BeautyBomb

Soak up the year-round glorious sunshine on one of the UAE’s best beaches. Situated on the west coast of the UAE, Ras Al Khaimah’s 64 kilometres of shoreline provide superb sandy beaches, clear crystal blue waters and a more relaxed and low-key vibe than its neighbours.

Most holidaymakers (myself included) stick to their resort hotel beach. The long shoreline is strung with luxury resorts all offering their own private patch of golden sand.

I stayed at The Hilton Beach Resort Hotel and Spa, where the 0.9 miles of private white sandy beach was swept daily and pristinely clean. I’m not one for waves and appreciated the calm waters and child-friendly, gently lapping shoreline.

With a rich history dating back to the Bronze Age, Ras Al Khaimah is dotted with historical sites including ruins and forts. Built in the middle of the 18th century during the emirate’s invasion by Persians, the National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah was originally the house of the Royal Family until 1964.

In 1987, the late Sheikh Saqr Bin Mohamed Al Qassim opened the museum which includes a collection of archaeological and ethnological artefacts. There’s also a fine wind tower looming over a pleasantly shady courtyard within.

Jazirat Al Hamra, an abandoned coastal village occupied since the 16th century and abandoned nearly 40 years ago is another interesting place to explore. The villagers who lived here were mainly into fishing and pearl trading.

1484 by Puro, a unique restaurant boasting a magnificent panorama of Jebel Jais and its otherworldly landscape is named according to its height above sea level – 1,484 metres.

The UAE’s highest restaurant has an exciting, Mediterranean menu including fresh burrata, grilled salmon, pan-fried sea bass and juicy burgers served in a sleek, modern interior and an outdoor terrace. It overlooks the Hajar mountains, and I came for the views but was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food served.

This is no normal tourist trap restaurant tagged on to an attraction with overpriced, mediocre food but a gastronomic experience worthy of a visit alone. I dined out on succulent and fiery wasabi tempura prawns with the traditional sticky toffee pudding at the end of the meal being especially memorable. The food alone was Instagram worthy but there are plenty of other photo opportunities along with the views including a peep through the board (with the mountain view in the background) highlighting that you are standing at 1,484 metres.

The Bear Grylls Explorers Camp made its regional debut on Jebel Jais, offering the world’s first Bear Grylls branded accommodation. The recycled 16 lodges were designed to host up to three adults or two adults and one child with self-catering facilities.

The camp offers a variety of courses developed by Bear Grylls, putting participants face-to-face with some of the toughest terrains in the wilderness. They receive hands-on practical training and extreme survival techniques. In addition to staying the night in a Bear Grylls cabin, guests can try their hand at mountain biking, archery, hiking and abseiling as well as the Jebel Jais Via Ferrata or the Ropes Course – a self-guided adventure on two levels, 10 meters above ground.

It was here that I spent a morning trekking through the rugged, rocky, mountainous landscape. Bear Grylls’s mantra is to challenge yourself and to prove you can do anything and with this in mind I dared myself, having reached the top of the mountain to abseil down.

Due to its geographical location at the northernmost tip of the UAE, Ras Al Khaimah is literally translated as ‘top of the tent’ and was originally known as ‘Julfar’. To the far north, the emirate borders with the Sultanate of Oman, where the sheer rocky Hajar Mountain slopes appear to rise out of the sea.

Jebel Jais, within this mountain range, is the UAE’s highest mountain peak at 1934 metres (almost 2 km) and is home to a series of exciting, sustainable adventure projects.

With over 7,000 years of fascinating history, traditions and culture the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah (just 45 minutes from Dubai) offers an authentic and easily accessible Arabian experience. Ras Al Khaimah is a nature-driven destination of sprawling deserts, beaches and stunning mountain landscapes and is one of seven emirates that together comprise the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

If you’re planning a trip, here’s our pick of the top 8 things to see and do.