Tips for Visiting Sharjah, UAE
Money 💰
Although there are many places that take card payments, many souks and small businesses do not.
• I highly suggest you carry cash while you are going around this Emirate.
• Tips are not very customary here. If you do wish to tip you can do a small one. You may get push back up you leave a large tip. In the end do what's comfortable for you though.
• Haggle! It never hurts to ask what a shops "best price" is. Especially in the Souks. This is a normal part of life here. If you plan to buy a few items you are likely to get a discount if you speak up.
• Keep your bills in good order. If you have torn money it is like carry trash around. Many people will not take bills that are damaged.
What to Wear 👖
Sharjah is a more conservative Emirate. When in Dubai you can wear more "average" clothes that you would wear at home. In Sharjah there is a chance you would be considered offensive or improper for wearing something more revealing. Similar to the signs on many malls, you may want to opt for something with sleeves and goes down to the knees. Most foreigners wear whatever they want though. You are not required to wear full hijab or abaya.
Miscellaneous
• Taxis are easy and not very expensive.
• In the malls if you eat at a food court, leave your trays and trash at the table. There are employees who clean up as their job. (We have had many people stop us from cleaning up and some were upset.)
Things to Do in Sharjah, UAE
Museums & Culture
Here is a comprehensive list of museums|aquariums|tours|etc. in Sharjah. There are notes for each place under the individual locations "details".
Al Noor Mosque, Masjid, مسجد
@TheHaywireHoney
This Mosque does tours two times a week. There is parking next to the Mosque. To enter you will need to wear abaya and a head covering if you are female. These are provided when you sign in to view the interior.
It in an active Mosque, in that people do meet and worship there.
It's next to what I was once told is Thousand Palms Park. Although I believe there are less than 600 palm trees.
Details
Al Noor Island
@TheHaywireHoney
There is a ticket and information "booth" close to the water between the Mosque and the park. Parking is a lot in this area as well.
After buying your entry you walk across the bridge to get to the island.
There is a Cafe and clean restrooms available. In this building there is also a butterfly room with butterflies in their different life stages.
Outdoors there are a few walking paths, flower gardens, sitting areas and some installations that you can play on (like a trampoline and "jungle gym".
Details
Sharjah Aquarium
@TheHaywireHoney
It doesn't look like much from the outside, but we were pleasantly surprised by how nice it was and the amount of sealife there was to view. It was quite affordable as well, a great short outing with the kids.
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Sharjah Discovery Centre
@TheHaywireHoney
This is a great place to take kids of all ages. It is an interactive children's museum and science center. There are lots of different hands-on areas to explore with your children.
It is an especially great place to go when it is hot outside.
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Arabia's Wildlife Centre
@TheHaywireHoney
I love this place. It's a bit of a drive out into the desert but it's worth it. There are lots of endangered animals here and you can learn about the creatures natural to the middle east. There is also a petting zoo and arboretum. Food options are limited.
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Shopping
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Souq Al Jubail
@TheHaywireHoney
There are three sections to this Souk/Market: Meat & fish, Fruit and Vegetables, Spices and Nuts.
Saturday is a more busy day to visit and there are more vendors open. Bring cash with you, there may be few people who accept card payments. You can haggle a bit and get discounts for buying more items. I love the fresh produce and it's a great place to try things out.
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Outdoors
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Malls
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Sahara Centre
@TheHaywireHoney
This mall is really nice. It's got lots of shopping options, a large food court, Adventureland mini theme park, and a good movie theatre.
There used to be a Spinneys grocery in the bottom level. It's a very convenient place to go if you need to get out of the heat and run a few errands.
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Safeer Mall | Sharjah
@TheHaywireHoney
I really like this mall. The Safeer market is well-priced as well. We got our groceries here a lot. There is a play zone at the top level with rides and a small food court. Indian Palace restaurant is also really good, located inside the mall.
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Places to Eat
It's hard to say where to eat that will still be there years down the road. My best suggestion is to head to the souks, Sahara Centre Mall, Mega Mall, Al Majaz Waterfront, and Qasba or other similar areas. When there is a lot of things to do there are also meal options.
Our favorite place was a Lebanese restaurant between Al Khan Corniche and Al Nahda street called Fresh Chicken King. SO good, but I do not know if they are still there. Many places are hard to find on Google Maps because it's not uncommon for businesses to shut down or move regularly.
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