17 Pictures That Perfectly Capture EveryThing About Hatta Water Dam

By Hamza Shafique (Instagram / Facebook)

Last weekend I decided to check out the most recent social media craze ‘Hatta Water Dam’ and I am glad to report that the place is as amazing as everyone says and deserves all the attention it's getting in Dubai social media arena

Getting to the location is very easy, pin is available on Google Maps and road network is also super good (no off-roading involved). It took me approx. 2 hours from Ajman in Honda Accord to get there. There is absolutely no need of a 4x4 vehicle to make this journey as I used to think. Road trip to Hatta water dam offers beautiful mountainous landscape that makes the journey a visual treat.

There are two parking spots available on the location. One on the top of the dam, I will suggest not to park there as this one is small and gets very crowded. In such limited space, its usually a hassle to maneuver your car and that’s why I parked my car in the lower parking. This parking also has the giant mural of Shaikh Zayed and Shaikh Rashid which is part of the Dubai street museum program and offers a nice photography opportunity. There is a picnic area here as well with seating park benches etc. The only drawback of parking here is, that you will have to later go some 50 stairs up to the dam, which could be tiring for some.

close up of the Mural

As soon as you will reach the top of the dam, you will be greeted by the mesmerizing view of turquoise water surrounded by dark massive rock mountains with a back drop of clear blue sky. This place is legit, it’s not like one of those man-made lakes and sanctuaries that UAE usually offers, don’t take me wrong I love those places as well but the scale here is grand. This Hatta Water Dam or lake with massive surrounding mountains provides over all a very impressive sight and a unique natural ensemble.(I will let the pictures say the rest)

 

At the dam, there is Hatta Kayak where you can rent a Kayak for 60 Dirhams only and that to for an unlimited time (off course with in their business hours). If you are not a fan of Kayaking then there are many other options as well, at very reasonable prices. I on the other hand rented out an electric donut boat which was 300 Dirhams for 1 hour and this is their most expensive thing to rent. I was not feeling very energetic so I opted for an electric boat instead of Kayak or paddle boats. We roamed the area in the boat for about an hour and were still not able to see the whole area. One reason could be the speed of the boat which was dead slow but the reason that I would like to believe is that lake area is super big as well.

I think these days the weather is perfect for the visit. Weather is important when you visit such places as there are no trees or any shades just rock mountains surrounding the water and it’s all open in the sun that’s why I believe if you want to visit then the time to go there is now(winter). Another thing that I would like to highlight is that it’s not a park or picnic spot. You cannot get out of water and rest on the surrounding mountains. No place to BBQ or event rest.

Hence from my perspective, it's not a place for young kids also if you are not into kayaking (or don’t want to spend on rentals) or photography then there is pretty much nothing to do there. It’s not a family picnic destination. Before visiting this place, I knew very little about Hatta region and to my surprise there is a lot to do in this area, there are camping grounds, cycling/trekking tracks, a heritage village and even a mountain resort, in short, a lot to explore. I am definitely going to come back just to soak the amazing scenery and satisfy the photographer in me, if not for all the things I just listed in last statement.

I will suggest you click on the picture , enlarge it to fully enjoy the beauty of this place.
All pictures are taken by me as well.