Ras Al Khaimah

Travelling to Ras Al Khaimah

Airport lounge

We had booked the Crown Plaza Premium lounge in Heathrow Terminal 5 at cost of £75 for two people. Due to the check in with BA being so efficient we were through customs quicker than expected. The ladies on check in to the lounge were extremely helpful and showed us to a reserved table. Whilst in the lounge there were several waitresses who came and asked us if we needed another drink throughout our time in the lounge. The surroundings were not particularly impressive and resembled a motorway cafe. The lounge is a long lounge with a partial view of the runway. It was cold and hence we had to sit with our coats on throughout. The food was very basic and the choice limited (one meat dish, one vegetarian dish, pasta, potatoes, basic salad, one type of cheese, crackers and chocolate brownies. Choice of drinks was also very poor. There was no sparkling wine, cider, Baileys or hot chocolate included which is available in most lounges. You could purchase these drinks at an extra cost. We travel a lot and have visited many lounges over the years and we have to say that this is the worst one we have been to. Despite the surroundings and the food and drinks not being of a standard we are used to, the staff were very helpful and worked tirelessly. A shame we couldn’t make use of the BA lounges!

Flight

We flew to Dubai on a British Airways flight, one of the three flights they operate per day. We chose to visit during the month of January which is an ideal time of year due to the relatively high temperatures (not too hot as it would be during the Summer months). As we were travelling on BA staff travel the cost of our flight was very cheap, however the typical price is around £730 for an Economy return flight and this includes 23kg of luggage. Our fight was a night flight departing Heathrow at 21.35 and arriving into Dubai at 08.30 (Dubai time) the following day. The flight time to Dubai is approximately 7 hours which isn’t too bad compared to some long haul flights. Dubai is 4 hours ahead of the UK.

Shortly after take off we were provided with a snack and drinks (alcohol, hot drinks or soft drinks). The cabin crew do not limit you to just one drink. Prior to landing we were provided with a breakfast and drinks. The breakfast was typical of what you would expect for economy on a plane – scrambled egg, sausage, mushrooms, beans, bread roll, yoghurt, muffin, cheese, biscuits, water and orange juice.

Customs

Passing through customs was very quick and easy. Despite the plane being completely full the queue was very short. Dubai does seem to have this down to a fine art unlike a lot of countries we have been to.

Baggage

When we arrived at the carousel the cases were already coming through. One of our cases came through very quickly so we were hoping the next one would follow shortly after but unfortunately this was not to be! We became worried as there was a small group of people still waiting for cases but no more were coming through. Finally a member of the airport staff came and scanned the ticket for the luggage we had been given at Heathrow. She advised that the case had not been put on the plane and was still in London. We were advised to go to the office and complete a lost luggage form. There were four females who had lost the luggage. The males in the parties had got theirs – typical!

Transport from Dubai airport to Ras Al Khaimah

We had booked our transfers with booking.com at a cost of £104 return. The journey to Ras Al Khaimah takes around an hour depending on what time of day you are travelling. Our driver was Ahmad Bilal who was waiting for us with a sign with our names on. Unfortunately due to the issue with the lost case we were late coming out of the airport. Ahmad Bilal sent us several messages stating that he would have to leave as he had waited longer than he should. However he did wait for us and finally we were on our way to our hotel.

We were close to our hotel when the driver advised that he could not go any further as the roads were closed due to a triathlon taking place. We had no choice but to grab our cases and walk the rest of the way which was only a short distance away.

Accommodation – Rixos Bab Al Bahr

Check in

We arrived at the hotel at around 11am. Check in is usually at 3pm but the reception staff were happy to check us in. Check in was quick and straightforward. We were provided with a leaflet explaining the various services on offer and layout of the hotel. Our check in agent advised us to book the specialist restaurants we wanted to dine at during our stay immediately. Due to it being Debbie’s birthday the specialist restaurant for the first night had been pre-booked via email prior to travel. Our cases (Mike’s cases) were then taken by the concierge to our room.

Rooms

We had booked a premium room at a cost of £210 per night. The room was very large with a king sized bed, desk and seating area. The bathroom was also very large with walk in shower, sink and mirror. The toilet was in a separate room which does make life easier when two people are trying to get ready at the same time, and having two sinks and mirrors available was also a bonus. Some of the decoration in the room did look a bit dated with square patches where the wallpaper had been patched up. The desk also had water stains on it. Our balcony overlooked the service road so not a great view, but it was very spacious with a seating area and sun loungers. It is possible to book a sea-view room at extra cost.

Pool scene

There are four outdoor pools at the hotel, three of which are mainly for families and children. One of the pools is an adults-only pool. The life guards are very good at ensuring it remains adults only. We saw some families bringing in their children to the adults only pool area but they were quickly informed that children were not allowed. The other pools do cater for children with one of the pools having several slides but of course adults can go on them as well which we did.

