UAE Area Guide, Part 7 Of 8 - Sharjah By John Hill At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Sharjah is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (the UAE). Sharjah offers many activities and places of interest for visitors to experience, from world class shopping and dining to beautiful beaches and world class diving. The pristine marine environment, parks and beaches make this emirate ideal for eco tourism. Sharjah's east coast has long been considered to have the most beautiful scenery of the whole of the UAE, and has been a popular holiday destination for locals for many years.

Sharjah city like many of the cities of the UAE is undergoing rapid development, and has developed into a wondrous shopping and dining centre. Shopping in Sharjah varies from ultra modern shopping malls and boutiques where you can find all manner of designer goods and modern appliances and electrical goods through to traditional souqs where traditional arts and crafts can be purchased. One of the most famous souqs in Sharjah is the Sharjah Gold Centre; here you can purchase all sorts of gold and precious stone handmade jewellery, as well as watches and gold coins. Dining in Sharjah offers a wide variety of traditional Arabian or Western cuisine served at a wide array of hotels, restaurants and cafes. It is not difficult to find food to suit every taste and budget in Sharjah.

Beaches and the marine environment offer a great deal for visitors to the emirate of Sharjah, wether your choice is to simply have a lazy vacation and lie on the beach or take advantage of the marine environment which is rich in rare animal life. The waters off Sharjah are rich in dugongs, whales and dolphins, turtles and coral reefs. This abundance of marine life has lead to Sharjah becoming famous for its diving possibilities (there are also several wrecks in the area for divers to explore.) There are several businesses and organisations in Sharjah especially on the east coast that not only run and organise dive tours but that also teach visitors to dive.

Sharjah has a large selection of parks, national parks and gardens. The Desert park is home to a special breeding establishment that has been set up to breed endangered local species such as the Arabian Leopard, Caracal, Wolf, Cheetah, Ibex, Oryx, Gazelles and Wild Cats among other species. The Sharjah National park incorporates a cycle path and bicycles of all sizes are available for hire so that the entire family can experience all that the park has to offer. The parks throughout Sharjah are all family friendly with children's playgrounds and a large emphasis on family activities.

The deserts of Sharjah are a favourite location for four wheel drive enthusiasts especially in the winter months. It is possible to book both day tours and weekend four wheel drive tours through the hotels and other tourist locations. Visitors are also permitted to visit the area to drive themselves but everyone is requested to keep to the marked tracks to avoid unnecessary damage to the sensitive dune environment.

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