Cities and Towns in Middle East
Ajman is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. It's the smallest and one of the poorest - well, as poor as you get by being an emir in this part of the world. The capital of Ajman is to no surprise also called Ajman. Compared to Abu Dhabi and Dubai - yes, even Sharjah - Ajman is way behind in terms of... well, everything. Maybe that is the reason to drop by, even just for a quick peek, to see how the big boys might have looked like decades ago. However, developments are springing up and the waterfront is already taken by hotels and what-soon-will-become hotels. Since Ajman is only 10 km from Sharjah, you can easily do both in a day-trip from Dubai, even if you take public transport.
Dubai is probably what most people think of, when the United Arabic Emirates are mentioned. And true, it has propelled itself as the figurehead for the region and is where you find all the famous iconic sights like 7-star hotels, the world tallest building, giant malls for the super rich, and luxury beyond comprehensions - where else than Dubai is there a shopping festival. But that said, Dubai is more than expensive air-conditioned comfort and theme parks (though those are fun as well). There are interesting traditional souqs, cheap eateries, beautiful (free) city beaches and Dubai is a great base for further exploration into the other Emirates. So come to Dubai with an open mind and just indulge yourself in this wonderland of contrasts.
The seven emirates which form UAE are Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain - and then Sharjah. The capital of Sharjah is also called Sharjah and lies just a bit north of Dubai. Though it's a real city, it's nothing compare to decadent big brother Dubai in terms of impressive skyscrapers and posh malls. Sharjah is just an ordinary Arabic city, some might even say a bit boring. That said, changes are on their way. The corniche is having a facelift, a couple of the souqs have been polished up or even rebuild, and the heritage area, with traditional houses, is undergoing a total restoration. A very welcome transformation for Sharjah, which is considered to be the cultural capital of UAE. If the 'real Arab' is more what you are after, head to the animal and pet market. A great place to wander around (if you are not too fuss about animal rights) and you might even see a few falcons for sale.
It seems that most travellers to Yemen give the port city of Aden a miss. We're really not sure why. Sure it doesn't have the flash of San'a Old City, but who does? Aden has some of the best and most easily accessible beaches in the region (Elephant Bay), ancient cisterns which were a marvel of engineering (Tawila Tanks), a cool sea side fort (Seira fort) and even Zoroastrian ruins with amazing views over the town. All this placed in the dramatic setting of the belly of an extinct volcano. The best bit is most of the sights, sounds and excitement are all crammed in the crater making the city easy to negotiate on foot.
It is true that the architecture in Yemen can be quite stunning. Not to mention much of the geographic topography can be breathtaking as well. But when you manage to combine the two, it becomes otherworldly. The hilltop village of Kawkaban is like this. Only a short distance from the capital, San'a, Kawkaban could be done as a day trip, but then you will miss the sunrise and sunset that add further to the magic. Half of the town's buildings seem to teeter over the edge of the cliffs, fighting for amazing views over the valley floor below. To top it all off, the typical Yemeni hospitality make this place truly memorable.