Hotels in Ras al Khaimah

Marjan Island is a true vacation spot and has been designed in this regard. The island is calm, the beaches are great and there is very little to do for a recommended short stay. RAK would appeal to those seeking a few lazy days. Stay in Dubai if you want to be constantly entertained or seek an active night life. There are jogging trails spanning the length of the island and this offers one the option of a leisurely early morning/evening walk .. This is rare in the UAE and I can only think of the Dubai Marina where this is possible. There are several hotels in the area offering excellent Dining options. My pick for a memorable evening is the Safran (Thai cuisine) at the Banyan Tree Al Wadi resort. It is a good 30min drive from the Island but well-worth it. Great chefs, decent portions and great value considering the location. Finish up your evening with a drink gazing at the stars at the Moon bar (also at the Banyan Tree Al Wadi resort).

We enjoyed taking pictures at the old fishing village near Al Hamra. To have a Starbucks at the Al Hamra Mall nearby was a added bonus as I enjoy a good morning coffee. The spinneys at the mall was good to buy stuff for snacks during the day. We had dinner at the pub in Al Hamra village beach resort. Bit expensive and then the 10% taxes added to it was a bit pricey if you want to do it every evening.

RAK has great beaches and is home of the Hager Mountains which seems to separate RAK from Oman. The nature and landscape of the city is beautiful. Be careful if you drive as many people drive reckless and carelessly. Great place to eat is Galito's inside of one of the malls (Sorry can't find the mall's name). RAK is a great place to relax. Enjoy

RAK looks like it got started on the 2000s building boom a little later than other emirates. It got to the stage of knocking stuff down and then the crisis came. It is in a really terrible state and really the town is to be avoided. The artificial islands are also building sites with no buildings. They obviously had grand plans before the money ran out. Let's hope that one day they'll finish because the natural site is rather beautiful.

Ras al Khaimah is a great destination for changing the scenery yet not having the hassle of a plane trip. It reminded me of how the desert looks like and the identity of this land which is so rich in character. We visited both Banyan tree resorts and fell in love with both properties. We dined Thai at Safron in al Wadi and had an amazing barbecue in the comfort of our own villa at the beach. Getting to Ras al Khaimah was extremely easy especially by avoiding Sharjah and taking the E66 instead of the E11.

RAK is much more old world than Dubai and much more relaxed, not so much traffic and easy to park with a background of mountains. There are modern Malls and a superb golf course. We went flying in a small plane from the nearby Jazirah flying club to see the city, mountains and blue sea from the air. The Golden Fork restaurant is unbelievable value for money specializing in seafood but many other dishes as well.