Camping in Wadi Asimah, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
What to Expect
We went camping over the September Eid holiday for (1) night in Wadi Asimah. Our adventure with friends started from Abu Dhabi, UAE. On the way, during the 3 hour drive, you will see scarce deserts with wild camels, to the rocky mountains with goats, sheep and donkeys. The temperature during September was still extremely hot. Wadi Asimah has an elevation of not more than 200m above sea level so you can expect it to be a tiny bit cooler than the city. When we arrived there around 4pm it was around 40 degrees Celsius (vs 45 degrees in the city) and got cooler as the time passed – was sitting at a perfect 30 degrees throughout the night with a small breeze. Our camping spot was in the shade so it did not feel too hot. We were able to take a small climb up the mountains to view the sunset. You can expect to see several cars pass by throughout the day – some of them being other campers, locals and farmers. Around the area is home to dozens of farms. Mostly agricultural and animal farms. The farmers and locals here are super friendly, we had one man who toured us around his farm and climbed up his date tree to give us some fresh hand picked dates.
Getting There
The road to Wadi Asimah from Abu Dhabi is pretty straightforward most of the way. There are dozens of ADNOC/other gas stations along the way for breaks and food. Half an hour from the camp site in RAK, there is a street of vendors called Friday Market. Here, we picked up some firewood and got some fresh coconuts and other fruits. Bargaining is essential here. This was opened on Friday and Saturday that we were there. The exact GPS coordinates of our camping spot is at 25.410502, 56.135380. There is a bumpy dirt path in which you will require a 4×4 vehicle or a mini SUV. Our group of 8 had a mini SUV and a sedan. The sedan was unable to get past the bumpy roads so we loaded up the SUV and some of us walked to the site that was 10-15 minutes from the parking spot. There were very few people at the time we went camping. Possibly because it was still the summer time. You can set up camp anywhere where there is a flat area to set up tents, but be sure to not go into fenced areas as they are often part of someone’s property/farm land.
What to Bring (1 nights supply)
- Tent (a 2 person tent can feasible fit 1, a 4 person tent is actually for 2 and a 6 person tent is actually for 4 people)
- Camping Chairs (1 per person)
- Coolers- to store food & ice
- Firewood (1 rack per person)
- Fire Supplies – paper, lighter fluid, lighter
- Food & Water – (1 kg of meat for 2 people, 2L+ per person) However, we did find drinking water taps nearby which locals use.
- Grill & Grill Supplies
- Sleeping Bags (in September, it was warm enough not to be in sleeping bags)
- Air Mattress or Padding (highly recommended as the camp site is mostly gravel and rocks)
- Cleaning Supplies – Toilet Paper, Garbage Bags, Hand Sanitizer, Wet Wipes (must drive you garbage back into the nearby city for disposal)
- Layers of clothing, afternoons are scorching hot but by dawn can be cold and dewy. Hiking shoes recommended.
As the weather now is starting to cool down, it’s perfect to make a small getaway trip to Wadi Asimah. Enjoy your time there.
