So often we judge a spa from our first experience, and if it isn't good we don't return. I learnt last week what a mistake that can be. I had a very average treatment followed the next day by one of the best massages I have ever had.
Six Senses in Zighy Bay, Oman, has been the most eagerly anticipated spa in the region this year. The company sets as much store by its trademark spas as its locations.
As you walk in, the first assault on the senses is the perfume - lemon grass, peppermint, camomile, ylang ylang, rose or lavender, depending on which burners the staff have chosen that day.
Others follow: the spa attendant touches you gently as she guides you to a seat, the lights are low, music is playing, everyone is smiling and you are offered ginger tea. Everything about it, as with the resort itself, feels natural, calm, peaceful, indulgent. Nothing is accidental. Wherever the eye rests, the attention to detail is clear, but the impact on the senses is deliberately subliminal. The client need not acknowledge the philosophy but he or she absorbs the mood.
When I returned to the hurly-burly of office life in Abu Dhabi, my mind kept wandering back and I yearned to return to the peace of those rooms in that exquisite setting.
But the facial I opted for was disappointing; nothing actually wrong (although a bit too much steam for my liking - a failure on my part to ask the right questions) but nothing very special either.
Then I talked to Ruwaida, the pre-opening trainer for Six Senses spas. The current plan is to open 10 spas across the world every year, so she has her work cut out. It seems I was a week too early for facials; she had just finished on the massages and next week the facials would be up to speed. The therapists were good, but some needed to learn more about the Six Senses way of doing things. Also, what had felt like nothing more than the frequent use of a wet flannel had in fact been the application of essential oils. Produced by Dr Lamees Hamden in Dubai, Shiffa oils have gems in them - sapphire to calm, ruby for balancing mature skin, diamonds for all types of skin. The aim is to get immediate results. A few days afterwards, two people, unaware of where I had been, commented on my skin, so maybe it worked after all.
The massage was an instant success. Weeks of working to tight deadlines 24/7 had left my shoulders and neck area as hard as the Omani mountain rock. Usually when I book a massage, I long for the therapist to skip the arms and legs bit and focus only my shoulders and back; here they had an energiser massage which, for 45 Omani rhials (Dh430) for 50 minutes, does just that.
Ida, who worked for five years in the flagship Six Senses property before coming to Zighy Bay, intuitively knows how to go really deep into the muscles, keeping just this side of the pain barrier.
She got rid of knots and bumps and I left wishing I could see her once a month - a complete impossibility given the glorious inaccessibility of Zighy Bay. The following day I woke at 6.30am and went to the gym buzzing with energy - something I have not done for a long time - which must have been down to Ida and the energiser.
Six Senses were famously started after Sonu Shivdasani, an Oxford University graduate from India took his wife Eva, a Swedish supermodel, on their honeymoon to an island in the Maldives. They loved it so much they wanted to buy some land and build a house; the government said they could do so if it was a hotel to bring employment to the local economy. The Soneva Fushi resort was built around a philosophy that it should be as natural, organic and ecologically friendly as possible. The Six Senses Spa was part of the development, but also a brand in its own right.
Since then, the story has been of expansion - allied both to their own new resorts but also frequently as managed spas. With 10 Six Senses spas a year coming; the name is one we will hear a lot more about.
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Specs: 2024 McLaren Artura Spider
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 and electric motor
Max power: 700hp at 7,500rpm
Max torque: 720Nm at 2,250rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
0-100km/h: 3.0sec
Top speed: 330kph
Price: From Dh1.14 million ($311,000)
On sale: Now
The full list of 2020 Brit Award nominees (winners in bold):
British group
Coldplay
Foals
Bring me the Horizon
D-Block Europe
Bastille
British Female
Mabel
Freya Ridings
FKA Twigs
Charli xcx
Mahalia
British male
Harry Styles
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Michael Kiwanuka
Stormzy
Best new artist
Aitch
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Mabel
Sam Fender
Best song
Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber - I Don’t Care
Mabel - Don’t Call Me Up
Calvin Harrison and Rag’n’Bone Man - Giant
Dave - Location
Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart
AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove
Lewis Capaldi - Someone you Loved
Tom Walker - Just You and I
Sam Smith and Normani - Dancing with a Stranger
Stormzy - Vossi Bop
International female
Ariana Grande
Billie Eilish
Camila Cabello
Lana Del Rey
Lizzo
International male
Bruce Springsteen
Burna Boy
Tyler, The Creator
Dermot Kennedy
Post Malone
Best album
Stormzy - Heavy is the Head
Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka
Lewis Capaldi - Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent
Dave - Psychodrama
Harry Styles - Fine Line
Rising star
Celeste
Joy Crookes
beabadoobee
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
If you go
The flights
The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings
The stay
Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Revibe
Started: 2022
Founders: Hamza Iraqui and Abdessamad Ben Zakour
Based: UAE
Industry: Refurbished electronics
Funds raised so far: $10m
Investors: Flat6Labs, Resonance and various others
Healthy tips to remember
Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:
Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast
Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits
Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day
Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet