As you come over the brow of a hill, the splendid natural Bay of Khor Fakkan stretches out in front of you with the prominent features of Shark Island and Port Khor Fakkan rising out of the sea.

The town has developed around the bay with the focal point of the economy centered on the expanding container port.

The first buildings you notice are the Oceanic Hotel with its porthole style windows and above, the Ruler of Sharjah's Palace, high up on the hilltop. From this roundabout a Ring Road (to your right) takes you around the back of the town and onto the road to Fujairah. The Cornice road circumvents the bay to the Port.

The rocky hinterland is a harsh environment where the hill dwellers have carved terraces in the fertile valleys, on which to grow limited subsistence crops such as fodder for the animals and date palms, vegetables, mangoes and limes.

If you have time, take a trip to the Rifaisa dam, set a few kilometers up in the mountains behind the town. The dam provides a reservoir for the town and prevents the flow of flood water. Access is off the Ring Road onto a large gravel track, to your right coming from the Oceanic. It is said that a village lies buried at the bottom of the dam and when the water is clear you can see the remains of the buildings.