Ras Al Khaimah

On Wednesday 9th May 2018, I took the Emirates flight overnight from Manchester to Dubai for my "top sellers" conference in Ras Al Khaimah.

Ras Al Khaimah is one of the seven-member states that make up the UAE – United Arab Emirates it is the fourth largest Emirate and is in the Northern part of the UAE bordering Oman.

Traffic permitting, travel time from Dubai airport can range between 45 minutes to one hour 15 minutes, depending on the traffic.

Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) is fast becoming a year-round sun destination in the UAE with the recommended best time to travel being October – May as the summer months can often be very hot for many.

As a destination, it appeals to couples, families, groups and people seeking adventure activities* too, with its coast, mountains, deserts, springs and Mangroves it’s an enchanting destination. For our conference, we stayed for three nights at the 5* Waldorf Astoria hotel in Ras Al Khaimah, this is a fabulous hotel, with very attentive staff and excellent restaurants/food, suitable for couples, singles and families.

In terms of activities for all, there are an abundance of activities available to suit all tastes, examples include:- Motorised water sports, Iceland Water Park, Kayaking in the Mangroves, Desert Safari’s, Camel treks, Falcon Shows, Equestrian activities, golf, hiking trails, mountain biking, snorkelling, plus Jebel Jais – the highest mountain range in the UAE and home to the now infamous world’s longest zipwire – circa two miles long and travelling at around 90mph – some of our party were even brave enough to try this out!

As well as soaking up the sunshine and attending our conference, we were also lucky enough to visit some other fabulous hotels in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK for short) these included the Doubletree by Hilton Resort and Spa Marjan Island, the Rixos hotel and the Ritz Carlton too, all these hotels were of a fabulous standard, catering for couples and families alike. We were also lucky enough to enjoy “sundowners” at a Bedouin Oasis Camp and watch a falconry show as the sun went down, followed by entertainment and dinner in the desert, a truly memorable experience.

One huge advantage in my opinion of RAK as a destination for families is the fact that (unlike Dubai) a huge proportion of the hotels are all-inclusive basis which is great for families and a wonderful guaranteed alternative Winter sunshine destination within 7 hours flying time of the UK.

I really enjoyed RAK so much that I have already booked to go back for 10 nights for our family Easter holidays in April 2019 with my husband and two daughters, some of us are looking forward to the World’s longest zipwire (eek!) whilst the rest of us are happy with the Falconry, Waterpark, Bedouin camp and fabulous hotel facilities to try whilst also soaking up some post Winter sunshine.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Ras as a destination that’s worth a try!