Getting Zighy with it in the desert: Part 3

Since you now know how to get to Six Senses Zighy Bay and know what to expect in your spanky private villa, what activities could you enjoy at such a luxurious resort? Is it just being lazy as a daisy? Or are there more surprises in store? Your choice is Six Senses Zighy Bay’s command!

The Six Senses Zighy Bay mantra: Live LIFE (learning, inspiring, fun experiences).

So this means that there are activities for those who want to take it easy and relax like me AND there are also activities for the more active personalities like Dodong…

Unfortunately, the weather was not at its Zighy Bay best so it was hot and humid (Duh. Summer in the desert!) at the same time the waves were just huge. So the complimentary water activities like kayaking were a no-no.

Even swimming at the beach was impossible! We were fortunate to have been given fair warning by the Six Senses Zighy Bay L.I.F.E team.

It was a good thing that we did not swim at the beach as well since (because we are in oil country) the Zighy Bay beach did have tar. I guess this was the only downside of the entire Six Senses Zighy Bay experience. I absolutely love the beach and was a bit bummed out to know that there was a high risk of getting tar on my hair and body. I tell you tar is not easy to clean. But kudos to Six Senses, who came prepared with Tar-Off towelettes.

So we had to maximize the complimentary (the stay was not cheap and activties were also priced at a luxury) land based activities.

SWIMMING AT THE MAIN POOL

Aside from enjoying the cool water of our villa’s pool, we took a swim at the Six Senses Zighy Bay main pool. It was large enough to do some laps, which we did. We also lounged in our own cabana, where we were served a bucket of ice with some Zighy Bay water (yes, the resort distills their own water! How cool is that?).

BIKING AROUND THE RESORT

The Private Villa has 4 bicycles available: two adult bicycles and two kids bicycles. So Dodong and I took advantage of this, what better way to go around Six Senses Zighy Bay and work up a sweat while on a bicycle. It’s been quite some time since my last bicycle ride plus I am quite petite, so it was quite a challenge to get on the bike. Oh did you know that it is extra hard to bike on sand? So be prepared!

GOING AROUND THE ORGANIC GARDEN

Six Senses Zighy Bay also has their own organic garden, where they plant and harvest a number of herbs, vegetables and fruits, which they use in the food served in the various restaurants. At the height of the desert summer, the organic garden was not a sight to behold. So when we asked our butler, Mubarak, to give us a tour of the Six Senses Zighy Bay organic garden. He gave us a puzzled look. We were obviously touristy, very curious and wanted to see what they got.

GO HIKING TO SMUGGLER’S BAY

Dodong was sooooo excited to hike up the mountains of Zighy Bay. Dodong asked the L.I.F.E. Manager, JB, about the trail. He said it was a 3-hour hike and asked if Dodong was hiking alone. I agreed to tag along the hike, but I wasn’t feeling quite well the night before. So unfortunately, I decided to stay in.

Dodong was firm about going on the hike. So he went alone, which is not recommended and very dangerous. Of course, he was stubborn and thankfully survived 3/4 of the hike on 990 ml of water. So if you plan to hike, PLS do not go alone and bring LOTS of water

TAKE A LESSON ON HOW TO GIVE A MASSAGE

Six Senses Zighy Bay houses an award winning spa. The spa treatments are, of course, luxurious in price as well. Obviously, we did not have any budget for that. But we were lucky enough to get a taste of the caliber of the Six Senses Zighy Bay spa therapists in the management meet-and-greet cocktails.

AND they had a complimentary Massage Method lesson scheduled one afternoon. Dodong and I, again, took advantage of this opportunity. We got another “free” massage and learned how to do a back massage properly. Dodong is sooo happy on how I improved my extremely poor massage skills.

These are only a few of the activities we enjoyed in our short 3-day and 2-night Six Senses Zighy Bay honeymoon. There are so much more that we could have done, but time was not in our favor. Dodong and I actually analyzed and estimated the time needed to maximize a stay in Six Senses Zighy Bay. One would need at least an entire week! Hay! We wish we have all the money in the world to go back. Six Senses Zighy Bay, we hope to see you again very soon!

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay