TravTalk Middle East Online Magazine
Ras Al Khaimah is a destination beyond the resorts and hotels with a diverse array of landscapes promising rewarding experiences and adventures for all kinds of guests. The emirate has a lot to offer from tribal traditions, top bird-watching spots, outdoor adventures to international events in M!CE spectrum and sporting field.
Ras Al Khaimah offers visitors a destination experience unlike any other, with a diverse array of landscapes promising rewarding experiences and adventures for all. Spanning 64-kms of pristine beaches, luxury resorts, culture, heritage and outdoor adventures in the mountains, the emirate ensures a varied suite of activity appealing to all guests. Guests can delve head first into the emirate’s history with the chance to observe tribal traditions and ancient ways of life. This is complemented by rich archaeological sites spanning 18 historic fortifications, castles and towers dating back to the bronze age. For a more in depth understanding of this, the Ras Al Khaimah National Museum offers insight into the emirate’s cultural heritage.
The diverse Arabian wildlife is another point of allure for travellers, with Ras Al Khaimah recognised as a top spot for migratory and resident birds, gazelle, oryx, wild cats, sand cats and foxes. The surrounding coasts, sea and wetlands are home to turtles, black tip reef sharks, flamingos, cormorants and more. Outdoor enthusiasts can head to the mountains, along with many of the certified adventure providers who can guide them through rock climbing, mountain biking and hiking at hotspots such as the Wadi Showka.
The past year saw Ras Al Khaimah increase its focus on nature-based outdoor adventures centred around Jebel Jais, the UAE’s highest peak. The newly launched Jais Adventure Peak allows visitors the chance to take on thrilling attractions such as the Jebel Jais Flight, which opened just over a year ago. Thrill seekers will delight in reaching speeds of 120 kph to 150 kph at a height of 1,680 metres above sea level on top of Jebel Jais mountain, as they take on the zipline. The impressive and more recently opened Jais Sky Tour gives guests a bird’s eye of the incredible local area. Already cementing its place as one of the more popular public attractions at the site, it consists of seven ziplines in total, and a 15-metre-long sky bridge which is the highest of its kind in the UAE. In total the ziplines cover 5 km and range from 337 metres high to just over 1 km. The route pauses by the sky bridge before the final zipline of the journey.
On the other hand, Ras Al Khaimah has also marked its place on the global stage via a series of international events hosted across the year, both in the M!CE spectrum as well as the sporting field. Ras Al Khaimah is increasing its focus on the sports tourism event segment with the introduction of a range of outdoor events that take advantage of the diverse natural landscape.This diverse appeal of the emirate ensures that travellers of all kinds are enthralled during their visits and is what has placed Ras Al Khaimah as the regions ‘Adventure Capital’ as well as the ‘Gulf Tourism Capital’.
