It’s hard to put a price on psychic distance. These days, it’s become the rarest commodity of all. Whether we’ve jumped on a plane to the other side of the world or driven an hour from home, it’s increasingly difficult to feel that we’ve been transported to another world—or that the stresses of our day to day have not followed us to wherever we’ve escaped to. It takes a particular kind of magic to deliver that feeling, and not all destinations are up to the task, as much as they may appear to from afar.
Superman has his Fortress of Solitude, and for one weekend, we had Six Senses Zighy Bay. That million-miles-away feeling hit us before we’d even arrived, struggling through the rocky terrain of the Musandam peninsula in Oman, two hours north of Dubai. We had just crossed over the peak of the mountain, spotting a stunning resort on the shore below, protected on either side by gargantuan rock formations.
That initial struggle, it turns out, is deliberate.
“Some people say that we should pave that road on the way here, but we think it’s important. We’re in a different universe out here, and it needs to feel like it,” our personal guide tells us when we arrive.
Ah, yes, you’ll have a personal guide, that’s another plus. From the moment you arrive until the moment you leave, you’ll have one person at your beck and call 24 hours a day, rather than a faceless staff of hundreds. It’s an important ingredient in the feeling of ease this gem delivers.
Part of what keeps that feeling of serenity going for your entire stay is the constant reminders that you’re somewhere specific, rather than another sterile luxury resort that’s feels generated by AI. There are not hundreds of standard rooms but 82 handcrafted private villas, each with their own pool, each inspired by the villages that have been in Oman for generations. Even when it’s at full capacity, you’ll still feel in a world of your own, a world deeply connected to the region’s rich history, with a focus on sustainability that is rooted in respect.
When you saunter through the sand over to dinner by the beach, you’re not ordering the standard fare a la carte, you’re listening to a story of Oman’s history, and learning the techniques that Bedouins have passed between generations. It’s authenticity that still feels opulent, with dishes we’ve been craving ever since. Even the ‘surf & turf’ dinner buffet is among the best we’ve experienced.
“Time passes differently here.” That’s another line we were told when we arrived, and we’ve heard it before, but after two days had passed, as we drove back home, we realized how true it was. It was the feeling that the children in Narnia felt as they came back through the wardrobe, having lived just a lifetime in an instant.
What did we call it again? Ah yes, psychic distance. That’s what you’ll find at Six Senses Zighy Bay, and it’ll still be there for you each time you return. And yes, without a doubt, you’ll want to return.
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