In travel influencer parlance, if you take a flight from India, land at the Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, walk out of the airport, take a left, sit in a car and drive along the desert-meets-highway roads for close to three hours, then you will arrive at Liwa Oasis. A tourist hub known for its stunning, vast desert landscapes, historical significance as the ancestral home of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family and boasting a winning blend of thrilling desert adventures (like dune bashing at Moreeb Dune) and cultural experiences (Bedouin life, date farms, forts), Liwa offers a tranquil escape from city life, with opportunities for relaxation in luxury resorts or action-packed days at adventurous safaris.
SAVOUR
t2 took a trip to Liwa during the time the otherwise laidback region springs to life and becomes its busiest — the Liwa International Festival. The latest edition of the sport-meets-heritage-meets-family fun fest took place between the second week of December and the first week of January. It kicked off with a spectacular light-and-sound show on the undulating dunes, capped off by an eye-popping display of fireworks. That was accompanied by the whirr of engines that rent the desert air, with the winter event featuring adrenaline-fuelled motorsports on the 300-metre Moreeb Dune, including hill climbing and drag racing. The festival highlights included nightly fireworks, live concerts, cultural activities and diverse dining options, including a flavour of Emirati cuisine.
It was a treat to watch adventure junkies from all around the world show off their skills on the slopes of the picturesque Al Dhafra region. The main attraction was the Moreeb Dune Championship, featuring intense car and bike hill climbing, freestyle drifting, drag racing, and Utility Terrain Vehicle challenges.
Hot air balloon rides, drone shows, the Classic Car Museum (that featured rare vehicles, in conjunction with Emirates National Auto Museum, housing 3,000-plus vehicles of Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan) and the Extreme Mud Fest, that brought in intense 4x4 off-road racing, mud bogging, and high-adrenaline, Canadian-style mud culture to the Abu Dhabi desert, were the popular draws of the festival.
For those looking for a family day (or night out), it didn’t get better than Liwa Village. Wearing a carnival atmosphere, including a giant Ferris wheel, this was a lively hub that one could spend hours at. It featured carnival rides, water karting, pony rides and ziplines. At Liwa Village, after finding, losing and finally finding my way through a Squid Game-themed labyrinth, I made my way to the Smash Room. Designed for thrill-seekers, this experience offered a safe, designated space to break items for stress relief. Boy did I have fun doing something so juvenile... and yet, very, very therapeutic.
SEE
Among Liwa’s all-year-round attractions are its forts. Liwa houses several historic forts built for defense and protection of local tribes and date palm groves. Quite a number of them have been restored, with t2 taking out half a day to visit Tower of Moughab, a rehabilitated watchtower built with rough stone rubble quarried from the nearby bedrock. As the harsh winter sun beat down on me, I took in the simple yet sublime architecture of the fort, which transforms into a cosy dine den by the evening but retains its historical significance.
Adventure sport on the dunes is a highlight of the Liwa International Festival, (right) Liwa Village is a fun family zone with carnival-like atmosphere
A longish drive away from Moughab is the more sprawling al-Meel Fort. Also known as Nimail, it was the site of an earlier fort built to protect the mahadhar of Shah and its related palm groves, one of the most important settlements in the eastern part of the Liwa crescent. The original building no longer survives and what you get to experience now is a structure rebuilt in the 1980s.
Pro tip: If you plan on visiting the fort, check beforehand if it is open. Being in a secluded section of an already secluded region means that it is not always accessible to the public. We learnt it the hard way.
STAY
A luxe oasis in the middle of the desert, Aldhafra resort is a five-star retreat that ensures that you take in the best that Liwa has to offer, without stepping out of the hotel. Besides indulging in the regular luxury offerings that this breathtakingly beautiful hotel has to offer — floating in the pool while taking in the stunning desert views could be a daylong activity — one is spoilt for choice with the number of activities that offer a slice of Liwa life. These include camel rides, a twisty-turny drive on the sand dunes and sandboarding. For the less adventurous, there is sand art, pottery-making and much more.
Another scenic stay that we spent a couple of nights at was Bab Al Nojoum Bateen Liwa Resort. Each of the cottages in this resort has an infinity pool that opens out to the vast expanse of the desert. If you are looking for a few nights to switch off from the world and take in some luxurious me-time, this one is for you.
The writer was in Liwa on the invitation of the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi