Desert Reverie: Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara offers a rare perspective.

Life

A change of scenery becomes necessary when routine shrinks your field of vision, and I found mine three and a half hours from Dubai at Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara. The property sits deep inside the Rub’ al Khali, better known as the Empty Quarter – the vast, uninhabited expanse of the Arabian Peninsula’s largest desert and the fifth largest uninterrupted desert on the planet. Out there in the wilderness it is the dunes that don’t disappoint. Bearing no resemblance to the modest sandy slopes often glimpsed from a highway while travelling between emirates, these dunes dwarf the sky – almost too big to fully absorb. When the Anantara sign finally does appear, after driving through beautiful salt lakes, bypassing camels grazing along the roadside and fields of palm trees framing the surroundings, the outside world simply falls away. During times of regional unrest, this ability to quietly disappear into the desert feels less like an escape and more like a chance to finally catch a breath.

The resort elegantly folds itself into the commanding landscape. Its buildings are low and sand-coloured, so the desert appears to have shaped them; the villas and pathways are spaced generously apart, and there is a sense of grandeur from the moment you arrive on the property. Even the buggy rides between buildings feel like moving through a different world. And it’s hard not to have images of the Dune movies flash before the eyes. Understandable considering that Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya walked these same sands to bring to life the blockbuster films.

I had the privilege of staying in a one-bedroom villa within the Royal Pavilion, which meant I could watch the sunrise and the sunset from the exact same spot on the same day. The villa came with a private pool, uninterrupted dune views, and a small gazebo tucked away where I could be hidden from the world. There I had the soothing privilege of spending two evenings watching the sun sink into the sand without seeing another living soul – a profound gift of solitude. The villa itself is designed so that the bedroom, living area, and outdoor spaces flow into one another, with a high perimeter wall that gives total privacy without ever blocking the panoramic views. Having that much space entirely to yourself is hard to find at any resort, but here it simply feels normal.

The Anantara staff are warm and never intrusive, and the spa experience, even though I have sampled a few, turned out to be a one-of-a-kind moment. Its treatment rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows facing the desert, so gazing out into the vastness while having the weight of the world slowly kneaded out of the body leaves quite a lasting impression. Traditional hammam rituals and facials using locally inspired products are also available, though the desert-facing massage remains the one to book.

The resort has several dining options, each offering beautiful views of the endless beige dunes stretching in every direction. However, the dinner at Sohail is a genuine highlight, particularly the twelve-hour braised short ribs and the chef’s special tres leches cake. The restaurant serves Middle Eastern food in a setting that feels polished yet genuinely relaxed. Other things to partake in include the Ezba Tour, which introduces visitors to camels, gazelles, oryx, and falcons. It creates a lively counterpoint to the total stillness of the desert environment. Horse and camel riding are also available, along with yoga sessions throughout the day. Still, all these options are, well, optional. Visitors could just as easily spend their entire trip tucked away in their villa, ordering room service, swimming in its private pool, and watching the dunes change colours as the light shifts in contemplative solitude.

Also of note is the breathtaking stargazing experience. As luck would have it, the full moon lit the way as I was led deep into the desert to enjoy dates and tea as I gazed up at the heavens. The moon was so bright that the stars were hard to see, yet experiencing its silver glow wash over the largest sandscape on earth was its own kind of magic. The night air stayed cool even in summer, and despite being in a group, the sheer vastness made everyone feel like they were wholly alone. Long after my return to civilization what I keep returning to about my time at Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort is how little I reached for my phone while I was there. The urge to take pictures or scroll through my feed simply faded. When the dunes stretch endlessly in every direction, the view in front of me kept reminding me that its vastness is bigger than anything a screen can hold or truly capture. It’s a place where it is possible to be present enough to never feel the desire to look away, and in doing so, the Empty Quarter is able to fill the soul.

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