I could have experienced the most spectacular and extreme check-in in the world, but I chickened out. You can arrive at Six Senses Zighy Bay by paraglider, leaping off the high cliff of the Sabatyn plateau and landing on the beach. Yet even the glittering reflections on the water, the light breeze and the glorious sensation of flight could not persuade me to take that step, instructor or no instructor behind my back. And my luggage would have been sent to the hotel overland with a butler, instead of being strapped to me as cargo. So I decided I would admire everything from above later and arrived at the hotel in the most ordinary way possible: by parking at reception.
Still, registration had its own little flourish. I was offered a welcome drink, immediately handed hot Arabic coffee and had the iconic Six Senses dots drawn on my hand in henna as a wish for a pleasant stay.
Six Senses Zighy Bay is a remarkable place in every sense. First, it is one of the few hotels on the Arabian Peninsula where you can throw open the shutters of your villa and hear the surf of the Gulf of Oman. Second, you feel cut off from civilization, although all the glamour of this world is only a two-hour drive away, in Dubai. Third — this is already Oman.
The Musandam Peninsula looks like a finger sticking up from the northern border of the UAE, pointing toward Iran. And although this is, quite literally, the edge of geography, these lands have always been of interest to all kinds of powers and conquerors. At various times it was controlled by the Portuguese, then by the Dutch and the British — right up until 1970. It was also a subject of dispute between Arab sheikhs and the rulers of Oman, until local communities finally expressed their wish to join Oman.
From a sun lounger by the pool, you would never guess that one of the world’s busiest waterways lies nearby, with tankers carrying oil along it. If local stories are to be believed, 20 percent of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
In Musandam, the dominance of the Hajar Mountains is also felt very strongly. They are always behind your back — well, if you are looking at the blue water — shielding you from sandstorms and strong winds. Lying in the shade of palm trees, you do not even remember that this land is arid. At Six Senses Zighy Bay, however, more than 1,400 palm trees have been planted, including date palms. The resort also has its own organic garden, where around 30 different herbs are grown for use in food, drinks and spa treatments. Fresh fruit and vegetables, milk, eggs and even cheese from the resort’s own cheesery are supplied from the farm in nearby Dibba.
You notice the gastronomic abundance especially at breakfast in Spice Market. No, do not get me wrong: lunches with an emphasis on healthy recipes and dinners with light food are wonderful too. But breakfasts deserve their own applause. Organic smoothies and juices. Avocado toast and various kinds of porridge. The choice will delight everyone who takes care of their body, and especially those who are only planning to start.
At Six Senses Zighy Bay, they have gone wonderfully mad over the whole eco theme. The villa has plenty of organic cosmetics made from natural ingredients: shampoos and conditioners, scrubs and body balms, even toothpaste in tablets. Woven slippers stand by the bed, and a wooden toothbrush waits in a glass.
The hotel even has a water purification system. Every day, 400,000 liters of water are treated for watering plants and filling pools, as well as for drinking and bathing. And of course, Six Senses Zighy Bay does not use plastic; bags and other items are biodegradable. Organic waste is turned into compost.
And that is not all. All those comfortable mattresses are also handmade from environmentally friendly materials — sheep’s wool and organic latex. The beds are made with fine sheets of unbleached cotton, and you can choose a comfortable ergonomic pillow from a menu. And if you become a follower of the three-day Sleep wellness program, you will also be given bamboo pajamas and a tracker to monitor your sleep phases.
It feels good to exist among all this. It seems that by merely being there, you are doing the world some good. Even if you are lying like a log on a 1.5-kilometer beach or lazing in the pool. Mine, at my villa, was magnificent. I had no desire to leave the boundaries of this private enclave within an enclave. In theory, things could have stayed that way. The butler would have taken care of everything — although he already brought fruit and cold drinks to the majlis and even arranged a fine little party for me on my patio by the pool one evening.
From my villa to the resort’s command center, it was a five-minute walk or a couple of minutes by bicycle. I liked walking on the soft sand, throwing my head back to look at the mountain peaks, where paragliding enthusiasts floated overhead. I liked Mezzeria, the beach bar where they served the most delicious prawns for lunch and an imaginative fruit jelly with a glass of ice-cold prosecco. And the languid dinners at Summer House, especially at the hour when the long-awaited night coolness descended from the mountains. Try the Omani pasta with prawns and the local grilled fish — pure delight!
I left the hotel only once — or rather, I reached the nearby pier and set off on a trip through the fjords, which here are called khors, on a traditional Dhabab boat. The sun was setting, and I was drifting toward sleep. That evening the waves felt stronger, but as soon as we entered the quiet waters of the bays, energy and curiosity about the surrounding landscapes returned at once. Goats ran along sheer cliffs, and boats were parked by houses like luxury cars beside garages. Peach-colored mountains, lit by the sun. Emerald water, where Ridley turtles swam. And me — jumping off the deck of the boat.
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