Done Dubai? UAE’s Ras Al-Khaimah offers luxury travel at a fraction of the price – and a 3km zipline

One of seven emirates, Ras Al-Khaimah is a more affordable choice compared to glitzy Dubai

Aerial view of Ras al Khaimah over the mangroves and the creek in the United Arab Emirates at sunrise. Photo: Getty

Isabel Conway

I’m kneeling on a remote mountainside. Nearby, curious goats leap from one sandstone boulder to the next as they watch strange humans attempt to light a fire without matches or a lighter.

Welcome to a survival crash course, according to celebrity television survivalist Bear Grylls, in Ras Al-Khaimah, the most northerly emirate of the United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf.