We were met at Amman airport by an Evason Ma'In driver who took us to the resort in a Nissan Pajero 4x4. The hour-long transfer was pleasant if a little hot. We skirted Amman and passed through Madaba before striking out across the Mountain Heights Plateau and entering the small spa town of Ma'in.
We passed quickly through a security checkpoint marking the entrance to the Evason and along a driveway to the hotel, where our bags were quickly unloaded and brought inside.
Ma'in is 58km south of Amman, 30km from Madaba and five kilometres as the crow flies from the Dead Sea. It's dramatic, mountainous and 264 metres below sea level. Before you get to the Evason property, you pass several waterfalls which are open to the public on a daily basis, and a small lodging house.
Evason Ma'In is a newly refurbished hotel which opened in February this year. From the outside it's a rather ugly, eight-storey, sand-coloured building which sits at the side of a dramatic valley.
Since the hotel is newly opened, and occupancy levels were between 30 and 40 per cent when we visited, there wasn't much atmosphere inside the hotel, including its bars and restaurants. The bulk of visitors seemed to be local families.
The spa, too, was quiet but child-free: with its soft loungers around the pool and waterfall and relaxation areas inside its intimate, porticoed walkways, I could have spent the whole day there. On our first day, the outside temperature was 42 degrees and the air conditioning system wasn't powerful enough for us.
The hotel's 94 rooms and suites (plus two royal suites and one honeymoon suite) have been revamped from their previous incarnations with the addition of new bathrooms, floorings and much dark wood, from the beams above the bed to the wardrobes and TV cabinet.
"Rustic chic" is the look they're going for and it's just about pulled off; the rooms are spacious and unfussy, with a sofa, coffee table and small desk; beds are comfortable with spongy pillows. All rooms have balconies and the best have views over the picturesque valley beneath the hotel to the Dead Sea. I enjoyed watching the sunset and then the flickering lights of Bethlehem and Jerusalem 40km away.
While there was no shortage of manpower - there was a staff:guest ratio of three-to-one based on full occupancy - the service in the restaurants was so poor that it stressed us out.
Our worst experience was at the pool bar, where a simple order of a steak sandwich (US$19; Dh70) and fish and chips ($14; Dh51) took an hour instead of the quoted 25 minutes to arrive, and when it did, the steak sandwich was cold, my drink was the wrong one, we were missing a set of cutlery and my colleague's tartare sauce.
Incredibly, it took another half an hour for all this to be resolved - although we never received the tartare sauce. Six Senses management trumpets a "SLOW" core purpose - standing for sustainable, local, organic and wholesome - but here, we felt the philosophy had spread to most of the staff, too.
A selection of tapas ordered on the terrace of the Brown Bar arrived in reasonable time and was tasty if not spectacular.
The drinks - mine a smoothie made with fresh apricots, peaches, crushed almonds and frozen yoghurt - were delicious. When I ordered it 48 hours later, however, it came only with peaches and yoghurt, no apricots and almond syrup.
We felt the prices - $5.60 (Dh20) per tapas selection and $7 (Dh25) each for the drinks - were just about good value.
Dinner on the first evening was the "zarb experience" at Olive, a tented camp on the side of the valley near the hotel. All the food - chicken, meat and vegetables - was cooked in a traditional Bedouin way in large pits in the ground, while a woman made traditional Arabic bread over a fire and a man played the oud and sang local songs.
My colleague and I were barely able to dent the vast platter of meat, rice and vegetables placed before us (coming after a hefty and delicious spread of Jordanian mezze including mouhammara, baba ganoush and fattoush) and we went to bed feeling that at $45 (Dh165) per head it was good value but ever-so-slightly wasteful.
Breakfast in the At the Springs buffet restaurant was a similarly bacchanalian spread of fresh fruit (the local peaches and apricots were fantastic), cheeses, breads, foul and - we thought - slightly unnecessary grill and wok counter.
Dinner at the buffet restaurant seemed to suffer from a slight lack of freshness (perhaps due to the small number of guests) and an unfortunate number of flies which saw us swatting our plates and covering our bread basked with napkins.
The view across the valley from my room; the sight - and sound - of the two waterfalls at the resort and the modern, stylish, comfortable and spacious interiors of the various bars and restaurants.
