Cindy from LilOneOfTheAshes made the trip up to Ras Al Khaimah to spend the day at Intercontinental Ras al Khaimah Resort with her family. Here’s how it went for her!
Driving from Dubai to Ras al Khaimah
From the Dubai Marina, it was a nice hour and 15 minutes drive up the E311 to Ras al Khaimah. The kids were excited, passing through Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al Quwain, etc - singing the 'Seven Emirates of UAE' song throughout. They were obsessed with all of the camels, mountains and deserts en route - we were out of town!
We arrived at Intercontinental Ras Al Khaimah around midday.
Top tip: The swimming pools at InterContinental are open from 8am. If you are an early bird - start your journey earlier so that you can maximise your day here even more!
Beach time
The InterContinental has a private beach, and when we were there, (on a Saturday in mid-November), it wasn't too busy. The sunbeds are spaced well apart with permanent tiki hut umbrellas to provide shade. We spent about an hour on the beach with the little ones - playing in the sand, running around and getting some well-needed fresh air.
Top tip: This InterContinental resort provides complimentary bottled water, perfect if you forget to bring yours along.
Brunch at Noho Bar & Grill
We left the beach around 1pm for brunch at Noho Bar & Grill, which is located on the beachfront.
Noho Bar & Grill were having a 'New York' themed brunch, with lots of seafood, grills and sushi on offer. They also had a mini buffet area for kids featuring burgers, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, plus lots more goodies that go down a treat with little ones.
The highlight for me and my husband was the amazing cocktails; espresso martini, smoked old fashion and a selection of gin and tonics.
We dropped my older two kids at Planet Trekker's Kids Club when they had finished eating, so that we could spend more time at the restaurant, enjoying drinks outdoors.
Kids aged four and above can play in the kids’ club without a parent staying, so my youngest stayed with us at Noho. It was so nice that we could do that - the girls were entertained, and we could spend some time with our youngest!
Top tip: Privilee Members also get 20% off the Saturday brunch!
This applies to Privilee Members and up to three guests.
If you’re looking for an alternative lunchtime dining spot at InterContinental Ras Al Khaimah, there is ShaSha Pool and Beach Bar (very close to the beach) and Saffar. Both of these dining venues are kid-friendly, and Privilee Members save 20% on their total bill.
Playtime at Planet Trekker's Kids Club
We went back up to join the girls at Planet Trekker's Kids’ Club when we were finished at Noho. Plant Trekker’s Kids’ Club is such a spacious kids club, with an indoor and outdoor playground too.
They have a timetable which they follow loosely, depending on what the kids would like to do! When we went on Saturday afternoon they had face painting, kids yoga, flag making and more.
Top tip: Planet Trekker's Kids’ Club opens at 10am and shuts at 7pm, Monday to Friday, however on weekends, they shut at 8pm. The kids’ club also shuts every day for sanitation between 12-1pm.
Another tip is that one Nanny per family gets complimentary access with your Privilee membership, this is ideal if you wanted to bring them along with you for an extra pair of hands. It’s a great added benefit for the days that you’re solo parenting.
Sunset walks and a movie by the beach
Winter sunsets are so beautiful in RAK. We took the opportunity to take a stroll around the property and along the beach at sunset. Magical!
As we were about to leave, we found out that InterContinental were showing the Smurfs movie at 6pm, so we took the kids to the lawn by the beach to watch. It was such a cute set-up, with bean bags, popcorn and water! Such a lovely way to end the day before we drove home.
Pool, next time!
We didn't get the chance to use the pool this time around, though we did pack for it! Days out with little kids are always unpredictable.
We noticed that there is a huge family pool (this looked like it had lots of shallow areas - bonus!) and a kids’ pool which looked amazing, with a huge tortoise splash feature. We will for sure be returning soon to try this area out!
I hope you enjoy your Privilee day trip to Ras Al Khaimah as much as we did!
Looking for more resorts in RAK? Try here:
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