Aston Martin

Hello,

Can anyone recommend a good place in the Middle East to the rest with family, the requirements: crystal clear water, the hotel on the beach in December or January, but unfortunately I can not afford to Mauritius or the Maldives.

Thanks.

Lukasz

STBCypriot

Aqaba Jordan?

Sharm el Sheikh Egypt?

Not in the Middle East, but very clear water - Cyprus and Malta though the weather in December is a little cold for swimming in these places.

AckbarsFist

Beirut? Adana?

csdf

Oman?

entropy

Eilat?

stimpy

The Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai. Great for families.

dand99

Why not try Turkey ? IIRC there are a lot of resorts which have spare capacity every since Israelis stopped flying to Turkey...

Used to be that you'd get 4 1/2 star resorts (not really a 5-star...) quite cheaply.

stimpy

Because the beaches are empty at that time since the water is very cold. Turkey is too far north.

BEYFlyer

I think your best bet would be Dubai. Not really sure what your planning on doing with the family but the beach is a no-go area in most of the countries listed above since the water will be cold and the weather very wet and windy. Dubai, on the other had, will be very pleasant that time of year.

Custardthecat

Just back from Ras Al Khaimah, approx 100km North of Dubai (218 Dirhams in taxi from DXB Airport). Much quieter than Dubai, with a more traditional Arab feel about it. We stayed at the Hilton Ras Al Khaimah which allows you to use the facilities at the Hilton Beach and Spa Resort which has 6 pools. Friendly feel about it all and not as intense as Dubai. Lovely beach and plenty of activities that can be organised from the hotel. We took the breakfast only deal which allowed us not to be tied to the buffet every nighta and stayed at the 'city' Hilton and took the Shuttle bus free to the resort every morning. This cuts down cost overall but if you can manage to stay in the resort then it would be worth it I think. Staff were all very friendly and food was fine. Not much to do in the town itself but if you are content to relax on the beach or by the pool with the occasional trip to the desert or something like that then it's good value and kids can eat free at Hilton hotels.

roland_wa

Rates in Egypt (Sharm el Sheikh, Taba, Dahab, Hurghada, Nuweiba) are low at the moment. Dubai is much more expensive now. Also Turkey.

Aston Martin

Many thanks for your advice, I still have a few questions. I understood that the Hilton Ras Al Khaimah is set directly on the beach, there is no need to go across the street.
What is the beach? sand and stones. Is the descent into the water is soft.
How different is the second Hilton hotel with the spa?

Custardthecat

There are 3 Hiltons in RAK. The Hilton Ras Al Khaimah (or the city hotel) is not on the beach. It is quite a way away but it is near a sort of lagoon area that in some of the photos may give the impression it is on or near the sea. The beach is a 10 min shuttle bus (free) from this hotel to the Hilton Resort. This hotel is set close to the beach. There are villas at the Hilton resort which stretch out along the beach and has a lot of facilities. The beach itself is a nice sandy beach and not the stone type beaches you sometimes see, so good for the kids and sand castles etc. The beach runs into the sea i.e. not off a cliff or anything just a nice long sandy beach like you would hope for. Not too busy either. Very family orientated. Lots of kids around having fun. 6 swimming pools and at least one is always temp controlled. That's not to say the 'city hotel' is a poor relation. The staff are helpful, the rooms are fine and the food is pretty good. There is a canopy above part of the swimming pool which acts as a shield against the sun. Beauty salaon, gymnasium etc. No complaints about this hotel. Very good in fact. Some people think its dated, I didn't really feel that way about it. So to recap. The Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort and Spa is on the beach and the Hilton Ras Al Kkaimah is a shuttle bus ride away and walking distance of the town centre (not much happening). Across the road from the city hotel is the Doubletree (by Hilton) and this is recently open. Seen one review on Trip advisor and that is a positive review. Again you will need the shuttle bus (the same bus that goes from the city hotel). Its about 400 yards from the city hotel and looks quite smart. If you can afford it then the resort and spa is obviously a good choice but if you are looking for value then the city hotel wins as you can use the facilities at the resort anyway and charge food and drink to your room at the other hotel. The resort and spa has a more luxurious feel and has more gift shops inside with high value merchandise. It has a large Duty Free attached which sells alcohol, electrical goods, perfumes, computers, watches etc. The city hotel is more functional but still in my opinion, well run. My favourite bit is the sun terrace where you can have your breakfast and look out over the creek. It is set on top of a little hill with enclosed gardens. Quite a nice setting. The new Doubletree Hotel just sort of looked like it was on the main road. I did not go inside just observed the foyer from the shuttel bus, which looked quite smart. The shuttle buses are about every half hour and if they think the first one will be full, another is arriving just behind it. Well organised.