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Why I fell in love with Ras Al Khaimah, UAE – a great alternative to Dubai and Abu Dhabi

  • 18/03/2023
  • Michele

I had wanted to visit Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE ever since writing about some of the deals on luxury hotels on TLFL. I then attended a presentation by the tourist board and decided I needed to get on with it! I went on a press trip with the Ras Al Khaimah tourist board to see what it had to offer (I paid for my flights, they arranged the hotel and activities). 

I have been going to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for around 15 years and have seen huge changes in both places. I find Dubai a bit much sometimes if I want a relaxing winter sun break as it is now so built up. Ras Al Khaimah is completely the opposite end of the spectrum. 

After my visit I loved it so much I am already planning a trip there this autumn! The Emirate is far less developed than Dubai and feels so much more authentic. It has more of a sleepy pace than Dubai but has plenty of luxury hotels and restaurants to choose from. However, it still has good infrastructure with roads in good condition and all the essential services you could need.

It would make a great twin-centre break with Dubai. You can party in Dubai and then head to Ras Al Khaimah for relaxation and nature as well as saving money on your hotel compared to Dubai. 

It is also worth knowing it is a few degrees cooler than Dubai usually which extends the season with the best weather slightly. 

 

In this post:

  • Where is it and how to get there
  • Is it dry?
  •  
  • What is there to do?
    • Jebel Jais mountain – stunning scenery and adrenalin rides
    • Suwaidi Pearl Farm outing – mangroves, camels and flamingos too!
    • Sonara Al Wadi luxury desert experience
    • Al Hamra, Mosques and museums
    • Shopping
  • What luxury hotels are there to stay in?
    • Waldorf Astoria
    • Movenpick 5* featuring beach villas
    • Intercontinental hotel
    • Ritz Carlton – Al Hamra Beach and Al Wadi Desert

Where is it and how to get there

 

Ras Al Khaimah is around 50-60 minutes from Dubai airport by car. Currently, you can only get there by car, but Qatar are due to restart service to Ras Al Khaimah this year. It costs around £50 in a taxi from the airport to Ras Al Khaimah. I’d recommend considering hiring a car as it is a straightforward drive, and there is not much traffic in RAK making it a pleasure to drive around. 

If you arrive late into Dubai and don’t fancy the drive that night, you could do what I did and stay at the airport at the Premier Inn Dubai airport. This is my go-to if I arrive in the early hours and just want to sleep before moving on somewhere else. It costs from around £65.

There is no Uber in RAK, but taxis are easy to come by and very cheap. You can also use Careem app which is similar to Uber if you don’t have cash. 

 

Is it dry?

No, it is the same as Dubai with alcohol available in hotels. It does still have the 30% tax on alcohol, so prices are a bit higher than in Dubai but then with hotel prices being cheaper, you will probably end up spending less overall. There is a chance they could remove the tax as well in order to compete with Dubai. 

 

 

What is there to do?

If you fancy getting out and about there is plenty to do. It is very different to Dubai with activities focused more on nature. 

You can find details of all the attractions and all the essential information you need on the Ras Al Khaimah tourist board website here. 

 

Jebel Jais mountain – stunning scenery and adrenalin rides

1484 by Puro
1484 by Puro restaurant Jebel Jais

The drive out to Jebel Jais is stunning in itself, even if you just fancy going to the lovely restaurant at the top rather than doing any of the activities. It’s a fairly easy drive with the new road that just opened, and it’s one road pretty much most of the way. It takes around 1 hour 15 minutes from the beach hotels. 

The restaurant at the top, 1484 by Puro does breakfast as well as lunch and dinner, so it could be worth going early at weekends and having breakfast there. You can book a table in advance as it does get crowded.

Breakfast at Ras Al Khaimah
Lunch at Jebel Jais Ras Al Khaimah

There are multiple activities once you get to the top. These include the world’s longest zip line, which is done superman style, a series of 8 ziplines which is done seated and the sledder. Hiking and biking are also popular here.  There is even a Bear Grylls Explorer camp. You can find details of the activities here.

World’s longest zipline

 

Suwaidi Pearl Farm outing – mangroves, camels and flamingos too!

Sea overlooking the mountains at Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah

While at first glance you may think that a pearl farm doesn’t sound very interesting, this was one of my favourite outings. The journey to the pearl farm allows you to see more of RAK and see the huge differences between the Emirates. The pearl farm is set in a stunning location. You get a traditional boat out to the floating farm and the scenery along the way is beautiful with the mountains set against the clear sea and mangroves. You travel alongside an island where you may spot camels too!

