GOLD Weekend in Ras!
Ras al Khaimah is served by Dubai airport, and it is only about an hour’s drive along good empty roads. We arrived during a sand storm, so it took us a little longer!
What is noticeable about the area is the complete lack of buildings – there are a few hotels scattered around but not the huge skyscrapers that Dubai is famous for. The Waldorf is a beautiful elegant 5* deluxe hotel and the service we received here was impeccable. It is beachfront – the beach is white crushed shells, so you do need flip flops to get down to the water’s edge, and the sea is like a warm bath!
We had a fairly busy schedule for the weekend including a trip out to a Bedouin camp in the desert for dune bashing and a BBQ with entertainment which was good fun. Some people opted to do the zip lining which I have to say was really scary – a staggering 2.83km long which makes it the longest in the world – the first part of which is done head first to a suspended platform!
We enjoyed a hosted dinner at the Rixos Bab al Bahr on Marjan Island which was fantastic – what a lovely hotel. Not quite as luxurious as the Waldorf Astoria, but brilliant for families and it offers an all-inclusive plan as well making it great value for that area.
We always have a gala dinner on these weekends, and this year it was hosted by the Ritz Carlton. We were taken from the Waldorf down to a small jetty, and then collected by the Ritz Carlton’s small launches. On arrival, there was a sax player on the jetty and beautiful candles all the way up to the bar and pool area where we enjoyed cocktails. The gala dinner was all set out on the beach and it was spectacular. The food and entertainment were awesome too – what a fantastic evening!
I have been to the Middle East many times, but this was a special trip really – it was unexpectedly lovely and not very developed which is more my thing. It was also a good 7 or 8 degrees cooler than Dubai which makes summer holidays there much more pleasant. I will be back!