Flaming streaks filtered through dark puffy clouds over gently breaking waves on a quiet beach as I pulled the curtain aside for a breathtaking view. “You must view the pre-dawn,” Monica Majors had recommended the previous night. “It’s simply beautiful”.
And so I had set an alarm for just before 6am. But my bed in the Beach View Villa at Six Senses Zighy Bay Resort proved more alluring on this chilly December morning.
I’d arrived the previous afternoon at the resort hidden in the Hajjar Mountains after a two-hour ride from Dubai. For some reason “Sinbad” was the first thought that crossed my mind as we crested the mountaintop before the descent into the tiny beachside village of Zighy Bay.
You’ll feel like the legendary traveller coming across the valley of gems — only thing is you’ll find a “nest” of rough grey buildings instead of gems. Just then an excited whoop was heard. I turned my face upwards to the right and spotted, just like the giant eagle in the tale, a brightly coloured hand-glider silhouetted against the high afternoon sky floating towards the grey buildings.
Yes, you can arrive by air too at Six Senses Zighy Bay. Alternatively, you can sail into the small bay or, like me, drive across the dusty road off Dibba Port. After the short bumpy ride from Dibba — drive from Dubai to Dibba was a breeze — on a sunny afternoon, nothing will refresh you like a chilled date and banana smoothie and being greeted by staff wearing cool comfortable cream-coloured tunics and loose pants or kandoras.
While Ary, my butler, processed the check-in formalities, Majors, PR and media manager at the resort, acquainted us — three journalists from Dubai — to the property.
Located on Oman’s northern Mussandam Peninsula, the resort is nestled between the dramatic mountains on one side and a 1.6 kilometre sandy beach on the other. The deceptive plain grey buildings wil give no indication of the understated elegance and comfort each holds. The villas range from suites to multiple rooms to speciality villas with their own kitchen, dining areas, spa and gym. Each villa also houses a personal pool and is furnished with natural and drift wood, giving it a rustic yet chic feel.
Planning to meet again in a couple of hours after lunch — served at the Summer House — Majors let Ary lead us to our villas. Mine was a corner beach view villa, the farthest down the dusty lane. Surprisingly some had bicycles parked outside with number tags, which I was told marked the visit (or return of the guest).The rustic white and brown room, with hints of the glorious amber I witnessed the next morning, held an indoor and outdoor shower, and a deep tub apart from the personal pool.
The shimmering pool was enticing so I decided to skip the buffet at the Summer House and called in-room service. My roasted tomato and basil soup, spaghetti Bolognese and homemade ice cream arrived a half hour later. The soup was excellent but the Bolognese was a little disappointing — too meaty for my taste. The ice cream was the highlight of my lazy lunch by the pool.
But the disappointment was erased during dinner at the resort’s signature restaurant Sense on the Edge. We sat on the terrace with executive chef Richard Lee and chef de cuisine James Knight-Pacheco, the tiny lights of the resort 293 metres below competing with the twinkling stars above us. If you are looking to impress a loved one, book a romantic sunrise breakfast at the platform just off the restaurant. But, if you are looking for a casual evening, head to the Shua Shack at the beach for a Bedouin style experience with lamb cooked in an underground oven. Another thing you cannot miss is a picnic style lunch in the organic gardens but be prepared for “uninvited guests” flying in to partake of the fare.
The highlight of the resort is the Six Senses spa — my destination next day after the memorable dawn and a filling breakfast at the Spice Market. If you prefer a bit of adrenalin rush, paraglide or dive and snorkel to catch some wonderful aerial or underwater sights, respectively.
My four-hands 90-minute Sensory Spa Journey was the much needed antidote for the few very busy weeks I had had. But the tension relief was not just super-relaxing, it also made me hungry and, as I walked the short distance to my villa, I was looking forward to the lunch at the organic gardens (of course, with flying friends) before check out and departure by speedboat
