Arabian Nights Resort & Spa: two nights in the desert

We drive for about 40 minutes through the Al Sharqiya Sands desert until the Arabian Nights Resort & Spa becomes visible on the horizon between meter-high sand dunes. A green spot between golden sand with small houses, a hotel like we have never seen before.

Even the drive to the resort is like an adventure. The tour guide from Zahara Tours drives us into the desert on unpaved roads and through soft sand. In some places, the sand is soft and the four-wheel drive vehicle lurches almost as if on an icy road.

He clearly enjoys driving and sometimes I prefer to hold on tight. Every now and then we stop, get out and enjoy the view of the dunes, the camels and the herds of goats eating up the little greenery.

An unforgettable experience for me and I can’t get enough of the high dunes and every time I hear “There’s a camel!” the driver starts laughing. What is an everyday occurrence for him, who lives nearby, is a dream for me.

The green in front of us becomes clearer and we reach the resort. A barbed wire fence protects the entrance. Not from the few people, but from the camels. As we experienced in the evening hours, they like to come to the resort to eat a bit of fresh grass or some bushes.

There is a large parking lot in front of the entrance and as soon as we got out of the car, a golf cart arrived and took our luggage to reception. We received a very friendly welcome and after a quick check-in we were driven to our accommodation for the next 2 nights.

Around the hotel rooms

We didn’t stay there for long and set off to discover the resort. The rooms are located in small houses in a fenced-in area. The Arabian Nights Resort & Spa offers its guests a range of activities to make their stay more varied.

For example, you can book a private meal in the desert or in one of the cozy sitting areas in the resort. The team is also happy to organize an oriental evening with a barbecue and dancing.

Sporty guests can try their hand at sandboarding, play volleyball and finish off by relaxing by the pool with sun loungers, parasols and a pool bar. The pool bar offers cocktails and small dishes.

On the first evening, we drove up to one of the high dunes with our tour guide from Zahara Tours. From there we were able to watch the sunset. It was fantastically beautiful, romantic and unforgettable. Even more unforgettable was the way back to the resort, which led steeply down the dune and elicited a “we’re not going down there” from me and my friends. It looked worse than it was!

On the second evening, we booked a camel ride at sunset. We rode up a dune for about 20 minutes sitting on a camel. Once at the top, it was time to dismount and enjoy. The sun sank into the desert dunes almost more beautifully than on the first evening. Afterwards, the animals carried us back to the resort. For me, it was an impressive excursion that I will certainly remember for a long time to come.

Room options at the Arabian Nights Resort & Spa

The resort offers three different types of house. The Superior Dune Villa and the Premier Dune Villa are identical in terms of facilities, differing only in their location. The Premier Dune Villa is located more in the resort, the other type more on the edge of the grounds. The third type is the Suite Villa. All rooms are equipped with a fridge, air conditioning, coffee machine and hairdryer. WLAN is available free of charge in the houses and in the resort.

We were able to take a short tour of all the different house types. The Suite Villa is almost the same size as the other houses. It just has a different layout inside. Here you will find a small living area and a separate sleeping area. The bathroom is slightly smaller than in the other house types, but still very spacious. The Suite Villa is located on the outer edge of the resort and you have a great view of the desert from the small terrace.

We spent our stay in a Superior Dune Villa. The small anteroom with closet leads to a very large bedroom with wonderfully comfortable beds. There is a table with two chairs, a desk with matching chair and a large TV.

A door leads into the bathroom – a huge bathroom – an incredibly large bathroom. The walk-in shower, toilet and washbasin are almost lost in the room, the space could almost be used for a sauna or a huge bathtub. Our accommodation also had a small terrace from which we could gaze at the starry sky in the evening.

Restaurant Rimaal

The restaurant is at the heart of the Arabian Nights Resort & Spa. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served here. The air-conditioned dining room, decorated with oriental elements, seats around 160 guests.

We were in Oman during Ramadan. No lunch is offered at this time. The number of travelers is very reduced during Ramadan. As a result, only 5 houses were occupied on our first day and only 3 on the second day. This also had an impact on what was on offer in the restaurant. When more guests are staying there, a buffet is offered for both breakfast and dinner. I found it very understandable that this offer was not maintained.

For breakfast, a selection was brought directly to our table. We were of course able to make requests, such as omelettes or muesli, which were fulfilled immediately.

In the evening, some guests had a choice from a menu. We had booked half board and so a selection of Arabic-Indian dishes was brought to our table. After a starter (bread with hummus), a soup and a salad, we were served a large platter with various meaty dishes, rice and vegetables. It was excellent, super spicy and simply great! We were already more than full and then had a dessert. Even without the buffet, the dinners were really very good, we loved it!

Rihla Spa – relaxation in the desert

At the Arabian Nights Resort & Spa, the Rihla Spa invites you to relax and unwind. The Rihla Spa, whose name means “journey” in Arabic, aims to offer its guests a path to relaxation and renewal.

The spa offers a variety of treatments designed to relax the body, mind and soul. Massage therapies include, for example, the Rihla Signature Massage (a combination of Thai and Swedish massage including facial, foot reflexology and head massage), Deep Tissue Massage for deeper muscle areas and Balinese Massage for holistic well-being through medium pressure and acupressure.

The body treatments include an orange peeling, which gently cleanses the skin with orange powder and sandalwood, the citrus wrap to detoxify the skin and the neem healing treatment, which is particularly suitable for sensitive or allergy-prone skin.

Ayurvedic therapies are also offered. These include Abhyangam (to strengthen bones and joints), Udwartanam (a combination of exfoliation and massage to improve blood circulation), Kizhi (to relieve muscle pain and joint inflammation) and Shirodhara (a technique in which herbal liquids are gently poured onto the forehead to relieve tension and improve overall well-being).

We took a look at the spa rooms and spoke to the friendly team. The rooms are modern and friendly. You can feel at ease here and spend a relaxing time after choosing your “desired treatment”.

Address:

Arabian Nights Resort & Spa
Koordinate: 22.1788208, 58.785738

Tips for traveling by car:

Exit 142 Bidiya Omanoil,
drive about 3 km and turn left
Drive 2 km and turn right at the Shell gas station
Drive 2.5 km and turn left into the T Intersection at Al Huwaiyah
Continue for about 2.5 km until you reach the Atta Omani School
Turn right – this is where the desert begins
Now it’s about 27 km / 40 minutes drive off-road through the desert.

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Good to know

The tour into the desert, including an overnight stay, was organized in cooperation with Zahara Tours.