When most think of a beach holiday, a Caribbean Island, the Mediterranean Sea or perhaps drinking a fruity cocktail the swaying palm trees in the Maldives comes to mind. The polar opposite would be the Middle East which would conjure up thoughts of desert sand dunes, hump backed camels and Bedouin camps. That is until your first visit to Oman’s most spectacular ocean front getaway, the Six Senses Zighy Bay.

What is so incredible about Zighy Bay is its gorgeous natural surroundings. The arrival is through steep winding roads that weave through the craggy Hajar mountains, and deep gorges where agile goats jump from one perilous cliff to the next. The location is wonderfully remote which is what most travelers are looking for, far away from glittery malls, eight lane highways crammed with traffic, or any of the other cosmopolitan trappings. From the top of the rocky mountains, the resort comes into view located on an idyllic crescent bay with blue waters, palm trees, and miles of white sand beach.

Within an instant, guests will realize that this is not just another ordinary resort. In fact, for their arrival, some guests will choose to literally paraglide on an ultralight around the bay into the resort from the high mountain peak. Wow, talk about a grand entrance! But that is one of the endless impressive attributes of the experience at the Six Senses Zighy Bay.

The resort is located a two-hour drive from the shiny mega metropolis of Dubai. It is delightfully remote and only accessible by a four-wheel drive through a mountain fjords and Oman’s gorgeous rocky landscape of dried up wadi’s, rust colored mountains, and scruffy acacia trees.

The location is the Musandam Peninsula adjacent to a small fishing village and pretty much nothing else. The back drop is the dramatic Hajar Mountains with their rocky formations seemed to touch the sky and then drop to the sea below. The resort, which is modelled after a traditional Omani village, is at the base of the mountains and fronted by a mile-long powdery sand beach and the azure waters of the Bay of Oman.

The resort has the uncanny ability to transport its guests to a place of peace where worries and stress are no longer a travel companion. From the staff, you hear the word “Marhaba”, which is an Arabic word meaning welcome, and each of the staff make you feel that you are their personal guest.

This destination resort is wonderfully styled after an Omani village but with every modern luxury one could desire. The property’s grounds are expansive, so each villa comes with a pair of bicycles for getting around the property on the network of sandy pathways. Oman is known for its production of world-class dates and in line with this tradition the Six Senses at Zighy Bay has over1,500 date palms, pomegranate and fig trees scattered across the property. The welcome includes a cool and refreshing date smoothie followed by an escort to our room by our Guest Experience Manager (GEM) which is a cross between a personal butler, concierge and your contact for whatever will make your holiday perfect.

The property is made with earthy raw materials such as unfinished stones and slate, bamboo and reeds, untreated natural woods adding to its authenticity and blending in with its surroundings. Weary travelers seek out the Six Senses at Zighy Bay for time away from the masses and not to socialize. Even when the resort is full it’s never crowded as most guests will laze about their lovely villas or go on an excursion during the day. In morning and evenings perhaps at dinner and breakfast is pretty much the only time that guests congregate. This is a laid back and barefoot luxury type of resort so expect linen and flip-flops vs the latest designer resort wear. The resort does offer two large communal pools as well as a one mile stretch of untrampled white sand beach ideal for a romantic sunset stroll.

The 87 villas are rustic, exotic, and authentic and created to resemble a goat herders’ village from the outside. Inside past the outdoor walkway with its bamboo awning allowing for mottled light, are interiors constructed of raw materials of rough stone walls, cool slate floors, reed ceilings, and twinkling lanterns suspended with rope. All the accommodations are generous in size with the technology and gadgets one would expect of a five-star property. Wireless internet, satellite television, as well as a fully stocked mini bar and an ample fruit and snack dish to welcome guests. Romantic couples will also love the sunken bath or the outdoor artesian shower.

The Omani aesthetic continues with the outdoor marjolis which is a traditional fixture in Arabian home design. It is an area of the house where guests are welcomed, usually men, by the head of household. In this case, it was an ideal outdoor room with colourful cushions and sitting area perfect for relaxing or discussing the day’s adventures over a glass of wine.

