When talking about conserving energy we must first look to hotels. Just think about the large amount of water being wasted in cleaning thousands of towels and bed sheets daily. Now think about the electricity each room needs for its air conditioning, lights and water; that’s not something to take lightly, is it?
The Six Senses Hideaway in Oman has taken all that and more into account. Minimizing each individual’s ecological footprint as well as maintaining a harmony with the environment is one of this luxury hotel's main goals. The resort, located in Zighy Bay, is a staggering masterpiece in itself. Imagine paragliding above crystal clear water to reach your secluded destination.
In the Six Senses, you don’t have to imagine anymore. You are whisked away from reality and taken into a land that does not solely take pride in its beauty, but in its efforts to save the environment as well. Two percent of the room revenue is used to produce alternatives to fossil fuels. Their efforts target developing countries, as they have not yet become dependent on fossil fuels.
Several environmental projects take place in the Six Senses Hideaway; first of which is the Six Senses Carbon Offset Program. This program aims to prevent global warming by reducing carbon dioxide emissions of their guests. Wind energy is used as an alternative to coal fired power plants. This form of energy prevents 70,000 tons of carbon dioxide from polluting the atmosphere.
Water is efficiently used and treated at the Six Senses. Waste water is treated in the resort’s own waste water treatment plant. The waste water passes through sand and gravel which allow the water to be naturally filtered and cleansed from pollutants. This water is then used for flushing toilets in the resort as well as irrigation. The resort also has its own desalination plant which helps provide it, as well as Zighy Village, with water.
As for drinking water, the resort has stopped buying imported brands of water, as the transportation method gives off large amounts of carbon dioxide. Glass bottles are now used and re-used free of charge to all guests. This not only reduces CO2 emission, but the use of plastic as well.
The year has just started and the Six Senses Hideaway has already participated in three events that all aim to help the environment. On Oman Environment Day, resort hosts were taken on a trip to Arabia Wildlife Centre to help them better understand the environment in Oman. They were taught about the importance of animals and the environment and the need to preserve them.
As for Earth Day, the resort hosted an underwater clean up in the Musandam waters. Underwater trash and old fishing nets were all removed as they were damaging the reefs in the area. On the same day, trees were planted in the area and a showing of the Planet Earth documentary followed.
On March 28, 2009, the world was asked to set aside an hour for the Earth known as, “Earth Hour”, in which as much electrical equipment should be turned off. The Six Senses Hideaway took part in this event. Hosts and guests reduced their carbon footprint by 292.2 kg in that hour.
For a resort that provides you with seclusion, relaxation, stunning villas and views, and a lesser carbon footprint, the Six Senses Hideaway at Zighy Bay is where you want to be. It is a speck of perfection on Earth that is sure to keep you coming back for more.