At the weekend there are dancers who perform around the adult pool for a short while and a DJ but this does not happen throughout the week which was disappointing. The music around the adult pool is also better when the dancers are there. Even when the DJ is there throughout the week the music is quite subdued. We felt that the music played was what you would expect in a Spa as it was fairly tranquil music – not what you would expect around a pool. We appreciate that the hotel has to cater for all people but most of the people we had spoken to around the pool of different nationalities all agreed that the music needed to be a bit more upbeat.

Due to not going on holiday with children we did not spend any time in the main children’s pool but we did go down some of the slides.

Pool side drinks

The cocktails at the adults only pool bar were amazing. Our favourites were Pina Colada, Strawberry Daquiri and Whiskey Sours. The drinks are served in plastic which is understandable around a pool. Although they were served in plastic they looked like nice cocktail glasses. All of the staff at the pool bar were amazing and worked non-stop. Panjit ensured that we were never without a drink and would bring drinks to our sun loungers before we had even asked for one. Being British we always waited our turn to be served but unfortunately we cannot say the same for some of the other guests. There were a lot of complaints around the pool about the rudeness of some of the guests.

Dining

Buffet restaurant

There was so much choice at this restaurant so it is impossible to mention everything. There were various food stations serving a variety of different foods. Each evening there were also themed nights serving food from around the world. As the hotel caters for so many nationalities each meal time reflected this.

Breakfast

If you are from the UK and like your full English for breakfast you could sort of do this. There was always hash browns, chicken sausage, beans, toast, boiled eggs, scrambled eggs and fried eggs from the outdoor station. There was also the usual cereals, pastries, breads, fruit, meats and salads. The outside cooking station also served lovely omelettes. There was also curry available if that’s what you like for breakfast!

Lunch

At certain times during the lunch period it could get a bit hectic in the buffet restaurant but there was always somewhere to sit and eat. There was an adults only section in the buffet restaurant and a lovely outside area which we enjoyed sitting in. As previously stated the choice is so varied and of a good quality it is hard to put into words to do the restaurant justice. At lunch and evening meal there was an Indian food station which was our favourite. We would go for lunch with the intention of trying other things but we always had to visit the Indian station. It was lovely to sit outside eating the delicious food, taking our time and admiring the view.

All of the team in the restaurant worked tirelessly to ensure it was kept clean and tidy. They also watched out for when your drink was almost empty and cam to offer a generous top-up. One of the waiters in particular paid a lot of attention to ensuring guests had everything they needed – his name was Javaan.

Evening meal

We only went into the buffet restaurant on an evening once as we wanted to try all of the specialist restaurants. Again there was so much choice it was difficult to know what to choose.

Turkish Restaurant

This was our favourite of the speciality restaurants. We had booked this prior to arriving at the hotel due to it being Debbie’s birthday and we were not disappointed.

The Mezeen was absolutely the best. This consisted of hummus, busda badem (overnight soaked almonds), kopoglu (deep fried eggplants, yoghurt and tomato sauce), atom (roasted eggplants, dry red chilli and yoghurt), yaprak sarma (stuffed grape leaves, cherry and olive oil) and muhammara (roasted bell peppers, walnuts, bread crumbs, pomegranate molasses, virgin oil). We could have just eaten this as it was so nice. We then had slow-cooked Tandoori Kabab and the Hunkar Begendi (mashed eggplant bechamel, sauteed lamb) for our main courses – again this was delicious. Our mains were followed by baklava with ice cream and kazandibi (caramelised rolled pudding with Turkish ice cream).

Steak House Restaurant

At the restaurant we had the goulash soup and dynamite shrimp (spring onion and sriracha sauce). For mains we had beef tenderloin with creamy spinach mushrooms and jacket potato, and parmesan cheese with au jus and beef asado with the same sides. For desert we had passion fruit cheesecake and brownie.

There were so many amazing dining experiences at the Rixos Bab Al Bahr that it is hard to put in words what makes each place special as each restaurant provide a different experience. There were live musicians playing music every night in and outside of the restaurants which made for a fitting accompaniment to the tasty food.

Asian restaurant – Aja

The menu at the Aja restaurant is inspired by the flavours of China, Japan and Thailand. This restaurant around the corner and away from the main stage for the entertainment and therefore the dining experience was not quite the same as the other restaurants. Having said that the food is fantastic and the service was very attentive.

Toast n Burger

This is a lovely little place hidden away from the other facilities, overlooking the sea. The restaurant is open during the day and serves burgers, fries, hot dogs, chicken and onion rings. You can bring your own drinks from the beach bar or pool bar but they also serve alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. Please be aware though that although the restaurant is practically on the beach and you are sitting outside you will still need to wear a top, both males and females. The only downside to this restaurant is that sometimes the service was extremely slow. We had to ask many times if they would come and take our orders.

Jeep Safari and Evening Meal in the Desert

We booked this excursion through Viator https://www.viator.com/tours/Ras-Al-Khaimah/RAK-Desert-Safari-and-BBQ-Dinner-with-pick-up/d25313-105187P1 at a cost of £76 for two people.

