There is something so magical about the desert – the vastness, the sparseness, the raw beauty of it all. But also its peacefulness, filling our eyes, minds, hearts and lungs with an essential hiatus from urban interruptions. When you find a hotel that frames that experience and curates beautiful journeys around the healing power of its sandy surrounds, it becomes a tonic for the soul, and somewhere you’ll return to time and again.
Al Wathba, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa in Abu Dhabi is one such place, flanked as it is by undulating dunes and uninterrupted skylines. Suffused with natural beauty and tranquillity, it’s an awe-inspiring retreat that invites guests to reconnect with both themselves and nature.
Traditional design elements in the rooms and suites blend almost seamlessly into the landscape, with muted tones across furnishings, carvings, screens, and traditional rugs, while the dune-facing balconies and terraces allow guests to soak up the sights and sounds of the desert from the comfort of their five-star sanctuary.
Swimming, immersive spa treatments and feasting at one of its four restaurants are what leisurely days are made for. But there’s also a vast roster of activities for those with an urge to experience and explore. Guests can flex their eye co-ordination with a game of archery, learning one of the oldest hunting techniques in the world, or travel back in time to discover the history of the UAE with a sunrise or sunset falconry show. Sometimes four feet are better than two when it comes to adventure, so guests can also take out one of the resort’s majestic Arabian horses for a desert hack, or ride a camel through the shimmering Al Wathba dunes to experience what it was like to live and travel as a Bedouin. Further equine encounters can be found at the stables for younger guests, with an introduction to the resort’s ponies, Lucky and Rocky.
For something more adrenaline-filled, guests can surf amidst the Arabian desert with Al Wathba’s Wave Rider simulator, or you can head out into the desert in a 4-wheel dune buggy to track down intriguing spots with fascinating views.
To top it all off, you’re invited to sit around a bonfire to exchange stories of your day in the desert with fellow guests, sipping on traditional Arabic coffee and tea, with Arabic sweets under a twinkling night’s sky. The perfect end to an incredible day.
Stay:
WHAT: Al Wathba, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa
WHERE: Abu Dhabi, UAE