, pear, strawberry, fig, almond, grape, orange, lemon, olive, kiwi and cedar. "

Website: http://www.dalmaisland.com

Al Ruwais

Ruwais is basically an oil town supplying the wealth of Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) built a nice housing complex with basic amenities like shopping arcade, hospital and market. Just in case you have to be around this area, at least you know where you can get your basic provisions.

Otherwise, there's absolutely nothing of interest in this small and isolated town. Bus services are available connecting Ruwais to Abu Dhabi and nearby town of Gayathi. You can also take a mini-bus (very irregular and unreliable) to the Danat Resort or Dalma Jetty. There's hardly any taxis here but I guess you could always radio one if required.

Sir Bani Yas

View of Sir Bani Yas Island from the mainland. Still haven't figured out how to get there yet. Sir Bani Yas is supposed to be a nature/ wildlife sanctuary. But apparently it has been closed to the public for now. This pic is taken near a desalination plant in Shuweihat.