Fujairah: For most of the year, the towns, villages and beaches dotted all along the east coast are places of quiet and relative isolation.
The natural and rugged beauty of the valleys and the mountains overlooking the Gulf of Oman seem quite at odds with the concrete-faced modernity in other parts of the country.
It's no surprise that given the opportunity to get away for a while, many from around the country pack up their picnic provisions, top up their fuel tanks and head east for something different.
Joneth Aniceto, a Filipina resident of Abu Dhabi, is part of a massive 200-strong group gathered from all over the UAE to sample the sun, sea and sand at Khor Fakkan beach.
For most of the group, this was the first trip to the east coast. Joneth said it proved to be a good choice. "The beaches are clean, the weather is cooler than in Abu Dhabi and everyone is having a good time. So, al-together, it has been a good experience," she said.
Over the Eid period, the emirate of Sharjah's coastal town of Khor Fakkan perhaps attracts the largest number of visitors, thanks to its reputation for being a safe family destination.
Visitors also head to a number of other destinations on the east coast, including Fujairah city, Kalba, Al Aqah and Dhidna.
Numerous groups of friends and families can be seen camping on beaches or huddling under trees by the side of the mountains, food either sizzling away on a barbeque or slowly cooking over a camp fire.
Ideal and enjoyable as it may seem, many visitors also express a sense of disappointment over the lack of basic amenities at some of the popular beaches.
Rani, a Syrian resident from Abu Dhabi, spent the night camping with his friends on a beach at Al-Aqah.
"We've had a great time here but I think the authorities should provide some public facilities to make life easier for visitors," Rani said. Another popular tourist destination was the Bedya mosque. Cars lined up each side of the narrow mountain road - just outside the village of Al Bedya as visitors explored the site to take in some local history.
Residents all around the country celebrated Eid yesterday with fun and frolic.
