Oman's Six Senses Zighy Bay to reopen in October after 18-month closure

Guests will reach the luxury eco-hideaway via an epic three-hour 4x4 drive through the mountains of Musandam

After being closed for 18 months because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Oman's Six Senses Zighy Bay will reopen on October 15. Photos: Six Senses

Oman's Six Senses Zighy Bay will reopen to travellers from next month.

The five-star escape in Musandam will welcome guests again from October 15, after being closed for 18 months because of Covid-19 restrictions.

Travellers heading to the hideaway from the UAE will need to be ready for an adventure, as the journey to get to the resort often frequented by celebrities now involves a three-hour off-roading adventure through sprawling wadis, mountain ridges and ancient Omani settlements.

This is because the Oman-UAE checkpoint at Dibba remains closed to visitors. During this time, Six Senses Zighy Bay is only reachable via the northern border of Khasab, about a three-hour drive from Dubai.

Guests heading to the luxury resort in Oman need to have a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival to cross the border.

Once on the other side, Six Senses Zighy Bay's specially designed 4x4 vehicles will be waiting to take travellers on a unique off-road drive that’s not for the faint-hearted.

Known for its village-inspired rustic surrounds and unrivalled sense of privacy, Six Senses Zighy Bay is also famed for its James Bond-eqsue arrival options, with travellers able to paraglide into the resort from the surrounding mountaintops.

For thrill seekers looking for that experience, Six Senses Zighy Bay has confirmed that as soon as the Dibba checkpoint reopens, guests will once again be able to arrive via the resort's in-house professional paraglider.

“We are all thrilled to be able to welcome guests back to the resort,” said Andrew Spearman, general manager at Six Senses Zighy Bay. "It’s been a long 18 months where we’ve been unable to see and share guests' smiles, laughter and sense of wonder when they visit us, and so we can’t wait to get back to what we do best, providing memories that will last a lifetime.

“We’ve worked incredibly hard to maintain the resort during our hiatus, and we’re looking forward to showcasing it both to familiar faces and new guests, for what will be a new chapter in the story of Six Senses Zighy Bay.”

New beachfront villas and carbon-conscious stays

Six Senses Zighy Bay has always taken its environmental responsibility seriously via waste recycling systems, tree-planting experiences and using locally sourced produce. It also produces its own bottled water using reverse osmosis, reusing the salt water that's been filtered out to fill its salt water pool, which just happens to be the largest in the Middle East.

Now, guests can get in on the act by booking a Carbon Neutral stay. This means that for every night spent at the resort Six Senses will donate $10 to wind turbine projects, helping travellers to offset the carbon produced during their visit.

Families or groups heading to the hideaway might want to consider booking one of the The Reserve or Retreat beachfront villas, which have been refurbished over the past 18 months.

The three and four-bedroom villas located on the resort's private shoreline now offer a modern take on the resort's rustic vibes, and have been renovated using locally sourced materials from across the sultanate.

Stays start from Dh3,996; Six Senses Zighy Bay, Musandam Peninsula, Oman; sixsenses.com