Zighy Bay
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!