There’s no other way to say it; Shebara is the overwater resort you didn’t know you needed to stay in. ‘Til now.
If you’ve ever dreamed of staying in a place so out-this-goddamn-world, that place is Shebara. Nestled in the crystal-clear waters of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea, this place is like the love child of an architectural masterpiece and a social media influencer’s content-creating dream.
Its sleek, modern villas float in space-like capsules not even Elon Musk could replicate, with open-plan, bedroom-to-private-pool interiors that scream ‘I’ve got money, and I’m not afraid to spend it,’ (*cries in poor*).
And there are several to choose from, so whether you’re all over the overwater luxury vibe or prefer your own beachfront villa for the feeling of sand between your toes morning, noon and night, Shebara’s got it. There’s even a ‘royal’ villa, complete with its own infinity pool, double daybed, sunken lounge and outdoor shower for when Kate and Wills come to stay. Or you, if you’ve got that kind of coin (hahaha, give us some).
To be expected, the dining is next level. There’s sleek restaurants featuring modern Japanese-Nikkei cuisine, ones that celebrate the best flavours of the Mediterranean and traditional Arabian dining experiences that don’t skimp out on the spice.
And just when you thought you might get bored with all that, Shebara offers a range of water-based activities, from snorkelling, diving and private yacht cruises to windsurfing and e-motoring.
So there you have it, this place is the perfect blend of relaxation and adventure, all wrapped up in a jaw-droppingly gorgeous bow.
You ever wanted to catch a wave and ride it all the way to the shore? But then realised sharks, giant squid and blue whales live in the ocean and that maybe floating on a polyurethane foam board in the shape of their food isn’t the best idea? Well, do we have a surfing solution for you.
Surf Abu Dhabi has created the world’s most advanced, man-made wave tailored to absolutely everyone, from the I’ve-never-tried-surfing-in-my-life-ers to those of us with Kelly Slater skills.
Not only can you forget all about your thalassophobia, but you can flex your abilities (or lack thereof) and find your perfect wave in an exclusive and inspiring experience you’ll want to repeat over and over. But what makes the wave so magnificent? We’re glad you asked.
The experience uses cutting-edge technology to set up the epic barrels and long rides of your wildest surfing dreams, and there’s professional surf coaches on site if you’re lacking a little in the confidence department.
Once you’ve had your fill, sit back and relax in the sun with a cold drink and some seriously good food—think coastal flavours and top-notch ingredients.
But before you hop on Skyscanner and start searching for return flights to the UAE, this experience opens in October, which is actually fine considering going to the Middle East any earlier guarantees you have a 99% chance of bursting into flames (read: it’s hot hot). And it also means you still have time to practice your turn, paddle and stand.
An English pub that features some of the biggest sporting events on their screens – but make it in Oman.
Muscat, the capital of Oman, is quite the hot spot – and we don’t mean just in temperature. Social media has certainly helped more people around the world see the beautiful attractions like Mutrah Souk and Mutrah Fort plus Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque to name a few and put the city on their bucket list. Outdoor adventurers also love exploring the wadis that are an easy drive from the city.
But what if you’re enjoying your holiday in town at the same time a huge sports match is on? Never fear, Duke’s is here. Located within Crowne Plaza (IHG Hotel), it is one six dining areas and by far the one with the best view (for screens and sunsets). Renovated in 2022, Duke’s has become a well-known favourite for locals and tourists alike and has been the place to be during global sporting events, particularly with the FIFA World Cup.
Being an English-style pub, you can count on classics like bangers & mash, steak & Guinness pie as well as fish & chips being on the menu, the latter being very popular. You’ll find Middle Eastern flavours throughout the menu too, with dishes like the Omani Spiced Kingfish Fillet. We also recommend the baked camembert to share – or not share – depends on the mood you’re in.
If you’re at Duke’s in the coolers months between October – February, look up when sunset is and lock in a reservation on the terrace for that time to take in one of the best sunsets in town.
