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Emirate of Dubai · United Arab Emirates

Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa

Tented suites inside a 225-square-kilometre reserve where oryx graze past the pool

Safari Lodge ★★★★★ Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve
The setting of Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa
Location image, not the property. Charles J. Sharp / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Al Maha opened in 1999 as the seed of what became the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, a 225-square-kilometre protected area that now covers a substantial slice of the emirate. The resort's forty-two suites are styled as Bedouin tents but built solid, each with a private temperature-controlled pool and a deck facing open dunes.

Arabian oryx and gazelle, reintroduced through the reserve's programme, wander freely and routinely turn up at the edge of the terraces. Two activities a day are included in the rate, typically some combination of camel trekking, guided nature drives, falconry displays, horse riding and dune walks with a resident naturalist.

It is adults-only, about forty-five minutes from central Dubai, and deliberately quiet: no day visitors, no music, and a strict cap on vehicle numbers in the reserve. The spa and the restaurant occupy the main lodge on a ridge above the suites.

At a glance

What to expect

  • Private pool suites
  • Adults only
  • Two daily activities included
  • Falconry and camel trekking
  • Wildlife nature drives
  • Timeless Spa
  • Fine dining restaurant
  • Dubai transfers