jaridat zighy bay june, 2012
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Marhaba! Welcome to the eighth edition of Six Senses Zighy Bay’s monthly newsletter on what was, what is, and what will be… Each story offers a glimpse of the ongoing activities, events, packages and news at our bay-side hideaway. Should any of these stories peak your interest and you or your clients would like more information, pictures or pricing, please do not hesitate to ring or write. Shukran and happy reading! Monica Majors PR and Media Coordinator Six Senses Zighy Bay +968 26735555 resort, extension 1104 pr-zighy@sixsenses.com Facebook.com/SixSensesZighyBay | Twitter.com/ZighyBay
A Winning Year: Middle East Hotel & Spa Awards Five new awards were presented to Six Senses Zighy Bay in the month of May from the Middle East Hotel and Spa Awards and the World Luxury Spa Awards. The Spa was awarded as Best Sustainable Initiative at the Middle East Spa Awards, followed by Best Destination Spa – Oman by the World Luxury Spa Awards. Both are renewals of last year’s title; General Manager Axel Jarosch raved, “The renewal of these awards means we are consistently the best sustainable spa in Oman. We are very proud.” The resort truly shone at the inaugural Middle East Hotel Awards, shortlisted and winning all three nominated categories (the only hotel to do so). The aptly named Beit Musandam was awarded as Best Hotel Suite, followed by Best Restaurant for the mountain-top restaurant Sense on the Edge, and ending the evening with the second Best Sustainable Intiative Award. Axel continued, “Thank you’ to the profession and expertise of the industry’s judges who have bestowed us with these prestigious honours.” These awards follow closely the country titles from the World Travel Awards of Best Luxury Resort and Best Spa Resort.
resort updates What To Wear: GlamOnYou Resort Collection GlamOnYou invites you into a world of vibrant prints and dazzling colours. Founded in 2008 by Nadine Arton the growing fashion house has already developed its own unique personality, which could be said to embody the spirit of Dubai. A savvy brand, which is equally wearable by all ages and traditions, has collections that are characterized by beautifully flowing fabrics, colorful prints and elegant draping. While GlamOnYou’s inspiration transcends time and distinct cultural styles; colours inspired by nature are a recurring theme and each collection seeks an immersion of the senses as you are lured into an array of dazzling prints and a rainbow spectrum from dusky organic hues to bold brilliant bights. GlamOnYou’s 2012 Resort Collection is currently sold in the resort’s souq.
What Lies Beneath: Sense of Sea with Extra Divers The Gulf of Oman has become an increasingly important diving destination. The Musandam Peninsula is blessed with an incredible underwater world marked by beautiful hard and soft coral reefs that attract a wide variety of marine life eager to feed on the plankton-rich waters. Divers can expect to see a myriad of species ranging from angelfish to rays, turtles and even whale sharks. Enjoy our Musandam Dive Package this summer and experience for yourself!
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Equipment available for rent: • Aqua-Lung wet suits, long (5mm) and short (3mm) • BCDs and regulators • NRC and L&W nitrox compressors* • Technisub fins, masks and snorkels • Suunto diving computers and compasses • Kowalski torches * Nitrox 32 supplied free of charge with certification
The More You Move, The Less You Pay Resident Fitness Instructor Daniel Serpa is ready to help guests keep the summer body they have worked all Spring to achieve! For the month of June, single, double or triple day promotions are available and include a personalised fitness assessment, personal training sessions and deep tissue massages.
world environment day at six senses zighy bay tuesday, 5th june, 2012
Every 5th of June marks World Environment Day. World Environment Day celebration began in 1972 and has grown to become one of the main vehicles through which the UN stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and encourages political attention and action.
This year the call for the activities will focus on the theme “Green Economy: Does It Include You?” We invited you to take part in our environmentally conscious experiences.
Ahoy Matey: Smuggler’s Bay Clean-Up
Tree of Life: Plant a Tree Today (PATT)
Currents in the Bay of Oman often bring refuse, plastic bottles and other unsightly and non-biodegradable materials to our shores. Our neighbouring beach at Smuggler’s Bay is pristine, and we want to keep it that way. Join our hosts for an early morning dhow cruise to the next Bay for a jump in the ocean and greeen-up the beach. When we return to the Marina, dine on light snacks and fresh juice.