You’re staying at a hotel, you’ve got a bit of downtime, you’re looking for something to do.
There’s a 500-plus vinyl collection on the first floor, or a Walkman station if cassettes are more your vibe. Maybe you want to go for a drive, so you rent one of the hotel’s MINIs or cruise ride around on one of the Schindelhauer Bikes that are hanging around the hotel.
Fancy the movie ‘Ghost’? Have a crack at pottery making (hopefully without cracks, but hopefully with a Patrick Swayze-like hunk guiding your hands) in the pottery and artist studio. Got an idea for a podcast? Record it in the podcast studio.
If you’re wondering if a hotel offering all this exists – it does. The 25hours Hotel Dubai One Central packs a lot in – and we mean a lot.
What’s incredibly cool about this joint is how extra it all is – in many ways a reflection of its location. The sheer breadth of activities available to each person is so OTT, and so Dubai.
There’s a Farmstay Suite (including hammock and double rainfall shower). The Medium Bedouin draws influence from when Bedouins once resided in Dubai. On top of a luxurious king-size bed there’s a unique rainfall shower in the middle of the room (wtf?) and a hanging chair to kick back and chill.
For true Dubai glam you’ve got to experience the Hakawati Suite. Hakawati means storyteller in Arabic and while that theme features throughout One Central, it’s in this suite that it goes to another level. There’s the “Sheikh-sized” TRIPLE king bed, a double bath, two bars, 10-seat dining area, fireplace and for when it’s time to party – a DJ corner and dancefloor. The suite also interconnects with two additional bedrooms through a secret staircase. Yes, all in one suite. This is Dubai after all.
There’s obviously a rooftop pool with a Pool Bar, and even more obviously a cinema. Tough to leave when the suite is that good. You can request to have a trunk delivered to you with old-school VHS tapes, vinyls, a typewriter and polaroids to help you really disconnect and tap into your creative side.
There are sand dunes, and then there are the mighty kahunas you’ll find in Oman.
Like the Ramlat Jadilah, a 455-metre peak that’s the tallest in the world.
Magic Camps is the closest to an oasis you’ll likely ever get. And by that we mean a luxury glamping experience in a world-renowned location NOT meeting the Gallagher brothers somewhere in the desert.
You can choose to stay at the permanent campsite in the Wahiba Sands region, or opt for an even more intrepid experience by choosing your own location to explore. Pretty cool.
Wealth and skyscrapers are probably your first thought when it comes to Abu Dhabi, but Saadiyat Island is proof that there’s heaps (read: HEAPS) more to it than this.
Think epic beaches, stunning wildlife, world class restaurants and a museum to rival some of the world’s best. All on the one island!
Bet you didn’t know that?
Here’s get lost’s top five from Saadiyat Island:
1. Take it really easy on Saadiyat’s pristine, white beaches
One thing that a lot of people don’t understand about Abu Dhabi is that the beaches are absolutely elite. None better than Saadiyat Beach, which has a well-deserved reputation as one the best beaches in the Emirates, accessed via a wood boardwalk in order to protect the beach’s native wildlife.
It’s also home to an uber cool beach club https://www.saadiyatbeachclub.ae/home
A perfect beach all to yourself
2. Unwind at Nurai Island
Alright, Nurai Island might technically be a different island to Saadiyat, but it’s so close, and so damn beautiful, that we have to include it. It’s only a ten-minute boat ride over calm waters, and we doubt you’ll ever stay anywhere more romantic than this private island. This is Emirati opulence meeting romance. https://www.nuraiisland.com/
Now this is a room with a view!
3. Marvel at the wonderful wildlife
Saadiyat Island is a protected haven for wildlife and marine life. The island is home to animals you’ve never heard of, like the Arabian gazelles, graceful beasts that are as cool as their name would suggest, and are often spotted just cruising about the gaff, as if on a Sunday stroll, every day. If you’re lucky you might spot a Hawksbill turtle which seasonally nest on Saadiyat’s pristine beach. By the beach, bottlenose dolphins make frequent appearances and there is a kaleidoscope of vibrant birds to be spotted, if you are of a more aviary sort of inclination.
