The world’s first Bear Grylls Explorers Camp opened its doors in Ras Al Khaimah in October, equipping would-be adventurers with all the survival tips and skills they need to make it in the wilderness.
And the experience has now expanded to allow guests to take that one step further with an overnight stay. Granted, it is not quite a night spent completely under the stars surrounded by nothing but nature, but it certainly isn’t a five-star resort, either.
New to the base camp in Jebel Jais are nine recycled and redesigned cabins, which will become the world's first Bear Grylls-branded accommodation. The unique outdoor lodging will allow guests to experience more of the great outdoors and tailor their experience at the Bear Grylls Explorers Camp, with activity options including instructor-led survival courses, mountain biking and climbing, as well as self-guided and instructor-led hikes.
The Bear Grylls Explorers Camp survival course:
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The new Bear Grylls Explorers Camp in Ras Al Khaimah. All photos courtesy Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority -
Base camp at the new Bear Grylls Explorers Camp in Ras Al Khaimah. -
Participants are given an introduction before heading into the outdoors. -
Outdoor essentials for the Bear Grylls Explorers Camp survival course. -
The Bear Grylls Explorers Camp takes participants into the wadis of Jebel Jais. -
Jebel Jais is home to the UAE's highest peak. -
The camp offers four, eight and 24-hour survival courses. -
Course leaders Martin Norton and Leon. -
Participants are taught Bear Grylls's essential survival tips. -
The course's instructors have all been trained at the Bear Grylls Survival Academy, and some have worked closely with the British adventurer. -
The team learn essential knife skills, such as how to carve a peg from wood. -
A lesson in knots. -
The course will take participants through rocky mountain terrain. -
The team learn how to tie different knots and what they are used for. -
The National's Sophie Prideaux channels her inner Bear Grylls. -
Participants in the survival courses will learn how to make fire. -
The course teaches essential survival skills, including how to make fire. -
Success! The course will teach you the different ways to start a fire in the wilderness. -
Participants learn how to build a trap for food -
Participants are put through their paces with a number of survival challenges. -
Grubs up: The National's Sophie Prideaux eats meal worms on the Bear Grylls Explorers Camp survival course. -
The National's Sophie Prideaux is put through her paces. -
The National's Sophie Prideaux abseils as part of the Bear Grylls Explorers Camp in Jebel Jais. -
Sophie Prideaux scales the side of a cliff face.
The accommodation is designed to host up to three adults, or two adults and one child, with basic self-catering facilities, including a private barbecue on a private outdoor terrace to prepare meals. Upon checking in, visitors will find their cabins made up and equipped with plates, bowls, cutlery, mugs, barbecue tools and toilet paper, while the on-site shop provides further amenities such as snacks and firewood that can be purchased if needed. The camp is also dog-friendly, welcoming up to two dogs per cabin with an extra charge of Dh50. Owners are however asked to keep their pets on a leash and accompanied at all times.
Camp guests will have the option to take part in a survival course run by UK experts trained at the Bear Grylls Survival Academy, with half-day (three to four hours), eight-hour and 24-hour options available. The courses are designed for adults and families, outdoor enthusiasts, or as team building activities for corporate companies.
Participants will be exposed to both practical and extreme survival techniques for some of the world’s toughest terrains, and can expect plenty of surprises along the way.
The camp will be taking bookings from Wednesday. Prices start from Dh450 per night per cabin on weekdays, and Dh650 on weekends. More information can be found here.