Six Senses supports PATT as one of our decarbonising initiatives, aiming to plant over 200,000 trees each year. Join hosts as we plant neem trees in our host village!
A Date to Remember: Horticultural Tour of Zighy
Mabrouk: Guest Gathering Cocktail
Jagath Wasantha and the Landscaping Team take immense pride in the resort’s 2,500 sqm organic garden and her 1,100+ date palms. Such care and precision goes into the life cycle of Arabia’s famous fruit, including hand pollination and meticulous upkeep and trim. Enjoy a leisurely walk among the beautiful date palms of Zighy with Jagath to learn the tradition of date pollination, cultivation and harvest. End your journey with unique canapés, sparkling juice and smoothies made from none other than local dates in Maktabah!
The Management Team invites you to share your impressions, feedback and memories at our weekly cocktail party. Sip on locally inspired mocktails, cocktails and delectable wine with freshly prepared canapés.
Including Yourself: 30 Minutes of Bliss Book a 60-minute Signature Massage and receive a 30-minute Date Scrub with our compliments!
Barefoot Luxury: Bridging Corporate Social Responsibility with Tourism Seminar Petitioning the tourism industry to adopt social and environmentally friendly practices is Geoffrey Lipman of the United Nations World Trade Organization. “The tourism industry has to change radically, because the world has to change radically.” Monica Majors speaks on barefoot luxury, eco-tourism in Oman and Six Senses Zighy Bay’s CSR.
Conscientious Abstention: Meat Free Tuesday If Americans were to reduce their meat consumption by only 10 percent, it would free over 12 million tons of grain annually for human consumption. That, all by itself, would be enough to adequately feed every one of the million human beings who will starve on the planet this year. Every Tuesday we recommend our guests dine on vegetarian and local seafood options from the rich waters of the Musandam.
3, 2, 1, Lights Out: SLOW LIFE Hour Every full moon we honour the WWF’s Earth Hour. This means all lights will be turned off throughout the resort and we ask you to do the same in your villa. We will operate only by candle and moonlight during the hour of 20:30-21:30. Why? Because by celebrating SLOW LIFE hour on a monthly basis together we can create awareness about climate change and improve our carbon footprint.
the beauty of ramadan Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, lasting 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic holy month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating and drinking during daylight hours, and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to Allah. Compared to the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan vary, moving backwards by about eleven days each year depending on the new moon; thus, a person will have fasted every day of the Gregorian calendar year in 34 years' time. Muslims believe Ramadan to be an auspicious month for the revelations of Allah to humankind, being the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Islamic prophet, Mohammad, peace be upon him.
Guidance and Distinction
Sunset to Sunrise: Suhour and Iftar
The holy month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur'an was sent down - right Guidance to mankind, and clear signs of Guidance and Distinction of truth from falsehood. In the Qur'an, Allah proclaims that "fasting has been written down (as obligatory) upon you, as it was upon those before you.” Ayah 185, Sura 2 (Al-Baqara)
Muslims all around the world will abstain from food and drink, through fasting, from dawn to sunset. At sunset, the family will gather the fast-breaking meal known as Iftar. The meal starts with the eating of three dates — just as Mohammad, peace be upon him, used to do. This meal preludes the Maghrib prayer, which is the fourth of the five daily prayers, after which the main meal is served.
The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from temptations, its purpose to cleanse the inner soul and free it from harm. It also teaches Muslims to practise self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate; thus encouraging actions of generosity and charity (Zakat). It is said that the repetition of acts over 30 days programmes the human psyche for remembrance and subconscious duplication.
This is a time of fellowship with families, friends and surrounding communities, but may also occupy larger spaces at mosques or banquet halls, where a hundred or more may gather at a time. Typical dishes vary by nation; Omani dishes include: vimto, fatta laban, qros, machboos, thareid, haries, sambousek, umm ali and halwa. At sunset neighbourhoods illuminate in grandeur with fanoos to celebrate the beauty of Ramadan.
