Sharjah has presented itself to the world as the cultural capital of the UAE
A lot of people used to feel sorry for Sharjah. It was the Emirate that sat on the door step of Dubai; literally; and was always outshone by its more glamorous neighbour. It doesn't help that Sharjah has banned alcohol and Shisha cafes and that its generally more conservative values have always presented Shrajah as the least fun place to be in the UAE. So is Sharjah worth visiting? It really depends on what you are looking for. Sharjah has presented itself to the world as the cultural capital of the UAE, and the presence of numerous museums, galleries and theatres certainly support this effort.
A lot of people used to feel sorry for Sharjah. It was the Emirate that sat on the door step of Dubai; literally; and was always outshone by its more glamorous neighbour.
It doesn't help that Sharjah has banned alcohol and Shisha cafes and that its generally more conservative values have always presented Shrajah as the least fun place to be in the UAE. So is Sharjah worth visiting? It really depends on what you are looking for. Sharjah has presented itself to the world as the cultural capital of the UAE, and the presence of numerous museums, galleries and theatres certainly support this effort.
Sharjah is of course a thriving city in its own right with no shortage of skyscrapers, malls, restaurants and facilities. Sharjah is also home to thousands expats who work in Dubai, but stay in Sharjah to benefit from the cheaper rents and utility charges that the Emirate offers. It is this fact that leads us to make our case for a holiday in Dubai with a hub in Sharjah. Dubai is long past its morbid days of 2008 when it was broke. Dubai is once again booming, and it is no secret that the hotel prices in Dubai have shot up over the last year. Hotels in Sharjah are however still very cheap. 5* hotels like the Hilton Sharjah cost less than £70/ night, and this particular hotel is located a mere 10 miles from Dubai Airport. Of course you staying in Sharjah and commuting to Dubai does mean that you will be joining the thousands of commuters making the same journey. So timing is critical. Leave Sharjah for Dubai after 10.30 am and you will be there in a matter of minutes. Head back before 4pm or after 8pm if you want to avoid a one hour drive back to your hotel.
Sharjah locals will however be insulted at the thought that their home Emirate is being used as commuter base even by tourists. They have after all only recently got used to the idea that Sharjah is the place where Dubai residents come home to sleep at night! We appreciate their offence. They do after all have genuine cause to promote Sharjah as a tourist destination in its own right. First of all Sharjah has a number of beach hotels and contrary to popular myth, women are allowed on the beach in swimwear. Secondly, Sharjah really does offer a cultural experience. The canals and waterways lines with shops and walk ways are a great place to spend an evening, and offers probably the most picturesque romantic setting for an after dinner walk. The souks in Sharjah offer plenty of opportunity to stock up on souvenirs, and the museums, galleries and theatres offer very unique and difference experience to anything similar in the UAE. Sharjah's proximity to Dubai means that if you do get bored, or simply cannot last another day without a tipple, then a twenty minute taxi ride is all the stands between you and the forbidden fruits!
Sharjah is the arts capital of the United Arab Emirates, and efforts to preserve area history garnered the title of Cultural Capital of the Arab World by UNESCO in 1998. For museum and art lovers, Sharjah is crammed full of excellent sightseeing opportunities. The Art Museum is world-renowned, while the Heritage Area is full of interesting buildings dedicated to Emirati history.
Like the rest of the United Arab Emirates, the weather gets very hot in the summer months of May- September. That heat does not seem to deter the ever growing number of European tourists that head out to make the most of some of the most luxurious hotels in the world for bargain basement prices. Sharjah is incredibly cheap in the summer months, and some hotels even throw in a variety of free extras to lure tourists away from its more famous sister Emirate, Dubai.For the best weather, Sharjah is best visited between October and April with November – February offering some of the best weather the destination has to offer.
