Six Senses Zighy Bay, secreted away on the Sultanate of Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, is a retreat from the full-on materialism of Dubai. An average drive of 2 hours through desert, across Oman’s border post (no visa required if coming from Dubai), and over the Hajar Mountains, brings you to 82 stone and wood cottages clustered at one end of a crescent beach with headlands on either side. Appreciating the stark beauty of the place – severe, precipitous mountains, scrabble vegetation, rectilinear stone block villas – takes a bit of recalibrating; yet once the eyes and the soul have found their focus, the magic is palpable: subtle, bruised colors, star-filled nights, and a silence that is not simply an absence of sound. The remoteness is enveloping. The last winding climb over the mountain and drop to the sea seals the deal: You have arrived, body and soul.
Speaking of body…Six Sense is known for its superb spa, and Zighy Bay spins its magic in this regard as well. The spa retreat houses hamam and steam, as well as rooms for a wide range of therapies. Jet lagged, I opted for 90 minutes of ministrations that worked like a charm. Coupled with the delicious food, much of it from an impressive organic garden, Zighy Bay can also recalibrate ones health.
The focus on spa is not to imply that there is any lack of activity. Yoga, meditation and a gym, in keeping with the spa philosophy, are all available. Yet outdoors, in the beautfiul bay, you can experience some of the best snorkeling and diving in the Gulf. Boat rides, waterskiing, jetboating and hiking are just some of the other activities on offer.
http://www.sixsenses.com/SixSensesZighyBay/
John Derian is a treasure. It's not that there aren't many with talent and vision because there are, the world over. But Derian has other attributes that make him so beloved. His eye is unerring, his sense of scale is perfect, he layers cultures and eras seamlessly in a room. And he is accessible in brick and mortar. His two shops on East Second Street have been haunts for years. One carries the decoupage he designs and constructs locally (and that make the best gifts ever) along with the coveted ceramics of Astier de Villatte. The second Dry Goods store next door showcases quirky antiques, an assortment of vintage furniture, stacks of heavy french linen, Moroccan rugs and soft cotton Indian clothing. Both are small, but intriguing and interesting enough to seduce you on a journey of the senses.
And now, Derian has opened on Christopher Street in a double-windowed storefront of a two-story 18th century house. It's like walking in to another world. Traditional Astier, and the later Derian/Astier collaborative pieces, line the walls from roof to floor of the front room. The back room, wallpapered in his new cabbage rose design and lit by beautiful Balthus-designed standing lamps with parchment shades, offers a living room in which to settle in, thumb through books and albums, and rest the soul.
So, go to shop, or simply go to travel in spirit to another place and time.
https://www.johnderian.com/pages/our-locations"
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