Growing up, I was always fascinated by the stories and movies about outer space. Much of the hype of the Star Wars movies in the 1980s & 1990s about the story of aliens, humans, and robots co-existing in a galaxy far from beyond, as a child my imagination was always challenged on how nice it would be like if the stories were indeed true.
Having seen fragments of the films, I used to wonder how spectacular it would be to explore those sandy and rocky landscapes as if we are on Planet Tatooine, the home of the famous Luke Skywalker.
Although my inclination was not towards science, I grew up dreaming that one day I could come up-close-and-personal with these eerie & otherworldly surroundings.
After almost four decades, who would have thought that my seemingly ambitious desire to visit places with similar scenes depicted in sci-fi movies would have come true.
What’s more surprising is the fact that I had this amazing opportunity to explore these ethereal surroundings in an arid desert of Abu Dhabi.
Located at the outskirt of Abu Dhabi in Al Wathba region is one of the city’s attraction and treasure trove of natural wonders, the famous fossil dunes.
Having lived and worked in the United Arab Emirates since 2008, I never heard about the fossil dunes until recently when I was browsing an article in a local magazine that featured the amazing structures and formations that have thrived through centuries in this part of the capital.
A nature lover myself and someone who is enthralled about beautiful places, outstanding landmarks and unique venous, I immediately prodded my husband to drive me to this place.
True enough, you will never get enough of Al Wathba’s fossil dunes. It’s truly amazing, a surreal experience indeed.
Walking through the vast desert surrounded by various formations and structures of fossilized dunes, I could honestly say that the experience was so thrilling & exhilarating. I stopped myself from touching the fossil dunes but couldn’t stop clicking my phone cameras to get the best shots and selfies with these spectacular scenes.
Confronted by this nature’s beauty, it was like reliving a scene from the Star Wars movies. It was incredible, never had I thought I would be appreciating such breathtaking views and stunning sceneries.
Coming over to Al Wathba will take only about 40 minutes from the mainland of Abu Dhabi or approximately 70km south of the capital. It is near the Al Dhafra Military Air Base and Google map will help you get to the place.
The fossil dunes are just s are well-preserved, and the place is open for the public to come, camp, picnic and take wonderful photos and videos. To enjoy your visit, the ideal time to come here is in the cooler winter months from October to February.
Enchanted by the natural beauty of the sceneries here and loving every shape, formations, size, and patterns of the fossil dunes carved through time by natural elements like winds, calcium carbonate and sands, my visit didn’t stop there.
In 2020, I brought my 2-year-old son and my friends so they too could have a captivating experience that they will relish in their lifetime.
In the eyes of the child, you can see the thrill in his eyes, who at his tender age, could even appreciate what nature has in store for us.
Inculcating in his mind to appreciate nature, help preserve it is the best legacy we could ever leave to our offspring and the visit to fossil dunes serve as one of the best experiences ever.
Although, my son would still have yet to watch the Star War movies, but I know he would relate his Al Wathba experience in a unique yet personal way.
Nov 22, 2021
Image from Unsplash
Its nice for you to share that we actually have some places like this on earth that's almost look like of Mar's surface.