One of the UAE's most picturesque destinations is reopening for the cooler months. Hatta Resorts, which comprises a collection of mountainside cabins as well as the adventure attraction Wadi Hub, will welcome guests starting September 15.
Located by the stunning Hajar Mountains, the resort offers breathtaking views, trails and heritage experiences. Accommodation options span Damani Lodges, which are nature-led cabins with hilltop views, and glamping domes at Hatta Dome Park, some featuring private pools.
New this year is day access to a swimming pool, complete with sun loungers, where guests can unwind between rides and hikes. Caravans, the glamping facility on the resort's grounds, has now been certified dog-friendly, so guests can bring along their four-legged friends from this season.
Hatta Wadi Hub, which offers everything from downhill carting and zorbing to archery and wall climbing, is also hosting a series of endurance events in November during the Dubai Fitness Challenge. Obstacle challenges Spartan and Tough Mudder will be held on November 1 and 2 respectively, while Ultra Trail Dubai – a running event held on a nature route – is taking place from December 12 to 14.
Wadi Hub is also an important platform for SMEs, with more than 24 local entrepreneurs represented at the venue.
Visitors to Hatta can further enjoy the Dubai enclave's many scenic offerings, from kayaking on the dam and hiking across marked trails to imbibing local culture at the Heritage Village and camping under the night sky.
How to get to Hatta
The easiest way to travel to Hatta is by car; the enclave is 90 minutes from Dubai via the Sharjah-Kalba route along the E102 motorway. Those coming from Abu Dhabi should expect a two-and-a-half-hour drive.
Public transportation is also available as Dubai's Road and Transport Authority operates two active routes from the city centre to Hatta. The H02 bus journey begins at Dubai Mall and goes to the main bus station in Hatta. It operates from 7am to 7pm daily, at Dh25 per journey paid via Nol cards.
Within Hatta, the H204 hop-on-hop-off bus is available from 9am to 8pm daily. It stops at four landmarks in the area: Hatta Wadi Hub, Hatta Hill Park, Hatta Dam and Heritage Village, and costs Dh2 per stop.
If you go
- The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
- The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
- The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
NINE WINLESS GAMES
Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace (Oct 27, PL)
Liverpool 5-5 Arsenal (Oct 30, EFL)
Arsenal 1-1 Wolves (Nov 02, PL)
Vitoria Guimaraes 1-1 Arsenal (Nov 6, Europa)
Leicester 2-0 Arsenal (Nov 9, PL)
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton (Nov 23, PL)
Arsenal 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt (Nov 28, Europa)
Norwich 2-2 Arsenal (Dec 01, PL)
Arsenal 1-2 Brighton (Dec 05, PL)
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Cashew%0D%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202020%0D%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Ibtissam%20Ouassif%20and%20Ammar%20Afif%0D%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%0D%3Cbr%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%2410m%0D%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Mashreq%2C%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Blue%20Beetle
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Angel%20Manuel%20Soto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EXolo%20Mariduena%2C%20Adriana%20Barraza%2C%20Damian%20Alcazar%2C%20Raoul%20Max%20Trujillo%2C%20Susan%20Sarandon%2C%20George%20Lopez%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
