All I Need Is This: Save The Date

Save The Date

Got a sweet tooth? Well, head on over to the Liwa desert oasis in Abu Dhabi’s western region for it’s Annual Date Festival. If you are in the city during the warm summer months, you can taste the sweetest fruit the desert has on offer. Liwa is located in Abu Dhabi’s western region, and has been hailed as a cultural and folkloric hub. If you’re heading to Liwa from Abu Dhabi, it will take you between 3 to 4 hours. That is, if you can stop yourself from taking a million photos on the oh-so-scenic drive along the way. Colossal, camel-colored, sweeping sand dunes almost dare you to take your eyes off the road and stare longingly into their eternities. After miles of driving, they turn a deeper sandier color, red almost, and you’re truly captivated. Half the treat of getting to this oasis in the Liwa desert is this drive. You’ll also stop along the way to see lots of adorable smiling camels and their babies, for this is camel country and the landscape is dotted with camel farms. You will be lucky if you get to lay your eyes on a very special breed of black camels. Yes, they do exist! And they are gorgeous!

Pretty Liwa Dunes

Gorgeous Black Camels. These guys are cute!!!!!

What are these guys laughing at? :) Camels are always smiling.

You will know you’ve arrived when you see the massive tent, (which is air conditioned by the way, thank you very much!) On entrance to the grounds at the festival, you can smell two things. Camels and dates. In that order. You can entertain yourself with camel, horse, and car races. There is a falconry competition as well that will leave you in awe. Falconry is an ancient sport and pastime in Abu Dhabi, and the showing of this tamed and beautiful bird is just breathtaking. This year there was also a local farmers mango tasting competition. The sweet flesh and the syrupy thick nectar of this prize-winning mango at the festival was truly something to write home about.

Mango Competition - Seriously some of the juiciest most delicious mangoes ever. In life. Like, ever. Omg.

Falconry Competition- These guys are serious.

Just chilling. Having some tea. Camel hanging out in the background.

The dates are the star of the show, however, and there are more varieties of this bejeweled fruit than you can imagine. There are over 300 varieties and you can taste all of them. Once their sweetness bursts onto your tongue, that will be the point you will come to understand why this place is called an oasis. How can it be? How can a place in the middle of a dry and barren desert produce such sweet delicacies? You will savor them with wonderment. Each type of date has slightly different notes and subtle flavor variances. If you think this festival is just for fun, think again! The farmers take the festival very seriously, and there is over 5million dirhams in prize money to be won amongst the farmers with the best produce. So you can guarantee that you will taste some heavenly bites.

Not a smile to be found. Dates are serious business.

Youngsters sampling the fruit.

"Hmm, my friend. How will we ever decide which one?????"

This festival has everything, and it’s truly one of those local experiences and a place that you won’t find too many Westerners or expats. If you’ve got little ones, don’t leave them at the hotel, for the festival has a kids’ tent with tons of kid activities. The kids at the festival seemed to be having a grand time running around, tasting the local fruits, and watching camels. Inside the kids tent they can learn about UAE heritage and play some traditional games for kids. You can get your shopping fix because in the larger tents are local handmade crafts and woven goods. Most of these goods are made with the date palm tree itself. We were lucky enough to see some of the local ladies weaving baskets, hats, and other crafts from the palm fibres and fronds. The best thing about the Liwa Date Festival is that you really get a feel for how the date is a hugely inextricable part of the region itself.

Local ladies making crafts with palm fibers.