Arne Silvis - General Manager - Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa
The first thing you notice about Arne is those rugged good looks. Though he is dressed in a collared shirt he wears his love of The Big Outdoors in a deep tan. Virtually the whole team of rangers is from South Africa, where the combination of conservation and high-end tourism has been established for the longest time. Arne talks with great fondness of his days as a young adult canoeing and game driving in the Zambesi and working at lodges in Namibia. I feel his heart is still very much on the plains of southern Africa but a guy has to make a living! He expresses great pride in the pioneering project that is Al Maha, the first such conservation effort in Arabia. He is a good ambassador for the resort, conveying knowledge and respect for the native species he tends here and dealing with guests with charm and confidence. He acknowledges that Al Maha attracts a certain kind of tourism, in general more sensitive and knowledgable that at most beach resorts. He and his team try to provide an authentic experience of the Arabian Desert in safety and with great luxury of course. They succeed pretty well in our opinion, though there are a few details we would change. He winces when I comment that some of the decor is a little "Disneyesque" and informs us that a partial refurb will begin soon and lead to some suites having a different style. He is fully on top of the job of General Manager of a luxury hotel, able to quote figures on returning guests and the proportion of guests from each continent.
When Arne becomes more enthused though is talking about the life of the desert. On impulse, he decides to take us out into the far reaches of the park to one of his favourite spots. We have to see the Ghaf trees he explains. On the way, he points out some of the places where he has slept under the stars on a simple mat. That's the heart of the man, simplicity. I also suspect he was in need of an opportunity for a smoke! Nonetheless we had an interesting lesson about the relationship between the Bedouin and the tree, the number of ways it is useful. I have to admit they are extraordinary trees having evolved a thick layer of very low-density bark which insulates the trunk. It is so friable that it makes perfect tinder for camp fires. Nice guy Arne, I would trust him with my life, he exudes the kind of confidence that comes from having survived a few scrapes. We're sure he and his team will win many more awards, and hearts.
When Arne becomes more enthused though is talking about the life of the desert. On impulse, he decides to take us out into the far reaches of the park to one of his favourite spots. We have to see the Ghaf trees he explains. On the way, he points out some of the places where he has slept under the stars on a simple mat. That's the heart of the man, simplicity. I also suspect he was in need of an opportunity for a smoke! Nonetheless we had an interesting lesson about the relationship between the Bedouin and the tree, the number of ways it is useful. I have to admit they are extraordinary trees having evolved a thick layer of very low-density bark which insulates the trunk. It is so friable that it makes perfect tinder for camp fires. Nice guy Arne, I would trust him with my life, he exudes the kind of confidence that comes from having survived a few scrapes. We're sure he and his team will win many more awards, and hearts.