Liwa on the edge of the Empty Quarter or Rub Al Khali, the world’s largest continuous expanse of sand, is an oasis area extending 180 km. It is a contrasting landscape of freshwater pools, Bedouin villages and date palm plantations right beside towering dunes. Liwa is also known for its towering sand dunes some 300 meter high with Moreeb hill being one of the best known. Two roads running through the area make it easier to get to interesting desert locations although they are still a couple of hundred kilometers apart. Located among the sand dunes of the Liwa Desert, Qasr al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara one of prominent luxury hotels Abu Dhabi offers a range of desert activities.
Although much of the landscape is challenging there is no better way to come into contact with the desert other than on foot. A guided walk will expose visitors to the beauty and the secret lives in the desert that is not possible to experience when driving through. Walking in a small group with an expert guide is the best way to see different desert landscapes, the changing colours of the Liwa and experience its vastness and silence. Lucky walkers may catch a glimpse of a gazelle or an Arabian Oryx and be introduced to the many small animals, birds and insects that have adapted to life in the extreme environment. While there is little biodiversity walkers will realize that the desert is not without its endemic plants. In addition to bushman grasses on dune slopes and a camel thorn tree or two, vegetation here comprise of a range of plants, even flowering plants that are seen mainly during the cooler months. The best times for desert walks are early in the mornings or late evenings when the setting sun casts a pink glow on the dunes. The desert is seen at its best during the cooler months of the year.
Thanuja Silva is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Auburn Silver. She has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
