Page 36 - MASALA Vol 8 Issue 6 June-July 2017

Travel

Everything

Under the Sun

The Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa

was everything I could have wanted
and more from my very fi rst desert

resort experience.
By R. Sachdev

I’ve been to more than my share of resorts, but when I recently got the The pool
opportunity to visit one in the desert, I have to admit I was more than
a little intrigued. Why, I wondered, would anybody opt for an expanse desert landscape. The windows were simple, and the only accents
of sand over a living, breathing stretch of turquoise blue sea? I would, of colour came from the beautiful brass xtures, vibrant carpets and
I suppose, soon nd out. lush furnishings. The nish was unquestionably tasteful, elegant
Located just a 45-minute drive from the airport, The Bab Al Shams and luxurious. This, I decided, was going to be fun.
Desert Resort & Spa was the obvious choice for my over-night stay It wasn’t long before we were shown to our room, and we were
in Dubai, and this time I brought along my wife too. The road from the delighted to nd that plush interiors really were part of the package,
airport was excellent, a mere hint of the area’s development progress along with shaded balconies and generous outdoor space. The bed
in the past few decades, where the infrastructure had placed Dubai linen was of ve-star quality, as were the ttings and xtures, while
rmly on the world tourism destinations map. the bathroom was beautifully appointed with a spacious bathtub
and shower.
We arrived at the resort promptly, and soon the matter of time and
other worldly matters would no longer concern us. We had stepped
into a world of privilege, luxury and sand, lots of it!
Bab Al Shams, meaning ‘gateway to the sun’, is built in an Arabic fort,
and is not just a tourist hot spot, but also a completely self-contained
MICE resort, with all the facilities imaginable for parties, conventions
or even weekend getaways for corporate groups.
On arrival, a rain cloud that had threatened to darken our mood the
whole of our journey, nally released what was a mere drizzle. I was
overcome with the smell of hot sand, conjuring up memories of my
boyhood and the hot mud we would play in.

Upon entering the vast lobby area, we were greeted with
refreshments, as we took in the Arabic architecture. The walls, both
inside and out, were sandy-coloured, blending beautifully with the

36 | Masalathai.com Hotel room interior