Boat at Ras Al Khaimah
Boat to pearl farm

Once onboard, you hear about the difficult conditions that traditional pearl divers (free diving) lived in and how the vocation gradually died out in the UAE. You may also get the chance to try your luck with picking an oyster to see if it has a pearl inside. You may also be lucky and spot the nearby flamingos with the old-school telescope. 

Pearls at Ras Al Khaimah
Pearls at Ras Al Khaimah
Pearl at Ras Al Khaimah
Pearl at Ras Al Khaimah

A generous traditional lunch is also served while you relax and take in the views. Naturally, there is a shop which has some lovely pieces with both traditional and modern styles available. 

Shrimp Briyani Full Meal
Lunch
Shrimp Biryani
Shrimp with rice

You can find more information here.

 

Sonara Al Wadi luxury desert experience

Ras Al Khaimah View
Ras Al Khaimah desert experience

This evening activity is held next to the Ritz Carlton but is not actually run but the hotel. If you have ever been on one of the Dubai desert experiences, this is in a whole different league. It is a much more classy and upmarket experience with fantastic food and a relaxed vibe.

Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah

There are plenty of activities included including birds of prey, camel rides, sand dune surfing and entertainment.

Owl at Ras Al Khaimah
Owl

I got to try flying the owl, which was a real highlight to be up close with such a gorgeous creature. It was surprisingly soft to touch! 

Dinner at Ras Al Khaimah
Table setting at Sonara

The evening starts with drinks and canapes (alcohol available to purchase) alongside the activities while you watch the sunset. It felt very chilled, and with all the chairs being spread out, it would be great as a special romantic evening, although you get families there as well.

Ras Al Khaimah at Night
Ras Al Khaimah desert experience

Once the sun sets, you head down to the restaurant for dinner. This is served in three courses with multiple dishes for each course based on local cuisine. It was all delicious and a lot of food, so bring your appetite!

Dinner Meal at Ras Al Khaimah
Dinner
Food at Ras Al Khaimah
Dessert

As dinner progresses, there are two acts which are both spectacular. The first is a balance and juggling act, but it is the firebreather that steals the show.

Entertainment at Ras Al Khaimah
Entertainment
Entertainer breathing fire at Ras Al Khaimah
Entertainer breathing fire

You can find more details about Sonara here. 

 

Al Hamra, Mosques and museums

Al Jazirah Al Hamra
Al Jazirah Al Hamra

Al Jazeera Al Hamra is the only remaining historical pearling village in the entire Gulf region. It is also the setting for the yearly Fine Arts Festival which is worth visiting even if you are not particularly into art since there are lots of activities during the festival. 

Al Jazeera Al Hamra has a fort and watchtowers, mosque, souq and extensive courtyard houses. It is a great place to try some traditional dishes from the souk such as kanafa which is shredded filo with creamy cheese drenched in rosewater syrup. If you like cheesecake, this will be up your street.

You can also do a tour with the Mohammed Bin Salem Mosque which dates back to at least the 18th century, and the National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah. Sheikh Zayed Mosque is possibly one of the oldest places of worship in the United Arab Emirates. The external façade has been restored, but its architecture remains vestiges of the era of Sheikh Saqr bin Rashid Al Qasimi.

 

Shopping

Some of the hotels run a daily shuttle to Dubai if you want to do some serious shopping, however, there are some malls in RAK itself. I went to the Al Hamra mall, which is walking distance from the Waldorf hotel. It has all many of the shops you’d expect to see in a UK mall such as Boots, H&M, Starbucks, Nandos etc as well as a Sephora and a great beauty salon called Tips and Toes which is fantastic value for a manicure or pedicure, but they offer lots of different services. I just walked in without an appointment. 

 

What luxury hotels are there to stay in?

I have reviewed the two hotels that I stayed in, The Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah and the Movenpick Al Marjan Island 5 Star Resort, which you can read by clicking them. I will also cover the Intercontinental in more detail in a later article. If anyone has stayed there recently, please feel free to comment below to gather some more information. 

Waldorf Astoria

Having visited several hotels, this is the most relaxing for me out of the three as it is spread over a wide area, so it feels very calm. The hotel is the original luxury hotel here but still feels modern with a sense of grandeur. There is an adults-only pool, a huge white sand beach, and two main restaurants. Both restaurants I found exceptionally good. I liked the fact that they had happy hour too to keep the drinks costs down. 

