UAE TRAVEL TOURS: Appearing suddenly among the undulating contours of the Abu Dhabi desert, the low-lying, palatial sandcastle-cum-fort that is the Qasr al Sarab the five-star desert resort by Antara, is escapism at its finest- not just physically, but into another time, another mentality and another life.
The truly magical Qasr Al Sarab rising out of the desert.
Like being on the most intimate of private islands, surrounded on all sides by a sea of the saffron-hued “sweet sand” of one of the most vastly tranquil places on Earth, just reaching the Qasr is an experience in itself: the road, built especially to serve as the sole route to and from the palace (the address is “1 Qasr al Sarab Road, Abu Dhabi”), meanders for two hours through the surreal and mystical landscape as it changes from the dusty yellow of camel farms and industry to the deep, yolky red-orange dunes of the Arabian Peninsula’s vast, enigmatically-named Empty Quarter.
Rambling through the mile-long retreat, which cleverly plays on notions of “inside” and “outside” with shaded walkways, terraces, multi-level balconies and lush gardens connecting rooms, there is nothing between you and the sky- nothing, save for perhaps the top of a hand-woven parasol. This is especially astounding if you’ve come from the city of Abu Dhabi or Dubai, where it is all-too-common to point a blasé finger up in the air at a certain floor of one of a legion of imposing, high-rise buildings and pronounce “that’s where we’re having the meeting / drinks / dinner later”. The UAE is a mostly harmonious, relaxed and easy-going place as it is, but here, surrounded by the ancient, unyielding desert, stress evaporates like sweat.
The majestic entranceway to the Qasr Al Sarab desert resort.
Sure, it’s easy to feel “at one with the world” when having any woes steamed, scrubbed and massaged away in the Qasr’s world-class hammam, but despite the grand, palatial surorundings, casting one’s eye over those ceaseless, ancient dunes, it’s hard not to feel dwarfed by wonder at the lesser-seen natural world, with nothing but the epic scale, grace and tranquillity of the desert on all sides (and one tiny, nomadic black road). As humbling the spirituality and awe one senses simply from wandering the length of the rambling, mile-long Qasr is, idle contemplation can be easily exchanged for one of the surprising range of activities on offer here; there are the classics of the luxurious Anantara spa, swimming pool, gym, tennis courts and lavish, feast-worthy restaurants (and who wouldn’t take a while over their eggs when they were served on a terrace overlooking the largest sand desert in the world?) serving European, Middle-Eastern and hard-to-find, genuine Emirati cuisine.
The truly amazing pool overlooking the sheer vastness of the arabian desert.
In addition, one can partake in desert-centric and Arabian activities such as dune bashing (a thrill-ride that sees one crashing around the immense dunes in an expert-driven 4×4), desert archery, falconry and camel trekking. The glorious sunset camel trek out into the Empty Quarter is an astonishing experience; you will experience the desert as never before where the colours of the sand and sky shift ethereally and ghostly winds call through the dunes with not a glimpse of civilisation save for a cooler box of water. On offer there is also desert yoga, guided walks and, of course, the nearby traditional Bedouin encampment, where one can enjoy an impressive evening of delicious outdoor tent-and-rug dining, involving sitting on mats around low tables, and be entertained by the region’s “raqs al assaya” folk dances in the most beautiful of settings- under the night’s sky.
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