Who’s staring at who?
4. Get a bite at Mamsha Al Saadiyat
Mamsha Al Saadiyat is a beachfront community with a wide array of restaurants and cafes stretching across a beautiful promenade with breath-taking views of the Arabian Gulf. They say don’t eat places with a view; Mamsha absolutely blows this out of the water. This is THE place to eat on Saadiyat. https://visitabudhabi.ae/en/where-to-go/marinas-and-plazas/mamsha-al-saadiyat
5. Visit the iconic Louvre Abu Dhabi
Saadiyat Island is home to the iconic Louvre…no not that one. With stunning architecture and a thought-provoking collection of modern art, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is understandably drawing people from all over the world. It takes a lot for a building to do that but you’ll get why when you walk through the doors of this place. https://www.louvreabudhabi.ae/
A 14-year-old-boy pointed his gun at me, as I crouched nervously on my haunches.
We were squatting with about 20 others in a circle while the leader, a smartly dressed man with a beard, conducted things from the centre of the ring. There were about 200 other men in the room.
A few had warned us not to go to Iran.
I thought of this as we waited to see how the situation would unfold. I looked at Henri, who was doing well to conceal his terror. We were petrified at being called into the middle, as there was just no way we could possibly match this dancing, all sinuous, affectionate and enthusiastic – like some troupe of Middle Eastern M.C Hammers.
Iranian weddings are lit.
The circle was filled with guests at the wedding we’d been invited to, and the smartly dressed man was the groom, a cousin of Hamid, the friend we’d made in Isfahan. The 14-year-old boy’s gun was his fingers twisted into the shape of a gun, which he would occasionally point at me in fits of laughter until I returned fire in a game that lasted all night, although I’m still not sure of its meaning. Right now the groom was bringing individuals up one by one to dance with him in front of everyone.
It is worth mentioning that we had only met Hamid two days earlier, in cliche fashion: over a cup of chai in his carpet shop. His willingness to acquire extra invitations for two white westerners he’d only just met, with no commercial gain on his end, was our first introduction to the famed level of Iranian hospitality.
Isfahan is a busy city with a population of a couple million. Stunning Persian architecture line the streets in the city centre, while endless sand dunes flank the outskirts, where camping, sandboarding and trekking are all popular.
Based on a family’s level of conservatism, weddings here are generally (after a brief but extravagant ceremony) split into two parties based on gender. We’d watched at the start of the night as the bride and groom walked down a makeshift aisle to fireworks and flares, before dramatically releasing two white doves into the night sky. Shortly after we said goodbye to the girls, who disappeared into a separate hall to us.
Women and men split into two seperate rooms after the walk down the aisle.
What followed was six hours of delectable food, wild dancing and selfies, as we came to terms with our celebrity status at the event. Happy and gregarious Iranian men came from everywhere to introduce themselves, hugging and kissing and welcoming us to Isfahan. It seemed everyone wanted to dance with us, to know what we did for a living and to tell us about their relative in Sydney.
After our turn dancing in the middle we were beckoned over to the table of Imam, a tall and mischievous looking character who was probably the least conservative of Hamid’s endless line of cousins. With a dangerous look in his eye he reached into his jacket and pulled out no less than 20 small cucumbers, placing them on the table. This seemed extraordinarily random on face-value, but our modus operandi by this stage was to go with it.
The cucumbers turned out to be chasers for arak, a lethal home-brew spirit which I found almost undrinkable, but ended up drinking quite a lot of. While alcohol is illegal nationwide, a blind eye is turned to occasions behind closed doors like this.
