Eid Escapade To The Hidden Jewel Of Ras Al Khaimah – The Cove Rotana Resort
Best Getaway In The UAE So Far That I’ve Been To
It took days for me to finally get my ass up and sit here with my laptop, and recall all that have transpired in our Eid escapade in this Hidden Jewel of Ras Al Khaimah – The Cove Rotana Resort in the northern part of United Arab Emirates.
Perhaps I got tired due to the weather temperature that played between 35 to 40 degrees Celsius in that span of two days. A typical middle eastern summer that will catch you dehydrated if you leave yourself exposed outside for longer hours.
But let me convey to you all the good things that have transpired and why I consider the trip a worthwhile experience despite the extreme hot weather conditions.
The 1 BR Villa my college friend booked for us costs roughly close to Dhs 3k / night.
Thursday, on 3 convoy vehicles, we arrived at the resort with the sun still brightly beaming. My sweat was dripping as I walked in to the lobby. I could just imagine the feeling of my 6-month old daughter and my almost 4-year old son, but again, t’was quickly comforted by the cool welcoming temperature of the lobby and the panoramic view.
Right after checking in, with all our luggages, we were then fetched by a buggy and a small van down the hilly small road of the cove leading straight to the villa.
Everyone of us were mesmerized by what we’ve seen. The villa assigned to us is not that big nor small for a 1 BR but it was just comfortably spacious enough. If you look at the anterior, you would see that typical Arabian touch of architecture, but inside, you could see that roomy and greatly-designed interior. A very good place to relax and unwind, and to distance yourself and your mind from the hustle and bustle of the busy life in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
Hours after settling in and after the weather temperature has lowered down a bit, all of us headed out in our swim wear for the beach, which is just a few walks away from the villa. There we enjoyed dipping in the warm wavy water.
Before the sun set, we kinda brisk walked the way to the state-of-the-art, temperature-controlled infinity pool overlooking the Arabian Sea. Out of the pool, even if it’s getting dark, you can still feel the humidity and warmth of the breeze, but once you are in the pool, you can definitely forget that it’s summer.
The only downside I could think of, aside of the weather which is basically part of the thrill in every escapades, is that the resort does not allow its visitors to cook in the kitchen. Fortunately, we had enough food prepared and ready to eat. Enough for lunch, dinner, and breakfast the next day.
After dinner, everybody’s inside now, and the boys started the session with booze which we bought along the way, from this country’s famous booze shop, Barracuda.
There we were, exchanging stories about work, families, etcetera etcetera. But we didn’t finish the night without letting our nerves tremble from playing this famous jenga game. The booze we had, actually added to the challenge in playing the physical and mental game invented by a British board game designer and author, Leslie Scott. For the 3 rounds of about 15-20 minutes each, I’d say, I was fortunate enough to have taken those blocks out easily and put it on top of the tower without breaking it.
A very fun yet nerve-wracking game that is worth playing and that can be played by all ages. I actually now have thoughts of buying one soon even just this Jenga – 2006 Edition.
After the games, some hit the sack as four of us remained to finish up the 1 bottle of JD and a few bottles of beer.
The next day, after breakfast, while the group was outside, back in the beach, jet skiing and all, I was there with my family, inside the villa. My head turned a bit heavy and dizzy that I had no escape but to go back to sleep. Who wants to jet ski with a heavy head anyway. ZZZzzzzz… LOL!
The clock struck 12 and we’re all set to check out.
Once we got out from the resort’s entrance and hit the road back to Dubai, I right away felt that same usual sad feeling, realizing that we are now once again going back to reality. The well lined-up villas that surround the man-made coves suddenly disappeared from my site. All I could see once again is the man-made hill that covered the entire resort, which basically made The Cove Rotana, a Hidden Jewel of Ras Al Khaimah.
Amenities are great (except for the no cooking thing), the staff are awesome, and so on. Going back there I think will most likely happen soon.