It becomes compulsory for Muslims to fast during Ramadan at the age of puberty. The elderly, the chronically and mentally ill, and pregnant women or nursing mothers are exempt from fasting. Those who cannot fast still offer Zakat.
Recitations from the Qur’an In addition to fasting, Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Qur'an. Some Muslims perform the recitation of the entire Qur'an by means of special prayers, called ’Tarawih’, which are held in the mosques every night of the month, during which a whole section of the Qur'an (Juz’a), which is 1/30 of the Qur'an. Therefore the entire Qur'an would be completed at the end of Ramadan. Ramadan is also a time when Muslims are to avoid temptations and focus on self-reformation, spiritual cleansing and enlightenment. This is to establish a link between themselves and Allah through prayer, supplication, charity, good deeds, kindness and helping others.
Accepted Practices We are in harmony with our environment and cultural surroundings. Please follow these accepted practices to respect our Muslim brothers and sisters: • DO cover your shoulders and knees in all public areas. • DO greet others using, “a’salaam a’laikum” (peace be with you) and return greetings with, “wa a’likum salaam” (and also with you). • DO consume food and drink in the privacy of your villa or in Summer House. • DO consume alcohol during the day in the privacy of your villa or after Iftar in Summer House. • DO smoke in the privacy of your villa patio.
ramadan in zighy bay Creating exceptional experiences, Ramadan at Six Senses Zighy Bay harmonizes tradition and community with barefoot luxury. Seclusion and privacy are paramount to our guests, and the heat of the summer months invites guests into each villa’s private pool to relax under date palms and blue skies. Immerse yourself in the azure waters of the Bay of Oman awaiting the cool breeze and soft light of sunset. Communal dining on the Arabic specialties of our award-winning Culinary Team usher the evening. Under the cool blanket of night and starry skies, revel in the silence of the mountains and the company of friends and family. Let the festivities begin!
The Beauty of Ramadan
Suhour Dhow Cruise ~ 40 OMR adult | 30 OMR child
Inclusions: • Daily Breakfast in Spice Market or Suhour in your villa • Daily Iftar in Spice Market • Access to Suhour Majalis • Access to tennis, pétanque and beach volleyball courts • Laundry pressing on arrival, up to two pieces per person • Complimentary use of non-motorised water sports • Access to steam, sauna, ice cave and fitness centre • Departure gift
Take an exclusive journey on the Bay of Oman by traditional dhow cruise to Zighy’s neighbouring bay, Al Haffa. The stars shine as the light sounds of oud pipe through the air. Fresh juices and homemade pastries follow an ornate selection of mezzes before returning to Spice Market for hot breakfast offerings prior to Fajr. Reservations are necessary. This cruise is available overnight each Friday from 01:00 – 03:00. Prices are subject to 9 % tax and 8.4 % service charge and include Suhour.
Terms and Conditions: • Based on two adults • Child supplement $35; additional adult supplement $100 • Prices inclusive of 2 % Carbon Sense Fund; exclusive of 9 % government tax and 8.4 % resort service charge • Promotion valid 15 July – 15 August, 2012
Suhour Majalis
Suhour and Iftar: Dine on hot and cold Arabic selections in the privacy of your villa. Fresh juices, homemade pastries, local mezzes, and free range eggs will begin your spiritual day. Come together in communion for Iftar in the heart of the resort at Spice Market. Our Ramadan Sense of Flavours menu rewards guests with a large selection of mezzes served family-style, followed by shorba addas and fatta laban before a delectable selection of main courses and Omani desserts. Iftar is available to all guests.
Enjoy family fun in our own Suhour Majalis, located centrally next to Maktabah. Board games and plush settees create an atmosphere of fun. Nightly Cinema Paradiso at 23:00 showcases Arabic and Western modern and classic movies. Choose from our selection of popcorn flavours to enhance the evening! These activities are offered with our compliments.
Six Senses Spa: Beyond Balancing Senses Leave a little time for yourself and enjoy extended hours in our Spa. Open until 23:00 on Thursday and Friday, and upon request throughout the weekdays.