There are few things that make a two-hour drive into the darkness of the desert a tempting proposition, especially on a Thursday evening. We made an exception for a weekend at Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara.
Hollowed out of the Liwa dunes, Qasr Al Sarab is a retreat with a difference. The location is remote (remember to fill up on petrol and check your oil before you head off) but this place is anything but rustic.
As you cruise along the 150km road through Liwa and on to Hameem, the nearest spot to the resort and the sign you swift-learn to keep a very close eye on, there is nothing but dunes and the odd wild camel, as far as the eye can see. Not that you can see much of anything beyond sundown, there are also no street lights. This is intriguing and terrifying in equal measure given the width of the road but it certainly adds to the mystique of the journey.
An hour or so later, we see the twinkling lights of what looks like a magic kingdom ahead of us. The dicey drive suddenly pales into insignificance.
Next, comes the bumpy bit, as we rumble down the 12km stretch from the main road to the hotel itself. After passing through a number of impressive archways, we finally come to a standstill in the courtyard of the eerily beautiful palace or qasr.
After checking in, we hop on a buggy to check out our digs before a late dinner. We’re lucky enough to be staying in a villa, complete with its own pool, terrace and desert views. It was breathtaking at 9pm when we arrived but this was nothing compared to watching the sun rise to the sound of the water trickling around our pool. There is no better noise to wake up to, the perfect antidote to the continual clang of the city.
After an early morning, spent wondering if we had ever experienced such joyous peace and quiet in the UAE, food was calling.
Hotel breakfasts are, nine times out of ten, buffets, often quite bland ones. But this was no ordinary spread. Fruit of every variety, fresh, dried or jammed. At least 20 different breads and pastries, eggs any way you want them, cakes, cold cuts and much more besides. We could have stayed there all day but expanding waistlines meant a couple of laps in the communal pool were mandatory..
After a few hours spent relaxing by the water, listening to other guests discussing their dawn treks from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, we headed for lunch. For the first time ever, we willingly returned to the scene of breakfast and not just because it was buffet or bust, as is often the case. It just looked too darn good to resist.
Breakfast had been replaced with every kind of salad, seafood and cheese you could imagine, complete with breads of every breed, juicy roasts and sticky puddings.
Again, we could have stayed for hours, but an afternoon reading, and digesting, on our private terrace, taking in the view, beckoned before an early evening trip to the spa.
As with every other aspect of the resort, the spa was faultless. Superbly trained Thai masseuses calm tired feet and pummel the desk-bent backs of weekend guests and European jet-setters every day of the week. Our hour-long Swedish massage lulled us into a heavenly afternoon slumber before a golf buggy whisked us back to the villa to watch the sun go down. A more perfect day you could not imagine.
As the sun set behind the dunes, drinks on the rooftop were irresistible before another amazing meal, courtesy of Suhail, the resort’s second a la carte restaurant. We tried the first, Ghadeer, for a late night bite on the evening we arrived and while the food was superb, the menu was a little limited for a return visit.
Again, the food at Suhail was outstanding.The choice is not vast but what there is is consistently delicious. The same goes for the rest of the resort. The chefs clearly take pride in everything, from breakfast basics like scrambled eggs (out of this world) to more complicated taster menus.
As we leave the next day, we grab a few words with the resort’s Head Butler. He’s only been at the resort for seven-weeks but is already smitten with the scenery. He tells us it’ll be even more impressive once the hundreds of gazelle and Oryx arrive to populate the 90kms of untouched desert that surrounds the resort, as they will in the coming months.
He also mentions the staff accommodation that he has just moved into, all on site in a purpose-built block. It transpires that there are no more than two members of staff per room and each has its own plasma-screen TV. Not bad at all, when you consider the usual standards across the region.
The complex also has extra staff facilities, like a gym and a supermarket. Extras that go some way to explaining the happy faces and excellent service we receive during our stay. Other employers in the region could learn a lot from Anantara, it would seem.
Driving back along the bumpy track (it’s currently being knocked into shape, don’t worry if you don’t have a 4 x 4, we didn’t either) onto the main road home, we’re already missing Qasr Al Sarab but we’re happy in the knowledge that we will certainly be back.
Check out our weekend picture diary here.
Eat
Buffet breakfast at Al Waha
Lunch at Al Waha or by the pool at Ghadeer (lunch menu)
Dinner at Suhail or poolside at Ghadeer (evening menu)
www.qasralsarab.anantara.com
Pamper
We enjoyed a massage at the Anantara Spa. As you would imagine, at an Anantara resort, the treatment was very good. The Thai masseuses stand out from the crowd. A stiff neck was unwound with an hour’s Swedish massage which, while a little pricey at Dhs480, was well worth it.
www.qasralsarab.anantara.com
Go
Check out the latest offers from Anantara Qasr Al Sarab here.
Don’t forget to print off a map. Click here.