We were picked up from the front entrance of our hotel at 3.30pm in a modern comfy mini bus. There were two other pick ups from other hotels (a couple and a lady and her 7 year old daughter).

Camel ride

When we arrived at our destination we were given a drink of tea and some dates whilst we waited for others to arrive. Following this we were taken for an extremely short camel ride, with a photographer taking professional photos of the experience. They did not appear to be too happy when we took our own photos and the man handling the camel told us not to do so.

Sand boarding

After this we were given the opportunity to try out sand boarding which unfortunately proved to be a complete waste of time as when you stood on the boards they barely moved at all and remained stuck in the sane. However it was quite funny trying it out because it was so bad. At least we burned some calories climbing the rather steep hill.

Jeep safari

We were then taken back to a jeep for the jeep safari. This was great fun but not as hair-raising as some of the other jeep safaris we have been on. There were stops along the way to allow people to take photos of the scenery. The sunset was spectacular and well worth stopping for.

Camp

Following the jeep safari we were taking back to the camp. The camp is really well set up for the whole experience. There is also overnight accommodation if you wish to spend the night in the desert.

Food and drink

When we arrived back at camp we were able to sit where we wanted to to watch the show and have dinner. Here they sold both alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks which were reasonably priced.

We were pleasantly surprised at the meal as the food was of a decent quality compared to which you usually enjoy as part of this type of experience. We had previously tried out a similar experience in Egypt and the food there was very poor. Here you could choose from a wide range of salads, vegetables, potatoes and rice, chicken nuggets and sauces. There was also a BBQ area with freshly grilled chicken, meats and skewers – these were delicious.

Evening show

Once most people had eaten their meal the show began with a female dancer who was then followed by a traditional male dancer. Both incorporated a light show in to their acts which added to the entertainment as it was getting dark by this point. However the highlight of the show was the fire act involving swirling burning ropes around. This made for a spectacular show, especially when he ran up to the top of the hill and spun the burning ropes around in circles – we have never previously witnessed such a spectacle.

Summary of jeep safari

All of the staff and fellow guests were friendly and welcoming including the people on our minibus and driver. Although there were some things that could be improved – the sand boarding and not being able to take photos of the camel ride) the experience was really enjoyable – good food and excellent entertainment, and hence well worth the money.

Water sports

The hotel does offer some water sports activities which are chargeable (paragliding and jet skis). They also offer paddle boarding free of charge. We booked the paddle boarding at the activity centre and were told to be there at 8.30 the following morning. The paddle boarding was not as easy as it looked and Debbie managed to fall into the sea several times. In the end we decided to kneel on the board rather than stand up as this seemed to be the easier option.

Summary of Ras al Khaimah

We have been to Dubai before, staying in the centre, and therefore we wanted to try somewhere different. There isn’t loads to do outside of the hotel although you can visit the local shopping malls and the desert experience was enjoyable. If you wish to visit Dubai it costs approximately £50 each way in a taxi which isn’t too bad if you can team up with other people to fill a car. The hotel itself has a chilled out feel to it which is very pleasant but we would have enjoyed a bit more entertainment around the pool.

We have travelled to many all-inclusive hotels throughout the world and we can honestly say that the Rixos Bab al Bahr has the best dining experiences we have enjoyed. The added bonus for the is the stage surrounded by water and musicians playing instruments while you are dining. The music is low-key which greatly enhances the eating experience.

The staff at the Rixos were amazing and they worked tirelessly to ensure we had an amazing holiday.

The Rixos Bab Al Bahr is a luxury hotel but there are areas that need a bit of TLC. In the room there were places where the wallpaper had been ripped and also there were patches where they had tried to repair damage. At the back of the hotel there are grounds that are overgrowing and full of weeds that could do with a bit of attention.

Things to do

• Try the world’s longest zip line Jabel Jais (we did not do it and regret this!).
• Visit Dubai centre and go up the Burj Khalifa.
• Visit one of the shopping malls.
• Do the Jeep Safari.
• Visit Suwaidi Pearl Farm.
• Visit Ghost village.
• Take a boat ride to see Dubai from the water.

Top Tips

• When packing split your clothes between 2 suitcases.
• Carry some beach clothes in your hand luggage if you are arriving prior to check in time.
• Book a la carte restaurants as soon as you check in.
• Book excursions before you travel as this can work out cheaper.
• Be aware of the culture in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.
• Dress appropriately in public places (ladies need to cover legs and shoulders). This is not required within the hotels.
• Check out government travel advice prior to travel https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/united-arab-emirates
• Check out other places we have stayed in the United Arab Emirates. Please click on following link Dubai
• Check out the weather below before travel as in the summer months it can get extremely hot and unbearable.

Weather

Temp – Celsius Rain – mm	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High Temp	23	24	27	32	37	38	40	41	38	35	31	26
Low Temp	14	15	17	20	24	26	29	30	27	23	19	16
Rainfall	10	40	10	10	0	0	0	0	0	10	10	20
Number of days	6	4	6	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	4