Hatta is situated at the base of the Hajjar Mountains beside the Wadi Hatta just inside the United Arab Emirates border close to the Sultanate of Oman. It’s a popular day trip for locals because of its cooler climate and the Hatta pools, situated about 15km away from town in a wide wadi (W. Qaffi).

It’s a small town but quite an interesting place to spend a day or two. The town has retained most of the original buildings from when it was settled in the 16th century. On every rocky hill top surrounding the town you will see a watch towers - some of them are easy enough to walk up to for a closer look. The old Hatta fort in the centre was built around 1800. A cemetery in the hills to the south of the town holds 60-70 fenced tombs, as yet unexcavated, where rock carvings of uncertain dates can be seen. There’s also the heritage village, a section of the town that is modelled and lived in as it would have been in the 16th century (mainly to act as a tourist attraction).

The Hatta Fort Hotel is the largest and most popular hotel to stay in. If you are planning to head in to Oman you’ll also need to come in here (just inside the gate) to get your passport stamped before you get to the border gates a bit further down the road. Be aware that if you have a hire car you will need to purchase separate car insurance for driving in Oman, which can be bought at the gate for about 250 Dirhams for a week. The hotel itself strangely reminded me of a European ski resort in the 1980s, lots of timber and dated furniture. It did provide a good view of the Haijar Mountains and they have lots of activities for guests to partake in.

Anthony.