Six Senses Zighy Bay, Oman

If your mental picture of the Arabian Peninsula doesn’t include some stunning seaside resorts, then your travel knowledge is in danger of being out-of-date. Zighy Bay, on the northern end of Oman, just across the peninsula from Dubai, is the sort of desert-meets-the-sea idyll that the Middle East really ought to be known for. And it’s hard to think of a better advertisement for the place than the Six Senses Zighi Bay.

The location is impressive enough, tucked in with mountains at the back and sandy beaches in the front. It’s not the easiest place to get to, which is part of the appeal — not only is this corner of the peninsula rather remote, but adventurous guests finish their airport transfers either with a brisk speedboat ride or with a quick paraglide down from the ridge above. And you do have to admire what they’ve done with the place. No mere hotel, the Hideaway is a complex of luxury villas, patterned after a traditional Omani village.

And once you’re past the rustic stone-and-timber exteriors you’re in for the full-service luxury-villa experience, with all that implies. Accommodations are spacious and stylish, with no luxury spared, and plunge pools are universal. There’s the famous Six Senses spa, a handful of restaurants and bars, and an unspoiled stretch of beach. The isolated location means it’s probably more a place to disappear than to make an appearance — but if you’re based in Europe, especially, the Middle East is quite a bit closer than the Far.