When the DJ’s eclectic mix of Arab-disco and Pitbull (he truly is Mr. Worldwide) concluded we filed out of the building, waving goodbye to the happy couple as they got into their car and drove off. End of the night, it would seem.
This however, proved to be a false conclusion. With Hamid at the wheel, and eight grown men packed into a tiny Fiat, we sped off after the newlyweds in a convoy of around 30 cars, swerving and maneuvering at 100kph and waving white towels out of the window on a highway. Lanes became obsolete in a game where the aim seemed to be to get as close to the bride and groom’s chariot as possible without touching it. Every 10 minutes or so we would all pull over to the side of the road, or down a sandy back alley, for some more dancing and fireworks before piling back into Hamid’s car for another game of cat and mouse.
The race ended at the bride’s mother’s house, where (after more fireworks and dancing) an unlucky sheep was slaughtered in the name of love, a sacrifice the two guests at the wedding certainly didn’t see coming.
In the middle of nowhere, and without any idea of how to get home, we turned around to find our taxi driver from the start of the night ready to take us home – having waited for six hours and kept up with us in the speedy procession. We might have been surprised, but by now we were getting used to that feeling.
Walking on water: no longer restricted to biblical characters.
Kempinski Floating Palace will become the world’s first floating sea resort, to be built in Dubai (or rather, in the sea flanking Dubai).
It’s a case of another day, another extraordinary thing happening in the UAE; the resort will feature 12 luxury villas connected by pontoons: each with two floors, a roof terrace and infinity pool, large panoramic windows and all the technical features of a smart home.
The villas are equipped with solar panels and are designed to be environmentally friendly. Cruising at a maximum speed of 6 nautical miles, you’re not going anywhere fast, so allay those fears of floating away.
The resort won’t open to the public until 2023. But you can bet we’ll be swimming there when it does.
Saudi Arabia has been emerging as a post-Covid travel hotspot in recent times, throwing money into left-field projects including an offshore oil rig resort/theme park, and the world’s fastest rollercoaster.
The House Hotel Jeddah City Yard represents a slightly more traditional way of attracting tourism: by building a bloody beautiful (read: stunning) luxury hotel.
Having only opened in late-September 2021, the hotel is arguably the hottest stay in Jeddah, a town with no shortage of heat in itself. Cool down in the stunning, shaded pool, located on the rooftop terrace overlooking the city.
Despite being located in the upmarket Al Rawdah district, you’d have reason to not leave the complex at all during your stay, given the plethora of food, entertainment and wellness options at your disposal (this is despite being a boutique, mid-sized hotel of 114 rooms).
The hotel is SO aesthetically pleasing; combining Saudi sandstone with minimalistic architecture that wouldn’t look out of place in Scandanavia. No exercises in over-extravagance here.
And while Saudi Arabia mightn’t have been at the top of your list in terms of travel destinations, we’re tipping you’ll be hearing of more and more people heading there over the next few years. Tell ’em about this place.
The Rig (no, we’re not referring to you) is on it’s way.
An offshore oil rig in the Arabian Gulf, off the coast of Saudi Arabia, is set to be turned into a massive theme park and hotel, in a move we bet the original builders of the rig did not see coming.
The 1.6 million-square-foot behemoth will feature 800 hotel rooms across three hotels, 11 restaraunts, swimming pools, an ultra-luxury hotel and super-yacht marina.
Backers of The Rig are lauding it as the “world’s first tourism destination inspired by offshore oil platforms”, an admittedly fairly niche category.
It will also feature an extreme theme park, featuring super fast rollercoasters (the world’s fastest is currently being built just outside of Riyadh) as well as bungee jumping, zip-lining, aquatic sporting adventures and skydiving.
How many times have you been staying somewhere and thought: “Yes, this is nice, but what about oil drilling?” Well, the good news is there will be practical lessons in using drilling machinery, plus information on the industry itself.
While no opening date has been announced and there isn’t a great level of detail on the hotel, the theme park component of the rig looks absolutely lit – check out the video below:
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