The Living Desert:

Al Maha is a sanctuary for man and beast alike, a nature reserve rekindling the surprising life of the desert. The main resort itself takes up less than two per cent of the wild expanse in which it is cradled. Here, as part of the conservation initiative, endangered indigenous animals are being carefully reintroduced into the wild.

Hence you will find yourself part of a unique population: domani and rheem gazelle, scimitar - horned Oryx, the beautiful Arabian Oryx, the rare Arabian fox, the tiny desert hare. It is this diversity of fauna, and the richness of the flora on which it depends, that so surprises visitors, and changes their notions of what the word "desert" entails.

Animals are elusive of course, but the knowledgeable Field Guides will seek them with you on safari, traveling the sands as the Bedouin did, in the long shadows of dawn or dusk. Al Maha promises new experiences for even the most seasoned traveler. Have you ridden high on a camel across haunting desert plains? Have you experienced the solitude of the dunes at sunset? Have you held a falcon and later watched it soar, circle, then fall in a flash for its prey?

You will, at Al Maha. The Hotel's Field Guides will help you with their expert understanding of the terrain, and the techniques they use to master it. How they drive the dunes in a four - wheel drive vehicle how, to get close to shy animals.

Adventure And Discovery:

At Al Maha you'll discover a disappearing way of life. You'll discover the weave of the sands. You'll discover ancient pursuits like archery and ancient places like Hatta and Oman. And, so long as your sense of adventure is alive, you'll discover a little more about yourself.

To stand on the quay of Dubai's famous Creek is to straddle two worlds. Look up at the defiant architecture of the soaring towers, and you know that you know that you are standing in one of the most progressive cities on the planet. Yet reflected, quite literally, in their walls of gleaming glass, rare the sublime wooden dhows that line the Creek - unloading textiles, spics, rice - trading as they have traded for a thousand years.

Al Maha, also, embraces two worlds: the world of comfort, indulgent dinning and private temperature - controlled swimming pools. And, at the same time, a simpler world rooted in the ethics of the Bedouin ways: hospitality, balance and respect for life. This is a world that calls to you from across the centuries. Experience the legend that is Al Maha.

World Legacy Award 2004

Emirates' Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa added to its list of prestigious awards recently by beating off fierce international competition to take the World Legacy Award 2004 (Nature Travel), one of the world's premier conservation accolades.

The Al Maha Desert resort, Dubai is an idyllic, exclusive oasis set within a 25-square kilometre conservation wildlife reserve.