Rooms

Designed to resemble traditional Omani houses, the stone-walled villas are like individual compounds, with private infinity pools, terraces with dining tables, sunloungers and a shady outdoor seating spot. Inside, the design is open-plan. Local materials are celebrated with reed ceilings, flagstone floors, rough stucco walls and natural fabrics. Soft furnishings in Buddhist orange, yellow and purple inject colour. There are seating areas with a large TV and wine fridge; beds are simple but comfortable. All have a large soaking tub and rain shower in the bathroom, and most have an outdoor shower, too. Each villa has bikes for guests to use; handy to pootle around the resort.

The range of different villas spans from 'Pool' and 'Beachfront' up to 'Spa' categories (with their own treatment room). There are larger suites for families. We tried both a 'Pool' and 'Beachfront' villa, and if you can afford to splurge, book beachfront. It's a bucket-list experience to walk straight from your private infinity pool onto the beach. There are also 2 Retreats; bigger villas for groups.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Fan
• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

Spearheaded by their own organic farm and garden, the resort’s restaurants provide a wide variety of culinary options. Sense on the Edge, their signature restaurant, is perched 300m high in the mountains overlooking the bay, and provides fine-dining set menus that match the jaw-dropping views.

Spice Market hosts breakfast each day - a bewildering array catering for the health conscious to the indulgent - as well as nightly Arabic feasts including regional mezzes and a heavenly rose ice cream.

Summer House offers broader international cuisine in a laidback setting overlooking the main pool - kale garden salad with roasted pumpkin or jumbo prawns with fennel, that sort of thing. Finally, beachfront Shua Shack embraces the local sharing culture with Bedouin-style platters cooked in the underground oven. We devoured the Omani lobster with homegrown farm vegetables.

The regular evening food events add even more variety. Beach BBQs were great fun, and we loved the Asian street food market where guests mingled while ordering pad thai and crispy duck.

Features include:

• Bar
• Coffee maker
• Restaurant
• Room service

Activities

• The warm sea, which rarely dips below 23 degrees, is fabulous for snorkelling and scuba diving; the corals of Musandam are among the best in the world. You might spot bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles, reef sharks and eagle rays, as well as a variety of colourful fish
  
• Thrill-seekers will relish the endless adventure opportunities, from flying a microlight or tandem paragliding from the cliffs, to biking and hiking in the Hajar mountains
  
• For something more sedate, try line fishing or kayaking
  
• The Peninsula’s dramatic coastline is largely inaccessible by car so best explored by water. We cruised on the hotel’s dhow boat, stopping in fjords en route to swim, kayak and sunbathe
  
• Chill out in the fabulous spa. Nine treatment rooms offer a menu of locally inspired holistic treatments and beauty therapies, using only natural products. We loved the soothing holistic massage and the cooling rose crystal lymphatic drainage facial. There are also 2 Moroccan hammams, and daily yoga and Pilates classes
  
• There's an outdoor beach cinema; watch movies with wireless headphones under the stars
  
• For a change of pace, the hotel can arrange day trips to Dibba (a pretty fishing port and a stunning mosque) or Dubai (yet more skyscrapers)

Kids

This is a popular family hotel and children up to the age of 11 stay for free. Each villa has a private pool, the beach is extremely clean and the sea is calm and warm, perfect for paddling and snorkelling. Kids aged 4-10 can be kept entertained at the free kids club; there's a free club for older kids too, and babysitting is available for littlies. The hotel has lots of baby-related kit to borrow, as well as bikes to cycle around the resort. The whole family will enjoy movie nights with popcorn on the beach.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

The Pool Villa, Pool Villa Beachfront and Pool Villa Suite Beachfront categories each sleep a family of 3, with a baby cot or extra bed. The Duplex 2-Bedroom Pool Villas can accommodate 2 adults + 2 children in a kingsize and twin bedroom, and have space for a baby cot or extra bed.

Distances:

• Airport 120km (Dubai)
• Shops: 15km (Dibba)
• Hospital: 15km (Dibba)

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Six Senses Zighy Bay is located on Oman’s northern Musandam Peninsula, a scenic 120-minute journey from Dubai through desert and mountains. Be aware that this is not an easy bolt-on for trips to Muscat as the drive is at least 5 hours. Once here, the nearest city is Dibba (15km), but guests rarely venture out of the resort.

Note: visitors must send the hotel their passport details at least 3 working days prior to arrival, to obtain a border pass to cross the UAE-Oman check point. No alcohol may be brought over the border.

By Air:
Fly into Dubai International Airport (122km). From here, most guests take an airport transfer to the hotel: choose from 4WD limousine, speedboat, or paraglide here! Alternatively you can self-drive - see our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.