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Three of the best ...
Desert dream
destinations
S
ince time began the shifting sands of the world’s deserts have inspired writers, artists and
photographers and many have endured hardship and worse in attempts to capture and convey
the essence of majesty and mystery therein. Today it’s possible to enjoy the wonders of the desert
with none of the hardship. Some desert destinations are indeed the stuff of dreams.
Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, Liwa, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Wilfred Thesiger immortalised the Rub’ Al Khali, or Empty Quarter, the desert with sand dunes that rise as an ever shifting Arabian alpineesque barrier between Abu Dhabi, Oman, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The largest uninterrupted sand desert in the world, the Empty Quarter
stretches across most of the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula and is defined by its Bedouin tradition as much as by its geography.
Thesiger put the barren land on the map when he crossed the area several times between 1946 and 1950, mapping large parts and
subsequently publishing his classic adventures accompanied by photos which are now well documented, but at the time came from a
world totally unknown.
The Great Liwa Desert lays at the edge of the Rub’ Al Khali and, until recently, had everything to attract those in search of massive
adventure but little to offer in the way of creature comforts, let alone exquisite luxury. But that was then and this is now...
Qasr Al Sarab takes indulgence to new levels with 24/7 butler service throughout 154 luxury rooms, 42 exquisitely furnished villas and
ten sumptuous royal villas - each of which resembles a small private palace with expansive living and dining, private pool and outdoor
terraces. The new jewel in the Rub’ Al Khali’s crown stands proud against a backdrop of immense magnificence just 240km from Abu
Dhabi, bringing the most alluring desert dreams practically to the doorstep. This is a place in which to embrace the epic.
www.qasralsarab.anantara.com
Three of the best... Desert dream destinations
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Three of the best... Desert dream destinations
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Mihir Garh, Rajasthan, India
In the 21st century a mud fort is not top of most people’s lists of what to build. But
just as his ancestors were visionaries in their time when they built Rohet Garh in
1622, the Singh Rohet ancestral home that remains the family seat to this day as well
as being one of India’s most renowned boutique palace hotels, so Kr Sidhart Rohet
Singh let heritage and heart lead him to create Mihir Garh - the sun’s fortress.
The result is spectacular in the extreme. A boutique nine-suite, all-suite property,
Mihir Garh stands atop a lone sand dune in the land of Marwar overlooking
acacia-clad desert through which wild antelope roam. Just as the Maharajas
often looked to foreign shores for inspiration for their palaces in years gone by, so
Mihir Garh draws from Arabia, but ultimately the fort has Rajasthan indisputably at
its soul.
The Rajputs won their territory on the backs of the indigenous horses of the
Marwar, the legendary desert-bred war horse the Marwari, and so it is appropriate
that Mihir Garh should celebrate the horse. The tribute is ubiquitous but never
excessive with hand-carved detailing throughout.
Mirrored fireplaces, the traditional creations of local women from nearby villages,
showcase traditional skills and some of India’s most celebrated artists have brought
new dimension to classical Rajasthani art with striking abstract displays that grab
hold of tradition tightly and thrust it into the 21st century with panache and vibrant
skill. Peacocks strut flamboyantly across walls in a turquoise march and Marwari
abstracts peep from alcoves.
Hailed by its creators as an “indulgent experience” this newly built mud fort boasts
nine suites, all with a private plunge pool or jacuzzi, but such is the wonder of the
communal areas of the property that guests would be ill advised to hide away for the
entire duration of their stay.
Activities include horseback, camel and jeep safaris to the surrounding desert and its
many villages, ‘royal’ picnics that rejoice in the splendour of days gone by, and yoga.
Ultimately the family plans to hold an annual horse show adjacent to the property to
showcase the Marwari horse and to promote the breed in the land of its origin.
www.mihirgarh.com
Three of the best... Desert dream destinations
Timeaway
Three of the best... Desert dream destinations
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Desert Palm Resort and Spa, Dubai, UAE
A desert resort with the ultimate difference, this one’s not about
the desert at all but rather about discovering the unexpected in the
desert. Hailed by the elite few in the know locally as “the ultimate
oasis in Dubai”, the boutique property nestles in the heart of the
privately owned Desert Palm polo estate, home to the UAE Nations
Cup and the Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge.
Offering chic luxury and absolute privacy in exquisitely elegant
surroundings, the 26 room and villa boutique property is a
destination without comparison. Polo is a recurring theme
throughout and at the right time of year guests can find themselves
rubbing shoulders with the sport’s elite on the terrace after sunset
chukkas. Polo lies at the heart of the property with suites and spa
treatment rooms overlooking the estate’s central polo field, but
Desert Palm is about style and class as much as it is about the
sport with which both are synonymous.
Each an exclusive private sanctuary, the villas are decorated in
keeping with the understated class that resonates throughout
the property and each boasts private pool and outdoor living
and entertaining areas.
At the top of what is a very smart tree indeed, the 585sqm Villa
Layali is a walled sanctuary with its very own secret garden in which
rare birds forage on lush lawns beneath colossal palm trees. Built
from Jordanian stone, the villa centres around an open-air courtyard
that lends itself to entertaining and an expansive rooftop terrace
provides private viewing of the action on the polo field below.
www.desertpalm.ae
Three of the best... Desert dream destinations
Timeaway
Three of the best... Desert dream destinations
Timeaway