The library on the ground floor was snug and had a good selection of books, plus free internet. Best though, was the spa, which oozed decorum and understatement (two floors in a purpose-built stone building, 10 treatment rooms and 10 mostly Thai therapists) was nestled down the valley by a small waterfall and the almost-vertical rock faces of the surrounding mountains.
The treatment I had - a sea salt and olive oil body scrub followed by a holistic massage - put me in a trance-like state, after which I sat bathed in the 45-degree heat of the thermal waterfall.
The slow service and hit-and-miss nature of the food ordered. The fact that there wasn't an operational bathroom near the swimming pool, which meant a trip upstairs.
A good hotel in a great location with a great spa attached. Hopefully, the standard of service in the hotel will be raised to cater for for the high standards demanded by the hotel's high-paying guests, so it will be a sought-after regional weekend getaway or a nice stop on a round-Jordan tour.
Until the last day of Ramadan, GCC residents can stay for two nights for $293 (Dh1,076) including taxes and breakfast, based on two sharing. The hotel controls access to Wadi Zarqa; a guided walk to the Dead Sea costs from $73 (Dh270).
Evason Ma'In Hot Springs & Six Senses Spa, Ma'In, Jordan (www.sixsenses.com; 00 962 5324 5500).
travel@thenational.ae
ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
If%20you%20go
%3Cp%3EThere%20are%20regular%20flights%20from%20Dubai%20to%20Kathmandu.%20Fares%20with%20Air%20Arabia%20and%20flydubai%20start%20at%20Dh1%2C265.%3Cbr%3EIn%20Kathmandu%2C%20rooms%20at%20the%20Oasis%20Kathmandu%20Hotel%20start%20at%20Dh195%20and%20Dh120%20at%20Hotel%20Ganesh%20Himal.%3Cbr%3EThird%20Rock%20Adventures%20offers%20professionally%20run%20group%20and%20individual%20treks%20and%20tours%20using%20highly%20experienced%20guides%20throughout%20Nepal%2C%20Bhutan%20and%20other%20parts%20of%20the%20Himalayas.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Most%20polluted%20cities%20in%20the%20Middle%20East
%3Cp%3E1.%20Baghdad%2C%20Iraq%3Cbr%3E2.%20Manama%2C%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3E3.%20Dhahran%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E4.%20Kuwait%20City%2C%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3E5.%20Ras%20Al%20Khaimah%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E6.%20Ash%20Shihaniyah%2C%20Qatar%3Cbr%3E7.%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E8.%20Cairo%2C%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E9.%20Riyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E10.%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%202022%20World%20Air%20Quality%20Report%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MOST%20POLLUTED%20COUNTRIES%20IN%20THE%20WORLD
%3Cp%3E1.%20Chad%3Cbr%3E2.%20Iraq%3Cbr%3E3.%20Pakistan%3Cbr%3E4.%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3E5.%20Bangladesh%3Cbr%3E6.%20Burkina%20Faso%3Cbr%3E7.%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3E8.%20India%3Cbr%3E9.%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E10.%20Tajikistan%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%202022%20World%20Air%20Quality%20Report%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Rest
(Because Music)
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group C
Liverpool v Napoli, midnight
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Tabby%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%20August%202019%3B%20platform%20went%20live%20in%20February%202020%3Cbr%3EFounder%2FCEO%3A%20Hosam%20Arab%2C%20co-founder%3A%20Daniil%20Barkalov%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Payments%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2040-50%20employees%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Arbor%20Ventures%2C%20Mubadala%20Capital%2C%20Wamda%20Capital%2C%20STV%2C%20Raed%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Founders%20Capital%2C%20JIMCO%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20Venture%20Souq%2C%20Outliers%20VC%2C%20MSA%20Capital%2C%20HOF%20and%20AB%20Accelerator.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Central%20Bank's%20push%20for%20a%20robust%20financial%20infrastructure
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ECBDC%20real-value%20pilot%20held%20with%20three%20partner%20institutions%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPreparing%20buy%20now%2C%20pay%20later%20regulations%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPreparing%20for%20the%202023%20launch%20of%20the%20domestic%20card%20initiative%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPhase%20one%20of%20the%20Financial%20Infrastructure%20Transformation%20(FiT)%20completed%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
(All games 4-3pm kick UAE time) Bayern Munich v Augsburg, Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin, Wolfsburg v Mainz , Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg, Union Berlin v RB Leipzig, Cologne v Schalke , Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach, Stuttgart v Arminia Bielefeld
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
