Archery, Fat Bikes and an Arabian Horse. Archery, fat bikes and horse riding are the 3 land-based activities here, and the age rules are worth knowing before you promise a child anything. Archery runs 90 minutes at static targets set at several ranges: 10 and over by day, 12 and over at night. The fat bikes — the only bicycle that works on sand — are 14 and over, manual or electric, across several trekking routes. Horse riding is 10 and over, with a maximum rider weight of 85 kilos, full-length trousers, closed shoes and a helmet provided, and it is tailored to whatever you can actually do rather than to what you said on the form.
Laser Clay, Padel and 3 Floodlit Courts. The newest thing on the property is laser clay shooting: recoil-free rifles, up to 5 of you, an hour, out under open sky and done in the evening when the temperature has dropped. Beside it there is a padel court with the desert behind the back glass, which is a strange and excellent place to play doubles, and 3 tennis courts, all shaded and all floodlit for night play with equipment provided. The fitness centre is open around the clock, and there are guided Technogym sessions you can follow in the room instead.
The Little Bedouins Club, and the Rest of It for Children. The kids' club takes children of 4 to 11, runs 9 until 7 with qualified supervisors and a daily programme, and was rebuilt recently. The main pool has its own shallow padded area, a spray pool, mini sunbeds and cabanas. Beyond that the desert does the work — camel rides sized for children, dune boarding, the falcon show, a visit to the gazelles and the oryx at Ezba, treasure hunts and excursions. Babysitting starts from age one, with certified childcare staff who between them speak several languages, on 24 hours' notice. A play tent can also be set up in your room, with mini robes, no-tear toiletries, a small bathtub, a changing pad and a bottle steriliser.
Spice Spoons, and the Cooking It Teaches. Anantara's cooking class, in its Middle Eastern version, run by a chef rather than by an activities host. It runs daily and wants 48 hours' notice, which is the tell that it is a real session and not a demonstration — the market list has to go out. It answers the question guests ask on day two, which is what exactly is in the spice mix that has been on everything since they arrived.
Stargazing, and Why It Is Actually Good Here. This is the part of the UAE furthest from a city, and the difference is not marginal. On a moonless night the sky here is what the sky in the Gulf looked like before the Gulf had cities in it: the Milky Way visible as structure rather than as haze, and enough satellites crossing to make a game of it. There is a guided evening for it. Bring a jumper — a January night in the Liwa can go down to 8 degrees, which nobody packs for.
