Wadi Shawka.

Elevation: 297m
Time: 3:15
Distance: 7,5 km loop
Cellular and data services: Unavailable most of the time

A watery valley.

A beautiful short hike along the wadi which happened to be quite wet during our visit and full of unexpected fauna for this region. Located about two hours drive from Dubai (although it took us longer as Google Maps, was guiding us through gravel roads, which was absolutely unnecessary) Easy to locate - the beginning point is Emirates adventure camp, where you can leave your car and start walking. You can either turn right in the beginning, to leave the cherry on the cake (water pools) for the end, or you can go straight there. We walked straight down the wadi, which was full of water in several places, one of them was uneasy to pass, some just required bypassing them via alternate walkarounds. There is not many option to get lost in the beginning as you follow the valley, just at the end it splits into several options.

Options to explore.

If you are short on time don’t miss turn to the right at the end, if ready to explore more, follow the valley and most probably you will find another turn right, or you will end up on the road you were driving earlier, follow it until you reach your car. The terrain is small here, so it’s quite safe for beginners to do their first exploratory hikes.