Relaxing on the most beautiful beaches alternated with sleeping in luxury hotels and exciting adventures in the mountains and the desert? The small-scale and child-friendly Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah is the new destination for families who want to relax between busy companies, but also enjoy adrenaline-boosting activities. An unforgettable Arabian experience awaits just a 45-minute drive from Dubai.
1. Fun in the sun on quiet, clean beaches
With an average annual temperature of 27 C°, it is always beach weather in Ras Al Khaimah. The 64 kilometer long coastline has beautiful, golden sandy beaches that are quiet and clean and equipped with all the facilities that usually belong to beautiful resorts and hotels. If you are not a hotel guest, you can often buy a day pass to enjoy the lounge beds, restaurants and water sports facilities.
2. Fly like a superhero in the mountains
Ras Al Khaimah's rugged mountain range Jebel Jais, the highest peak in the UAE, invites to exciting walks on the Via Ferrata, but you can also fly through the sky like a superhero. Not only will you find the world's longest zipline here (for children with a height from 122 cm / 45 kg), there is even a real Jebel Jais Zipline Tour. A thrilling ride of a total of 5 kilometers, spread over seven cable cars connected by nine platforms. At 60 kilometers per hour you zoom from platform to platform, stop on the highest sky bridge in the UAE (1250 m above sea level) to finish a few kilometers later. A spectacular experience for the whole family!
3. Stargazing and spotting gazelles in the Al Wadi Nature reserve
Away from the eponymous capital RAK City and the seaside resorts, desert and wildlife await in the protected area of Al Wadi Nature reserve. The place for quick and easy adventures including dune bashing, stargazing with a guide and spotting animals such as gazelles, geckos and the Arabian Oryx, a species of antelope. With a bit of luck you can see this wildlife from the amazing and exclusive Ritz Carlton Al Wadi Desert Resort, an oasis with private villas including infinity pools between the sand dunes.
4. Kayaking from the city to mangroves
RAK City is divided by the waters of the Ras Al Khaimah Creek, so you can paddle from the city to the mangroves by kayak. A super fun way to see city and nature from the water; one minute you're surrounded by modern architecture, five minutes later flamingos fly by and you're sitting among the mangroves. You can make an approximately three-hour kayak tour (for children from three years old) together with a guide.
5. Sleeping in family hotels with kids' clubs
Ras Al Khaimah immerses families in a world of affordable luxury. On the artificially created Marjan Island you will find five star hotels for four star prices. Such as the beautiful Arabic-style The Cove Rotana Resort &Spa, which has spacious rooms and luxurious villas. From this accommodation you can walk to the 600 meter long sandy beach for a dip in the sea, but you can also make a bomb in one of the two swimming pools. Children can enjoy themselves at Flipper's Kids Club, enjoy the KidsBuffet and for convenience there is a babysitting service. Another recommendation is the pyramid-shaped family hotel Rixos Bab al Bahr, where you spend the night in a spacious family room or villa. And, with two kids' clubs (up to and including 19 years old), a children's disco and plenty of water fun at the hotel, boredom is impossible.
6. Camping in the desert or by the sea
A luxury resort with everything on and on is wonderful, but for a different Ras Al Khaimah experience you can also go camping. The emirate has great camping spots including the popular Awafi campsite in the Awafi desert, known for the sand dunes and cultural festivals held here such as the UAE Awafi Festival. For a more glamorous camping stay, Longbeach Campground has luxuriously appointed tents including king-size beds and sea views, some with Jacuzzis. Longbeach organizes numerous children's activities, there is a swim-up bar for parents and a barbecue with live cooking every evening.
7. Want to taste camel milk or a pizza? Everything is possible!
From gourmets who want to try everything to the cautious eater who goes for the well-known three p's of pizza, fries and pancake. In Ras Al Khaimah you can choose from all world cuisines, but you can also taste traditional regional dishes, usually in restaurants that are part of a hotel. Extra nice are the local restaurants that are often hidden behind thick outer walls. Restaurant Al Fanar is such a pearl with international cuisine and a special children's menu for the little ones.
