As exciting as Abu Dhabi and Dubai are, if you love the feeling of freedom you get from being outdoor and near wide open spaces then you might gravitate towards RAK. Marketing itself as an adventure destination within the UAE, RAK boasts the highest mountain in the UAE, Jebel Jais. From here you can do the longest zipline in the world, climb via ferrata, go on guided hikes to wadis, go camping and soon you will be able to experience a sky maze which, quite frankly, scares the living daylights out of me. The zipline is fun but will cost you 300AED unless you wait for the summer or Ramadan promotions.
Rak Bedouin Oasis – Desert safari in comfort
One of the best desert safaris, in my opinion, is located at RAK Bedouin Oasis Camp. Here you can choose from a number of options where you can go on desert quad bike tours, camel rides, sand boarding, dune bashing (being driven fast up and down the sand dunes), henna painting, shisha smoking, overnight camping and enjoy an extensive buffet and small bar with live entertainment of traditional Turkish tanura dancing, fire juggling and belly dancing. Without transfers it costs about 150AED per person.
If this is all a little too outdoorsy for you, then there is a luxurious Ritz Carlton nearby where you can experience most of the above, for a lot more money, at a 5 star rating. The Ritz also offers horse riding and you can see Arabian Oryx roaming the grounds. There are fine dining and afternoon tea packages too and it’s worth checking out their festive themes when the time comes around.
If you want to get up close and personal with camels and oryx without spending that kind of cash then I recommend you take a detour down the aptly named camel road , which takes you through farmland, and you can see both. The camels here are well used to tourists stopping for a selfie so if you pick up some apples and carrots you will have the perfect bait for your social media wow factor. Just be warned, these camels don’t care about your perfect framing so, if you withhold snacks whilst you pose, you may find yourself in the middle of a camel scrum.
In the winter months you can opt to go glamping in RAK at the Bin Majid Resort nearby Flamingo Beach, which offers great options and activities for families. For a less expensive option you can get the camping experience on the public beach near Al Marjan Island although this is currently being elbowed out by a new beach resort being developed right next to it.
Al Marjan island is equipped with an ocean-skirting running track, public park with kids play area and is also host to a multitude of resorts including the DoubleTree Hilton where you can take part in the best brunch in RAK (in my humble opinion). You can also enjoy kayaking or jetskiing here or at Turtle Beach just a little further out on the island. Opposite the DoubleTree, there is a public park and playground where you can rent electric scooters or peddle powered carts and bikes to trundle up and down the promenade next to the ocean views. There are some permanent food trucks set up here, including SALT which offer wagyu beef sliders to die for, cheeto fries, milkshakes and giant Jenga for your amusement.
While we are on the subject of eateries I have to give a shout out to Area 51 who offer great burgers and hotdog options and, hands down, win best milkshake in RAK. There’s also a quirky alien themed interior with horse riding saddles as bar stools, perfectly designed for some fun photos. Try it out and it will ruin all other milkshakes for you. Guaranteed.