Ras Al Khaimah is one of the 7 Emirates of the United Arab Emirates. It has over 7000 years of history and culture.
The emirate is believed to be the most authentic destination of the Middle East. The emirate offers magnificent landscapes, a breathtaking coastline and terracotta desert planes. And it is only 45 minutes from Dubai International Airport.
Ras Al Khaimah has both beach as desert resorts. Whether you are staying at the beach or in the desert at both locations there are numerous activities to do. Choose from things like water sports, hiking, desert safaris, sight seeing like the Dhayah Fort and Al Jazirah Al Hamra. Latter one is the last authentic and traditional town still standing in the UAE.
Here are some awesome things to do in Ras Al Khaimah with kids. If you follow this list you will for sure see all the major highlights of this wonderful emirate. Use it as a check-list. It works really well.
- Take a drive to/through the desert (by SUV, camel or horse);
- Go to the beach;
- Visit Al Jazirah Al Hamra;
- Don’t forget to go to Dhayah Fort.
Al Wadi Desert Resort – a Ritz Carlton Hotel
Al Mazraa, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
+(971) 7 206 7777
www.ritzcarlton.com
Price range
$$$$
Location
Located in the desert of Ras Al Khaimah.
Accommodation
Rooms, or better said, villas of the resort are all beautiful. With large bathrooms, a nice sitting area with flat screen TV’s and every villa has its own private plunge pool with a view on the desert. For families travelling with children, 2 Al Rimal villas are the best choice as they can be connecting.
Dining
The hotel has 2 restaurants and also offers 2 private dining options. One private dining option is the Al Wadi tower, the other is dining on the dunes. Breakfast is served in the Al Waha restaurant. We tried both restaurants and especially enjoyed the Samar Lounge with its Indian cuisine. Food is served on the terrace overlooking the desert and giving you the opportunity to enjoy dinner under a sky full of stars.
Services and amenities for kids
The Al Wadi Desert Resort has the “Travel in Style with Kids” label.
For an overview of the services and amenities for kids at this hotel click here. Amenities provided by the hotel in green.
Extra info
There is actually enough to do inside the resort not to leave the premises for at least 2 days. As we started our road trip through the UAE and Oman in this resort we were also quite tired and decided to relax and enjoy the resort to the max. The hotel offers bicycles (some with baby seats) free of charge to bike around the resort.
The children loved the Ritz Kids program where they could interact with feathered friends, go pony and/or camel riding, learn archery, do the regular kids club activities such as gaming, coloring and playing. The resort has a wildlife rehabilitation center that provides a unique opportunity for kids to care for injured wildlife before they’re released back into nature. We went camel riding with the entire family, something I also wanted to do for quite some time. I am happy to say I checked it off the bucket list and I can also honestly say I’ll never do it again. It’s actually just like a horseback ride only you are way up there and the camels move a lot slower than horses in general.
The staff in the hotel was very friendly although a bit slow.
Avoid the summer months. It gets extremely hot.
Best time to visit is October – April.