There is a spa here, too which had Margaret Dabbs foot and hand treatments as well as a wide range of massages and facials etc. 

Spa treatment room

Prices start at around £230 per night in low season.

You can check prices and find more information here.

 

Movenpick 5* featuring beach villas

View of Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Ras Al Khaimah
View of Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Ras Al Khaimah

Hotels in the UAE may not conform to the usual standards we would expect from a brand, and the Movenpick is very luxurious compared to some of the hotels from the brand you may have experienced elsewhere. Movenpick is also part of the Accor group, so you can earn your Accor points there. 

Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Swimming Pool
Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Swimming Pool at Ula (adults only at weekends)

It is very new, having opened in 2022 and has a modern beach vibe. It definitely feels aimed more at a younger crowd from the clientele, but I did not feel out of place there.

Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Mini Pool
Beach villa private pool

The hotel has a lot to offer for food and drinks with a lively rooftop bar, a beautiful Mediterranean restaurant, Ula, with Santorini vibes, a French bistro and a beachside restaurant, the Beach house. 

The beach villas are stunning with a private pool and direct access to the beach. Inside the rooms are spacious and modern. 

Entry level rooms start at £133 per night in low season. 

You can find more details and prices here. 

 

Intercontinental hotel

This is also a very new hotel having opened in late 2022. The hotel has six different dining experiences, from 360 degree sea view dining at Levant & Nar, to New York vibes at NoHo.

IC Club pool

If you are looking for an adults-only experience they have an entire wing of the hotel dedicated to the club rooms and also have a separate pool there as well as the lounge. 

Prices start from around £200 per night. 

You can find more details and prices here. 

 

Ritz Carlton – Al Hamra Beach and Al Wadi Desert

Ritz Carlton Al Hamra villa

There are two Ritz Carltons in Ras Al Khaimah. One is set in the desert and the other is a beach hotel.

The Al Hamra beach features some gorgeous beach villas with a generous size private pool. However, even the lowest category room starts at £570 a night in low season. 

Al Hamra

The Al Wadi hotel features Pool villas, a hydrotherapy spa and access to a nearby golf club and beach. Prices start from £369 per night. 

Al Wadi

You can check prices for the Al Hamra here and the Al Wadi desert here. 

 

 

 

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Michele

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11 comments
  1. Lynda Fisher says:
    18/03/2023 at 7:58 am

    Such an interesting an informative read, with so much details first hand experiences. I agree after visitng both Dubai and Abu Dhabi many times, we had outgrown both. We love the dry heat and winter sunshine, so this sounds perfect. Thank you so much for spending the time to share your experiences.

  2. Mrs_Fussy says:
    18/03/2023 at 8:21 am

    Hi Michelle – what is the name of the safari company ?

    1. Michele says:
      18/03/2023 at 9:44 am

      https://visitrasalkhaimah.com/discover/activities/sonara-camp-al-wadi/

  3. Dave says:
    18/03/2023 at 8:29 am

    I’d say the drive to RAK from DXB airport is straightforward, but can be risky. Unlike most of the UAE it’s also a truck road and so people self driving need to exercise more caution, especially at night. Portions of that Highway are also unlit which again can potentially make it dangerous at night.

  4. Geoff says:
    18/03/2023 at 11:53 am

    ‘a real highlight to be up close with such a gorgeous creature’ – that’s what the owl said! 😉

    Is there any issue with unmarried couples in RAK?

    1. Michele says:
      18/03/2023 at 12:43 pm

      It’s the same as Dubai so no. I asked the tourist board specifically about this and attitudes to gay couples and it seems the same as Dubai. As long as there are no PDAs in public (even for married couples it’s very frowned upon) then it should not be an issue. Definitely not an issue in the hotels.

  5. Jeff Cline says:
    18/03/2023 at 12:25 pm

    My daughter and I stayed at the Ritz Carlton al Wadi Desert in January. Wonderful accommodations, excellent service and food. A delight!

  6. Per says:
    18/03/2023 at 3:59 pm

    Excellent, thank you!

  7. Karen says:
    19/03/2023 at 9:38 am

    Thank you Michelle for such an informative article. We are looking for an alternative to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for some winter sun and this looks perfect.

    1. Michele says:
      19/03/2023 at 2:02 pm

      Thanks Karen. I’ll be publishing the Waldorf and Movenpick hotel reviews in the next week too.

  8. J says:
    19/03/2023 at 3:30 pm

    Thanks for sharing the experience!
    My next destination there will be RAK with rental car because of your review. I am done with soulless Dubai, even Abu Dhabi is better.

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