Kancamagus Highway.. my first holiday with Veer Arvind Dadawala

Rub Al Khali.... Sands of time.

After the game-changing Corona hit the world and travel came to a standstill, we braved to opt for a staycation within UAE. We hadn’t traveled for 8 months - coupled with trepidation, there was also anticipation and excitement. Getting a DPI test at the Dubai - Abu Dhabi border that went like a breeze, spending almost an hour at the border crossing due to the weekend, when it seemed that the entire population was following us, we took turns at driving. Qasr Al Serab was a resort situation in Rub Al Khali called the Empty Quarter area of the desert - around 325 km from Dubai. The empty quarter is the second largest desert in the world after Sahara, shared by four countries.

Driving shots

Once we crossed Mashreq and headed out in the wildlands, the desert spread out with occasional patches of living quarters. The landscape was stark and desolate. The traffic thinned out, and it seemed we were the only ones in the long and desolate road. Towards Liwa, on the single carriage, we looked out for the Tropic of Cancer signboard that passed across Hameen. Some adventurers and explorers walked the 337 km along with the TOC that extends to the UAE. Today, we wanted a picture for the social media glory.. and hey presto.. here it was.

Passing over numerous oil rigs, the desert dunes changed color, texture, and height. The sands were smoother, less forbidding and desolate but cleaner and inviting.  Slowly signboards started appearing for our destination as the dunes grew more in height and stature. Finally, we spotted an arrow pointing us through a picturesque driveway past a security gate. The dunes were now mesmerizing as we stopped and stared at the glistening sands with the sun's light reflecting golden hues.

We reached the imposing sand-colored fortress that was our intended destination. Sipping a welcome drink in the cozy comfort of controlled air, we saw past a huge, open balcony westward, beyond the imposing dunes. The hotel staff pointed out helpfully that one needed to climb the dunes to watch the sunset! If we were quick, we could do it today! After the 3 hour drive with an hour wait at the border crossing, we wanted to lounge and relax and not too keen to trudge up the dunes. The room was comfortable and elegant, with a balcony leading to a small private garden. Some photo ops ensued, after which we discovered that the bathtub drain had got stuck! A call to maintenance started a flurry of activity with profuse apologies. We were upgraded instantly to the first floor with a gorgeous open balcony with a view past the swimming pools towards the dunes.

Unforgettable moments at Qasr Al Sarab. 

Sunrise & Breakfast at the terrace

Waking up around 5, we had a quick coffee and strolled on quiet walkways eastwards to another set of limitless, majestic dunes. We saw that other early birds had climbed atop and settled in to watch the sunrise. The friction or lack of it on slippery sands made the climb intense, exhausting, but great fun. Mere words were inadequate to express the next few sunrise moments, colors of the sky reflecting off the never-ending sands. Everyone atop the dunes collectively caught their breath and simply experienced divinity in its splendor. Helped a bunch of others capture moments, and each of us returned for a sumptuous breakfast, pensive after introspection. Of course, during such intense moments, we do tend to think of our Yoga Guru. 

The first look 

The spread of the morning hues

Another bright morning

Surya Namaskar

Footprints in the sand.

Morning Meditation

Walking on the edge

Breakfast by the terrace overlooking the sand dunes was an elaborate affair. The menu was plentiful in terms of choice, the waiters served to please, and we could hear the pleasant chatter of conversation drifting across the open balcony. The breakfast lasted more than an hour. By this time, the rays of the sun and the deep blue skies with the dunes reflecting off heat made the air warm, and we scurried back into the comfort of A/C. 

Natural symmetry waves

Visit the Library.

Almanacs, publications dating back to the 1930s, curios from bygone days, and a wide variety of objects to trigger one’s curiosity were spread about. I chanced upon a story about the onset of advertising blitzkrieg in the 30s about razor blades for women that held my attention. Abundant in board games, there were lots to do here, and a mere morning post breakfast seemed inadequate to do full justice. 

Sunset Walk and the night sky

We had underestimated the time it would take to climb the tall dunes beyond which the sunset was visible.  The dunes were very high and incredibly steep. Each dune we conquered, there seemed to be another to cross for an unhindered view of the sunset. By the time we reached the summit, we could only glimpse the sky's red and scarlet hues.  Sitting by the dunes, we caught the night lights twinkling at the resort. The stars started appearing in the pitch dark, and it was a stargazer's delight. Skylite app was fully utilized to pick out both distant and bright objects and the Hubble telescope roaming around. 

Setting sun

As the sun sets.. hues of sands

Star Gazing