UAE Vacation: Banyan Tree Al Wadi Grows in Ras Al Khaimah

DUBAI, April 22, 2010 -- If what you need is a long walk in the desert, the Banyan Tree Al Wadi is the place to take it.

The hotel officially opens this month in Ras Al Khaimah, a wealthy statelet of the United Arab Emirates. The Banyan Tree's canopied bedrooms and tented villas evoke all the romance of 1001 nights, outfitted with flat screen TVs and private plunge pools. Each unit looks out onto ghaf trees and desert dunes.

The hotel is set on a wildlife preserve that hosts native birds, Arabian oryx, and different breeds of gazelle. The property is designed such that you could wake up to an oryx grazing just beyond your bedroom window. The staff offer guided bike tours of the preserve, and an on-site Falconcy Center mixes education and interaction for guests interested in native birds. The downside of vacationing in the desert habitat is an exposure to the elements; summers are excruciatingly hot, and the occasional sandstorm can keep guests indoors.

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The hotel décor is a kind of Zen Arabesque, mixing Thai and Middle Eastern accents. The Moon Bar, a rooftop lounge, serves drinks and water pipes with a view of the sunset on the sand dunes. An exceptional Thai restaurant, Saffron, overlooks a watering hole designed so that the preserve's animals can join you for dinner.