As we pass through January we really do get the best of weather in the UAE; rain, wind and the photographers delight…….clouds! As a result we decided to get away from it all and visit Kalba for a stay at the delightful Kingfisher Resort.
Now Kalba is a small town located on the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates and forms part of the Emirate of Sharjah. It is pretty much undeveloped, although the local authorities have built a wonderful corniche with an eye to keeping things natural, rather than the normal blue glass hotels that we see in tourist resorts around the world. Perhaps that is why it is still such an undiscovered gem.
Flanked by an area of natural mangroves, rich in wildlife, which has been designated as a nature reserve, we were also there to hopefully see turtles and also experience that rugged, remote feeling, that only the east cost of the UAE can offer.
To get to the resort you park at the corniche and a small boat comes to collect you at a jetty. This is all part of the experience.
After the short journey we were whisked off to the main building and reception where we received a very warm welcome, before being taken to our 3 bedroom villa.
Now Mrs. C had sold this break to me on the basis that, accompanied by Seth, Claire and the boys, we would be sharing a luxurious 3-bed villa on the beach. As we approached our accommodation it looked remarkably like a large tent! Knowing Mrs. C’s views about camping, which are unprintable in a family friendly blog, I was sure that I was mistaken. Well they were tents of sorts, but very luxurious tents which were beautifully fitted out, including showers, flushing toilet and the most sumptuous and comfortable bed. They were rather what you would expect if you went on a super luxurious safari in Kenya, except that you did not not need armed guards to keep you safe from man-eating predators!
Then we walked out of our “villa” and on to the beach and it became apparent why we had booked our stay at the Kingfisher Resort. Unspoilt, no people or tourists, just as nature intended.
Our first job was to do what we always do at 3.30 pm….make a cup of tea. The boys also put some candles on a cake that Mrs. C had baked for Claire as we were celebrating her being another year younger. As always the boys tucked in with great gusto and fair to say it was delicious. Great Effort Mrs. C.
After our short repast we made our way to the Turtle Sanctuary and Mangrove Reserve. A chance for the boys to see some wildlife and for me to exercise the shutter finger with the Leica Type 246 and the super wonderful 50mm Apo Summicron. A great afternoon was had by all and here are a few images to record our visit although unfortunately no turtles. Apparently at this time of year they reside somewhere close to Oman!
What a great day first day and after a slap up dinner in the main restaurant (a limited menu but what they served-up was delicious), we retired for the evening. As I laid in our villa the silence was deafening, save for the roar of the sea in the distance. That was the last thing I remember until 6.30 a.m. the next morning, when a young Atticus was climbing on the bed saying ”come on Uncle Chunkle, we are going to see the sunrise”. Well at this point I must digress to explain that the term “Uncle Chunkle” is of course due to my athletic and muscular build…….not!
Anyways back to the point and still in my pyjamas, I grabbed my SL2 with my new 90mm Apo summicron SL lens (newly acquired and my only Leica auto-focus lens) and Mrs. C and I walked out to capture the sunrise. As all landscape photographers will testify you have to be lucky and in this case we weren’t; we got about 15 seconds of sunrise before the clouds obscured everything.
No matter, we had a deserted beach to ourselves, the wind was in our hair and despite the light rain, the boys were having a ball. A few images of “surfer boys” having a blast and some views of why this is one of the best places in the UAE for getting away from it all. Also my favourite model, young Raif, allowed me to do some testing with my new lens.
What a relaxing break. What struck me most was that there was so much to do that didn’t involve iPads or mobile phones and I didn’t watch the T.V. once. Above all, the best part was spending quality time, out in the fresh air, with the people we love.
You know the UAE is a wonderful place and really does offer everything, you just have to make the effort to find it. Take care everyone and looking forward to our next staycation to show you the delights of the UAE..