When thrust deep into the middle of nowhere, an enchanting oasis beckons
Utah’s sun-soaked desert is no place for wanderers, unless one is willing to get lost on their own. Many have stepped foot in the craggy, unforgiving canyons after different pursuits; some, the victory of conquering terrains; others, a photographic medley of naturally carved lines against the age-old rock formations. Here, where Utah and Arizona meet, the Canyon Point looks with a highbrow, perched mightily at the centre of Grand Circle and continues to intimidate. But if one proceeds with a stout heart, and a trusted 4×4 drive, there is a great chance to come upon an oasis about to spring into the dry lands come April 2020.
Amangiri, USA – Camp Sarika
It is Camp Sarika, a 10-tented glamping site comprised of individual pavilions, Amangiri’s nod to the Old West. The decade-old resort has strung lovers of the desert with its orange-lit promontories decked at the foot of the canyon. Stepping here feels like landing on another planet. Cultivating a strong sense of the place–a bewitching million-year-old dry garden—it is just right to set forth into the far ends of Canyon Point to truly inhale what living in the desert feels like. Of course, with an abundance of luxury.
Amangiri, USA – Camp Sarika
A tribute to the native Navajos
There are no skyscrapers, just a canvas-topped pavilion that occupies a sprawling land and a clear view of the distant mesas. It is nothing to frown at; Luxury Frontiers designed the pavilions with the same fluidity as the suites in Amangiri. The location, however, makes the difference. At daytime, everything could be difficult to view; it’s hot and bright, but the real magic comes at night. The blistering sight of the sun burns its last blaze before gently tucking itself behind the bed of rocks, switching the bright sky into a starlit spectacle that makes romanticists out of every ordinary onlooker.
Amangiri, USA – Camp Sarika
The 30-minute hike from the main resort brings the sheer gift of isolation, but this is complemented with a restaurant that indulges with culinary treats from morning until night. Fresh local produce is integrated into the menu that satisfies the picky vegetarians. But the meat lovers have a reason to rejoice; the wilderness, after all, is the place to quell mountain-sized appetites.
Amangiri, USA – Camp Sarika
Amangiri, USA – Camp Sarika
Paired with the dramatic views of shadows cascading through the rock formations, there springs a tendency for deeper explorations, an activity Amangiri dutifully complies with opportunities for canyoneering, horseback riding, star gazing, and the good ‘ole storytelling around the campfire. www.aman.com/camp-sarika ◼
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© This article was first published online in Jan 2020 – World Travel Magazine.