Road Trip! Al Rafisah dam on the Sharjah-Khor Fakkan road

The picturesque pit stop is nestled below the rugged Hajar mountains less than an hour from Sharjah

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  A view of the beautiful Al Rafisah Dam and rest area on Khor Fakkan road in Sharjah. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Fruit for sale on Khor Fakkan road in Sharjah. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Visitors enjoying a boat ride in the Al Rafisah Dam and rest area on Khor Fakkan road in Sharjah. Pawan Singh / The National

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  A pineapple-shaped structure on Khor Fakkan road in Sharjah. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Camels in the desert off of Khor Fakkan road in Sharjah. Pawan Singh / The National

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  The Al Rafisah Dam and rest area. Pawan Singh / The National

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  A boat ride in Al Rafisah Dam and rest area on Khor Fakkan road in Sharjah. Pawan Singh / The National

For the many people still choosing to stay away from busy places, a road trip to picturesque spots in the UAE is a perfect weekend activity, especially now that the weather is starting its descent into cooler temperatures.

The National's photographer Pawan Singh took a road trip to the Al Rafisah dam in Sharjah this week and captured the beautiful flora of the area.

The Al Rafisah dam. Pawan Singh / The National

The dam and rest stop sits off the Sharjah-Khor Fakkan highway just inland of Khor Fakkan's beach, north of the border between Fujairah and Sharjah.

The lake is made picturesque thanks to its position below the rugged Hajar mountains.

It was originally built in the 1980s but has a new rest area with a lakeside restaurant, a mosque, a play area, a supermarket and a kilometre-long walkway lined with palm trees.

Visitors can also take paddle boats out on the water.

Singh captured the natural beauty of the dam as well as moments along the new Sharjah-Khor Fakkan Road, which opened in 2018, cutting the drive time between Sharjah and Khor Fakkan in half (it was a 90 minute drive, but now it takes just 45 minutes).

The new rest stop at Al Rafisah Dam was built as part of the road project.