DIVING INTO RAS AL KHAIMAH

THE U.A.E'S NORTHERNMOST EMIRATE IS ALL ABOUT ENJOYING NATURAL TREASURES, FROM SOARING OVER THE AL-HAJAR MOUNTAINS ON THE WORLD'S LONGEST ZIPLINE TO PERUSING PRECIOUS PEARLS BY THE SEASHORE

- JULIAN MANNING

"There are only three of these in the world." The docent gently dangles a sparkling subhah, Islamic prayer beads, made of the region's AA pearls cast in silver: one belongs to the royal family of Ras Al Khaimah, the other to the late sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said, and the last hangs from his outstretched hand, gently bobbing to the sway of the al fresco pontoon museum we're standing upon. The scene harkens back to the Ras Al Khaimah of yore, a time before the Arabian oil boom, when pearling was the long-time commercial gem that put Julfar, the region's historical name, on the map.

While the U.A.E. we know today might be dominated by images of Dubai and Abu Dhabi's scintillating skyscrapers, here, in Ras Al Khaimah, the varied terrain and well-preserved wealth of the past are treasures that stretch from its pearly shores, across the wildlife of desert dunes, to the immense sense of adventure that sits at the top of Jebel Jais mountain. And this nurtured heritage is paving the way for travellers to enjoy its many natural riches, all while indulging in the milk-and-honey luxury of the Emirates.

SEASHORE SPLENDOUR