02 December 2018

This holiday has to have been one of my favourite trips ever! Having previously honeymooned in another Six Senses resort in the Maldives, we had high expectations and Six Senses Zighy Bay did not disappoint! We flew direct from Dublin to Abu Dhabi as we had planned a two-centre holiday – Zighy Bay in Oman first and then onto Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. The drive from Abu Dhabi to Zighy Bay is approximately 3 and a half hours (only 2 hours from Dubai) but as soon as our driver got on the road, we were glued to the window admiring the vast Arabian Peninsula and the journey flew by! Six Senses Zighy Bay is a hidden gem located on Oman’s northern Musandam Peninsula. Due to its unique location, guests have the choice of 3 arrival experiences - The dramatic 4x4 drive down from the top of the hill overlooking the bay is the usual choice for guests but for a supplementary charge, you can take a scenic 15-minute speedboat trip from a nearby port or for the ultimate arrival experience, they can paraglide in! Did I do this? No, as I was 6 months pregnant and I don’t think the paraglide would have been able to hold me up, even if it did, I think I would have looked more like a small elephant paragliding into the resort and somehow, I don’t quite think that this was the image Zighy Bay was looking for! The scenery here is truly breath-taking as you have dramatic mountains on one side of the resort and a mile-long powdery beach on the other along, with stunning views of the majestic Gulf of Oman in front of you. What more could you ask for?! Zighy Bay has 82 family friendly private villas (different sizes and prices). We were lucky enough to stay in one of the amazing beachfront pool villas which had its own private pool, very spacious outdoor lounge/dining area and direct access onto the beach. Our 18-month-old loved the Omani hut, it was her own little hideout and as it was in the shade, it was a great escape from the midday sun. Each villa comes with its own bicycles, which is a great way to get around. If you don’t fancy walking or hopping on the bicycle you can always call your own private butler to come and collect you in the buggy and chauffeur you to your destination (which is probably only a 5 minutes’ walk from your villa but being pregnant I did call on her once!) There are lots of excellent dining options and of course the stunning mountaintop Sense on the Edge restaurant is a must (please note this is only open Wednesday-Sunday and pre-booking is essential). Zighy Bar is very chilled with its happy hour referred to as the “no rush hour” from 9:30pm-midnight. I have to admit that with a toddler in tow, we were in bed early most nights, so we didn’t get to avail of the no rush hour too much! However, one night we did book a babysitter and went to the cinema on the beach where we relaxed under the stars, ate popcorn and watched Ferris Buellers day off! There is a kid’s club and a teens club which will keep the children entertained (very important!). We brought our little girl to the kid’s club where she did lots of arts and crafts and some activities. Happy toddler = happy parents! Babysitting is also available. Guests can avail of a range of experiences whether it’s mountain biking, paragliding, snorkelling, hiking diving, a sunset Dhow cruise or a pampering session at their award-winning spa, you won’t be stuck for things to do. My husband decided to try the micro lighting which he said was amazing and the views were breath-taking, although it wasn’t so amazing for me to watch him, how I didn’t go into early labour then I’ll never know! Service throughout the resort is relaxed but excellent. Six Senses Zighy Bay is the ideal destination for families and couples – whether it’s a honeymoon or a special occasion, a holiday here will be truly one you will always remember. After 5 days here, it was time for us to leave. Would I return? In a heartbeat!

18 October 2018

When it came to our honeymoon, I (oops, I mean we!) had decided on a 3 centre holiday, combining the Maldives with Chiang Mai and Khao Lak in Thailand. The first stop on our honeymoon was to the eco-friendly Gili Lankanfushi resort in the Maldives which was formerly known as Six Senses Soneva Gili. Upon arrival at Male International Airport we were welcomed by the resort staff and taken to our comfy speedboat. The resort has a “no news, no shoes” philosophy so while on board the speedboat our host offered to take our shoes along with our luggage and that was the last time we wore shoes for the week, even at dinner! Of course, you can wear shoes if you like but we loved the barefoot luxury of Gili Lankanfushi. The location of the resort is a huge advantage as some resorts involve a seaplane transfer which only operate in daylight hours so depending on the arrival time of your international flight, you may be required to overnight in Male on your arrival or departure day. Within 15-20 minutes of boarding our speedboat we arrived at Gili Lankanfushi. Arriving here is like arriving in paradise! The scenery is breathtaking. Powdery white beaches, lush tropical vegetation with plenty of palm trees, and turquoise, clear waters in the stunning lagoon. The staff here are absolutely fantastic and so attentive but not intrusive. Upon arrival at the island, you will be met by the general manager and your personal butler, called “Mr or Ms Friday” (in line with the Robinson Crusoë ambiance of the island). Whenever you need something during your stay, you just press a button on the villa phone and it will connect you directly to your Mr./Ms. Friday. The Fridays will also be there to wave you off when you leave (something you will be reluctant to do). All 45 overwater villas are massive, amongst the largest in the world, and come in 4 categories; villa suites, residences, Crusoe residences and the Private reserve. They are built of natural materials, with beautifully appointed bedrooms and bathrooms, and with maximum use of deck space to soak up the sun. As we were on our honeymoon, there was a bottle of champagne, fresh fruit platter and a “Happy Honeymoon” cake waiting for us which was a lovely touch. From the steps of our villa we had direct access into the crystal-clear waters of the lagoon. Each villa also comes with a rooftop terrace, perfect for stargazing every night. We availed of the in-villa dining for our first few nights as our villa was just so stunning it was hard to leave! The food here is amazing and plenty of dining options to choose from. Now that the wedding was over I was able to indulge a bit more!! Four evenings per week the beach and overwater bar are transformed into a buzzing market experience. We love Asian food and were lucky enough to experience the ‘Asian Street Market’ themed night where the beach was lined with stalls of different types of Asian food, it really was spectacular. They also have ‘Mediterranean Spice Souk’, ‘Passage to India’ and’ Maldivian Seafood Grill’ themed nights. We also booked wine tasting in their stunning underground wine cellar. We mingled with other guests and had great fun with the extremely knowledgeable sommelier! Although our villa was only a short walk away, my husband decided we would cycle back – he would cycle, and I’d be on the carrier seat! Not the best of ideas after a few too many glasses of wine, there was a lot of starting and stopping with my darling husband claiming that I was too heavy to carry, the cheek!! It was more like his inadequate cycling skills!! There are a wide range of activities and excursions guests can avail of. I booked one of the amazing treatments at the incredible Meera Spa. With its over water treatment rooms and glass floor panel, this spa really has the wow factor. After 8 nights of pure R&R at this idyllic paradise, it was time for us to leave and travel to our next destination – Thailand.