A seaside holiday in Ajman.
I love to travel, and a seaside holiday in tranquil Ajman seemed like a perfect solution. International travel is currently challenging, so changing tactics, and going for a safe local mini-vacation seemed ideal. It worked out perfectly, as it was an incredible experience, and I’m looking forward to my next trip.
The original plan was to go to Ajman and then to Umm Al Quwain, but we didn’t make it that far.
If you haven’t heard of these places; they are emirates (like states) in the country of United Arab Emirates (UAE). There are seven emirates all up; the most famous is Dubai. Abu Dhabi is another, which is the capital. Here is the full list:
- Abu Dhabi
- Dubai
- Sharjah
- Ras Al Khaimah
- Fujairah
- Umm Al Quwain
- Ajman
Interestingly Abu Dhabi is by far the largest emirate, nearly twenty times bigger than Dubai, which is the second biggest. Ajman is the smallest of all the emirates.
So why go for a seaside holiday in the tiny emirate Ajman?
Well, why not? All emirates are unique and have different rules and regulations. For example, Sharjah has a conservative dress code and is a dry emirate, so wouldn’t be a great place to party.
I wanted a relaxing seaside holiday and a drink on the beach. Ajman sells alcohol cheaply and has beautiful beaches, so it was a perfect combination.
From June to September isn’t the best time to explore UAE due to the heat, but for lounging around on the beach the temperature wasn’t going to stop me, so I just needed to get there.
Ajman isn’t too far from Dubai, as UAE isn’t a big country. So we could have gone by taxi, but we went by metro and bus.
The trip to Ajman.
We left early to make sure we arrived before it got too hot. The metro was quiet in the early morning. Once we got to Union metro station, the bus stop was just outside.
We must have looked lost, as a guy asked where we were going. We said Ajman, and he said the buses to Ajman didn’t start until 9 am, and it was only 7 am. But the site I checked beforehand said they commenced at 4:30 am.
I went over to the buses and double-checked, the buses to Ajman were running. He was trying to manipulate us into paying a taxi fare.
It’s always disappointing to see deceit, but luckily it doesn’t frequently occur in Dubai, and maybe it was an honest mistake.
We moved on and had time for a quick coffee before our bus left. The bus trip took about 45 minutes. Once we arrived, we walked to the hotel to have a quick look around. Ajman city is less pristine than Dubai, but it was great to see something different.
Arrival at Ajman Hotel.
We arrived at Ajman Hotel at 9 am, six hours before the check-in time. We were planning to hang out at the beach for the day, but the staff were exceptionally generous and gave us an early check-in. Six hours early, not just a little early. And to top that they also upgraded the room to deluxe for free. It was an incredibly welcoming reception.
We dropped our baggage in the room, and then straight to the beach, for a quick run before it got too hot. I don’t want to get humiliated by not reaching my running goals from my previous post.
Once I finished my run on the beach, it was time to relax and have a drink. We walked about 5 minutes to the bottle shop and stocked up.
Once we returned, we went down to the pool bar for a drink. The pool was busy, so we decided to go to the beach.
It was a beautiful sunny day. Laying in a sun lounger, drink in hand, watching the waves, on a deserted beach, was bliss. We barely moved for hours and watched the sun slowly set on the horizon. Then the sun was gone, the drinks empty, and we were getting hungry, so the moment was over.
Next, we went to Sabella’s restaurant for a buffet dinner. The food and service were exceptional. The staff were highly attentive, quickly clearing used plates, and bringing drinks as required. We ate a little too much, but luckily there was a ten-pin bowling alley to work off some of the food.
The bowling alley had a bar, so we had another drink – drinking seems to be a reoccurring theme – and played our game. We were exhausted, so after a game, we retired for the night.
We don’t want to leave.
The next day we went to the same restaurant for the buffet breakfast, which was great again.
We were enjoying ourselves and wanted to stay another night. Umm Al Quwain will have to wait for another time.
We went to reception to organise another night, and they kindly let us stay in the same deluxe room for the same price. Meals were adding up, so we went for the half-board option, which covers breakfast and dinner.
Time for another relaxing day. We stayed in the hotel during the heat of the day. Once it cooled, we went back to the beach for some drinks in the afternoon. We had the same problems as the previous day while enjoying the moment, the sun slowly disappeared, we finished our drinks, and hunger arrived.
For dinner, we enjoyed the other restaurant, Bukhara, which was an Indian themed restaurant. The food was delicious, and the restaurant had a cosy feel. The staff were again very attentive.
We had a few drinks on the balcony after dinner, as the view was incredible before calling it a night.
Next morning, we had our buffet breakfast and then time to head home.
Overall a relaxing holiday.
Ajman is a great place for a tranquil seaside holiday, and I would certainly go again. We did eat and drink a little too much, but it was a holiday. We stayed at the hotel and beach due to the heat, if it was colder exploring the city would be nice. But that doesn’t detract from an incredibly relaxing escape.