We spent 3 days at the most beautifully secluded beach resort in the UAE, Danat Jebel Dhanna Resort. When we first got here, I though “oh cool, a pool and a beach to spend the weekend by”, but little did I know that there is so much more that this resort has to offer! The ocean is seriously crystal clear.  You can walk straight into the sea for nearly a mile before the water even gets to your chest. The sea has barely any rocks and very few shells, and you feel that soft, clean sand under your feet. It really is my newly favorite beach in the UAE and I would really recommend that my friends in Dubai make the trip out. Not only is the beach really the best that I have seen in the UAE, but the amount of water activities that the hotel provides can keep you thoroughly busy throughout your stay there. There’s banana boat rides, wake boarding, knee boarding, wind surfing, kayaking, snorkeling, boat cruises and even deep sea fishing!

Since Khalifa is still a bit too small for me to take him out on adventures like this, my husband’s friend who lives in the town nearby (Ruwais), accompanied him on all of the fun water activities during the weekend. While Khalifa and I lounged on our balcony and took full advantage of our amazing full sea view, these two went kayaking. Here’s a zoomed-in picture of them taken from our balcony:

The hotel staff advised that they go during the morning hours, as the waters are quite calm during that time. The tides tend to get a bit higher in the afternoon. Also, the water temperature is absolute perfection in the morning. Its just the right warmth and you can stay in the water for hours without feeling uneasy.

It was both of their first times kayaking, so I knew that I would probably catch them flipping a few times but to my luck, they were just fine! They paddled around for almost an hour and they enjoyed it so much that they came back and then went back again to kayak a second time that same day!

The next day, we were set for a snorkeling trip, which I really wanted to go to, but again, having a 1 year old will definitely limit your water activities, so the hubs and his friend Rashid were back at it again. It would have been totally possible for me to go with Khalifa especially since my husband’s friend was also there, but you just can’t mess with a kid and his morning nap. Rashid came to the hotel by the time we were finishing up our breakfast buffet, and they headed out on to the boat that was awaiting them. Now Kushal, AKA the most amazing coordinator ever, told us the night before about a secret new snorkeling spot that was just discovered a few days before our arrival to the hotel!

We watched them take off, and within 20 minutes I got a call from my husband telling me that it was so wonderful that he was about to have the boat turn around and pick me up. Unfortunately Khalifa was already sleeping by that time, so I had to pass on the opportunity. This is them setting off on the boat:

They had an amazing time snorkeling though, and saw many different kinds of fish. The deeper they went into the water, the larger the fish got. The water, just like the water near the hotel, is crystal clear and you can see everything. If they went a little further, they could have even seen the dolphins that swim in these waters! Check out my Instagram account (www.instagram.com/sweetlifeinthesandpit) to see a video of the crystal clear waters near the coral reefs.

Unfortunately neither of their cameras could support underwater photography so I’ll have to leave the fish to your imagination, but from what they said, they saw 4-5 kinds of fish from Finding Nemo! I know I know, not the most scientific terms but they said they were cute little fish  that even came up to check out the snorkelers!

This place is so beautiful and untouched, I feel like its almost sinful to let out the secret of how great it is. It’s a paradise for people who love to snorkel. And trust me, we know–  we’ve snorkeled in several different places around the world. We’re definitely coming back here with some more friends, even if its just a day trip to go snorkeling. It’s worth every minute of the drive from the city!

Prices: 

Wake boarding, tube riding, knee boarding, windsurfing, kayaking and snorkeling are all 125 dhs each. Banana boat rides are 50 dhs. Deep sea fishing for 3 hours is 1200 dhs, while a 6 hour trip is 1800. A boat cruise for 30 minutes is 250 and for a 1 hour ride its 400 dhs.

For more information, call Danat Jebel Dhanna at +971 (0) 2 801 2222.