Al Ain is the Garden City of the UAE, an oasis town where date plantations are watered by falaj channels, ancient underground canals that have carried mountain water for more than three thousand years, and the shade of the palms is a relief after the desert glare. UNESCO inscribed the city's cultural sites in 2011, including the Bronze Age tombs at Hili, the oases and the sites at Bidaa Bint Saud, a stony ridge with traces of ancient settlement and rock art.
The ridge is part of the great spine of the Hajar foothills, a bare landscape of limestone and gravel with isolated hills rising from the plain. The nearest and most famous is Jebel Hafeet, which stands about 1,250 metres above sea level and looks down on the city. Archaeologists have found beehive tombs there that date back to around 3000 BC. The mountain also holds a hot spring, and the summit has views across the border into Oman. The Al Jahili Fort in town was built in the 1890s and houses a gallery about the explorer Wilfred Thesiger.
For motorcyclists, Jebel Hafeet is the draw. The road to the summit climbs about eleven kilometres through many hairpins, carved into the mountain with wide, smooth tarmac and good barriers, and it has become a favourite for riders in the Gulf. The corners are open and the surface is excellent, but the road can be busy on weekends, when cars and cyclists crowd the hairpins. Winds are strong near the top, and the air is noticeably cooler. Summer heat is intense, so ride early or in winter.
Practically, Al Ain has fuel stations, supermarkets and many cafes, and the old oasis is a pleasant place for a stroll. If you plan to cross into Oman at Al Buraimi, take your passport and vehicle papers and check the entry rules in advance, because insurance and customs requirements apply. Bring plenty of water and avoid the midday sun. A coffee under the palms, followed by a late-afternoon climb up the mountain, is a very fine way to spend a day.