Between the mountains and the sea
An abundance of earth and serenity. Mysk Kingfisher Retreat offers a getaway to nature, without giving up on life’s luxuries.
By Michelle Wranik-Hicks
Photographs by Shukhrat Gafurov
Some views you never tire of, and the one from a private tent at Mysk Kingfisher Retreat, overlooking a deserted stretch of beach and the Gulf of Oman, is among them. The intimate eco-retreat comprises only 20 luxury tents, constructed amid the dunes adjacent to the Al Qurm Nature Reserve, one of the Middle East’s oldest mangrove forests. It’s one of three boutique properties in the exclusive Sharjah Collection by Mysk, which immerses guests in some of the emirate’s most exquisite natural experiences. The reserve along Sharjah’s eastern coastline is one of the most important wetlands in the UAE. Home to rare birds, turtles and even a herd of gazelle that roam the scrublands between the mountains and the sea, it’s a place of quiet beauty.
The tents are deceptively modest-looking structures that boast tasteful, discreetly luxurious interiors in a muted palette of earthy tones. The canvas ceilings are canopied, with sisal rugs underfoot and lashings of natural wood. Along with a king-size four-poster bed with a plump duvet and crisp white linen, patterned cushions add interest. A large, airy bathroom features a stand-alone bathtub and organic bath amenities. Next to a sitting area, there’s a coffee machine and a minibar stocked with Hildon mineral water—the preferred choice of the British royal family.
Discreetly luxurious guest tents are decorated in a muted palette of earthy tones that echo the scenery outside. Canvas ceilings are canopied, with sisal rugs underfoot.
With ocean and mountain views, the tent’s many windows are designed to maximise the outdoors-in effect, letting in light, the colour of the sand and the ocean. You can even see the sea while showering. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors offer both a view to the beach and the opportunity to spill out from bed and straight onto the shaded terrace, where there’s a private plunge pool and sun loungers with striped towels and ikat-print cushions.
Aligned with the vision of low-impact tourism, the retreat is intended to have as light a touch as possible on the environment. Each tent has a beach clean-up kit to encourage guests to participate in nature conservation. Cars are not permitted, so as to protect the delicate mangrove ecosystem. To get around, guests can either use fat-wheeled bicycles—two are parked outside my tent—or request a golf buggy. Most of the time, I simply walk, strolling along pathways lined with stones and rope-wrapped driftwood. Along the way, the indigenous plants are accompanied by small wooden signs identifying the various coastal species.
Walking is encouraged at Kingfisher and forms part of a daily agenda of swimming, sunbathing and relaxing, or combinations thereof. The idea is that guests reconnect with nature and detach from their worldly troubles and slow down—literally as well as figuratively. Even the mantra, “Abundance of earth, serenity and you”, speaks to this notion.
Floor-to-ceiling glass doors offer both a view to the beach and the opportunity to spill out from bed and straight onto the shaded terrace. Photo courtesy Mysk Hotels.
With ocean and mountain views, the tent’s many windows are designed to maximise the outdoors-in effect, letting in light, the colour of the sand and the ocean.
Nature excursions are an important part of the experience. An activities manager stops by my table at lunch to check whether I might be interested in kayaking through the mangroves that afternoon, joining a nature walk that illuminates the importance of the ecosystem, or even—somewhat curiously—take part in a treasure hunt. Though doing absolutely nothing seems to be perfectly acceptable. Nobody is made to feel guilty should they decide to spend an entire afternoon on their terrace. What guests do with their time—whether it’s dawdling along the beach, joining every outing, or simply staring at the horizon in meditative silence—is up to them.
I find myself slipping easily into Kingfisher’s unhurried rhythm. I wade in the shallows and trace patterns in the tidal flats where shells are swept in clusters. I wander back to the tent periodically to make myself another coffee before curling up—once more—on a sun lounger to savour the view. In the late afternoon, the sky is cloudless and crystalline. A gentle sea breeze stirs the coarse coastal grass. The skies turn pastel at dusk. In the mauve-glowing twilight, ghost crabs venture from their burrows to scuttle among the dunes.
Dinner that evening is served in the main tent, an elegant space that also functions as a reception and sitting area. Cosy armchairs and dividing shelves are placed in such a way to impart privacy, no matter where you choose to sit. A small library holds books on Arabian birds and the archaeological discoveries of Mleiha. On a nearby table, a pearlescent shell is inscribed with a handwritten message: “Refresh your mind and enjoy your stay.”
Calm reigns along the private beach, facing the Gulf of Oman. The unhurried rhythm allows for wading in the shallows, tracing patterns in the tidal flats, or exploring the empty beach on fat-wheeled bicycles. Bottom photo: Mysk Hotels.
During winter, guests dine outside on the lantern-lit terrace alongside the main infinity pool and two large sunken fire pits. The flickering firelight illuminates a feast of spiced seafood, lamb-shank biryanis, seared-to-perfection steak, warm flatbreads, hummus, and beautiful spreads of cold and warm salads, ordered a la carte. The watermelon and feta salad uses mint grown in the chef’s herb garden, where along with basil and capsicum I’m told the tomatoes are “growing like crazy.” The retreat is also in talks with beekeepers, exploring the idea of harvesting honey on the grounds.
A local touch is always present, from the slices of fresh watermelon sourced from nearby farms, to Kalba seashells in jars on each table. While sampling some of the traditional Emirati cuisine, I’m told that the chef’s balaleet—a sugar-sweetened vermicelli, cardamom, rosewater and saffron dish—was perfected by an Emirati grandmother, who tweaked the recipe to her liking during her three-day stay.
Guests also have the option of dining privately. Staff can arrange a personal barbecue at your tent. I opt for a cup of tea after my meal instead, wrapped in a blanket beneath the stars. On the moonlit night, the beach is as peaceful as ever—just the sound of the tide rolling to shore and the call to prayer in the distance.
At dawn, beneath a sky striated with orange, I walk barefoot to the water’s edge. The sight of the tent canopies against the rugged mountains in the distance, burnished ochre in the rising sun, is arresting. At this hour, the landscape has a quiet, numinous beauty. Best of all, I have it all to myself. An abundance of earth and serenity indeed.
