Liwa Adventure on 29th & 30th Nov. 2013.

The Season is on again….and the 3 day camping trip to Wahiba Sands has just increased the appetite for longer camping trips.
The best way to welcome the onset of the off Roading season will be obviously with a visit to that mother of all deserts the Rub Al Khaali…meaning The Empty Quarter…in plain English!!!
The National Day Holiday’s long weekend is the perfect opportunity to go and say Hello to the Majestic Sands & Dunes of Liwa, though some people may have a working day on Sunday the 1st of December…most of us could look forward to a 4 day holiday starting on 29th Nov. with the weekend and going upto 2nd Dec. on the National Day.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfFR_ac1WdA[/media]
Here is a very nice video compilation of visit to Liwa in late 2010, very kindly contributed by Mr. Silvester Petras.

The Rub’ al Khali (Arabic: الربع الخالي‎) or Empty Quarter is one of the largest sand deserts in the world, encompassing most of the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula, including southern Saudi Arabia, and areas of Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The desert covers some 650,000 square kilometres , Liwa Oasis is about 100 km south of the Arabian Gulf coast and 150 km SSW of the city of Abu Dhabi, on the northern edge of Rub’ al Khali desert and stretches about 100 km east-west, along an arch curved to the north.

The geographic and economic center of the oasis is Mizair’a, where the highway from Abu Dhabi enters the oasis and then divides to the east (65 km to the easternmost village, Mahdar Bin `Usayyan) and west (45 km to the westernmost village, `Aradah).

The villages of Liwa Oasis are the southernmost settlements of Abu Dhabi and of the United Arab Emirates. The southern border of Abu Dhabi with Saudi Arabia, which runs at a distance between 16 and 35 km to the Oasis, is a straight line in the Rub al Khali desert, which is largely uninhabited.

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Please click on the thumbnail to view the full sized image.

Day and date : Friday, the 29th of November 2013- Saturday, the 30th of November 2013.
Drive Type : Open to all members, Families are specially encouraged to join as it will be a nice picturesque adventure.
Meeting Point : Emarat Jebel Ali on Dubai Abu Dhabi Highway.
Meeting Time : 7:25 am
Drive Start: 7.30 am
Drive Terrain: Beautiful Picturesque Terrain of Rub Al Khali.
Duration: We will have a longish tarmac drive that will take us from the meeting point to the desert entrance point, we will then have a long desert drive till sunset, we will then camp & make merry & depart in the morning for another day in the sands and upon completion of the desert section we will inflate the tyres & head back home to arrive in Dubai / Sharjah by late evening.

Checklist:-
a) Ensure your 4 x 4 vehicle is in perfect condition and with enough fuel.
b) Compatible Radio.
c) Carry all necessary offroad gears, in good condition.
d) Carry enough Food/ water / refreshments / re-hydration drinks for self & co-passenger(s).

Please read the following and register for the drive:-
Equipments that one needs to carry for offroading
Rules Of The Trip
Dubai Offroaders – Disclaimer

This is a family Outing & all Dubai Offroaders members are welcome to Join.
Please register your intent to participate in the drive here.
Please make sure that your vehicle is fully prepared for an expedition type drive with complete recovery kit etc. and that it is fully serviceable with recovery points front & aft.
We will be camping overnight in the desert & while the day will be hot & sunny, the night temperature is expected to be chilly, so please be prepared with complete camping & warm gear as well as sufficient food & drinks for the full day’s drive as we WILL NOT encounter any place to replenish supplies on the way, once we enter the desert.
The total off Road drive section on the two day drive is expected to be about 120kms.+ but we will be able to access provisions & Petrol on the morning of the 2nd day prior to the beginning of the Drive.
You may also carry BBQ Equipment & food if you want to cook the food at the evening camp.
Please carry at least 2 bundles of wood per Car for the Overnight Camp bonfire.
This will be an excellent opportunity for photography enthusiasts to take some unbelievably beautiful natural sandscapes…so keep your cameras ready…too!!!!