Another outstanding feature is the infinity edge pool with dark blue slate tiles ideal for two to cool off with comfortable sun loungers to laze about and while working on the perfect tan. The villas are completely private with reeds walls, and bamboo privacy fence.

The Ocean Front villas offer a spectacular view of the ocean just beyond our sandy courtyard. There were miles of sandy beach with the clear cerulean sea as far as the eye could see. It reminds of the Caribbean than the Gulf waters and with the slight surf it is absolutely perfect for a strolling along while holding hands as the sunsets.

The Six Senses at Zighy Bay offers three dining options created to please the gourmand and wellness cuisine connoisseurs. In fact the focus of the cuisine is to create delicious food that is good for you, sourced from local suppliers or the resorts own organically grown produce.

The freshness of the dishes is due in large part to the organic farm you’ll find on the property with a potpourri of fruits and vegetables that go directly from the farm to the guest’s plate. One will often see the resort’s chefs rummaging about the gardens, trees, and nooks looking for his needed vegetable and spices for that day’s meals. The resort also has a six-acre farm nearby for a more complete offering of organically grown produce.

The Spice Market offers international and Arabian cuisine in a beautiful setting of rich colors, natural wood furnishing and Arabian decorations. A guest favorites is the Simar al bahr Moushakal which was the tasty lobster, fish fillet and prawns with Omani harissa, grilled mushrooms, local figs compote and citron tahina sauce. The cuisine is always fresh and well-seasoned with good presentation.

Around the property and on the farm, there is a smorgasbord of dates in various stages of processing. On the property they have over one thousand date trees of every type. And they find creative ways to include them as a delicious experience from the tasty date smoothie to surprisingly refreshing sparkling date juice.

A dining experience that will never be forgotten is at their restaurant Sense On The Edge. The fine dining restaurant is located on the steep cliff forged out of a mountain top rock formation and overlooks the resort. Guests are shuttled from the resort for a dining with a bird’s eye view over the bay and at Sunset it could not be more mesmerizing. This is a fine dining restaurant offing three to nine course meals. The menu is eclectic with an Arabian and international dish.

The nice thing about Six Senses Zighy Bay is that there is so much that you can do or you can do nothing at all. Both are a perfect choice. The list includes time at the beach or the endless adventures such as paragliding into Zighy Bay, trekking, mountain biking or rock climbing and or adventures in the world renown scuba diving of the Musandam peninsula.

A wonderfully less ambitious adventure is the dhow boat cruise. This romantic voyage embarks just before sunset and cruises slowly through the ocean as the steep fjords cast their shadows over the beautiful bays and fishing villages. Guest sip refreshing sparkling date juice and nibble on tasty crudités while taking in the beautiful scenery before them.

Six Senses is known for their spa experience and the Spa at Zighy Bay is no exception. It is a refuge for mind and body, a sanctuary of ultimate well-being committed to delivering integrated wellness experiences. The spa combines peace, tranquillity, fitness and health with ancient and modern holistic treatments from expert in-house and visiting wellness practitioners. The Six Senses Spa offers nine treatment rooms, a juice bar and two Arabian Hammams inspired by centuries of tradition. Guests can choose from a full menu of local and signature treatments including the four-handed Sensory Spa Journey and local Wonders of Oman Journey, delivered by skilled international therapists. The spa focuses on holistic wellness and rejuvenation programs to rejuvenate and revitalize the senses. 3, 5- and 7-day Wellness Programs.

The experience at Six Senses Zighy Bay is that of a dream destination resort. With all there is to do and see, the amazing accommodations, meals and service it is the perfect place to get away from it all and to relax and rejuvenate. It is beyond worthy of all the praises from its fortunate guests and the numerous awards it has received. Having said this, the best advice would be that when it comes to Six Senses by Zighy Bay, is that you’ll just have to experience it for yourself.