I’m not going to lie, I’ve been to A LOT of luxury resorts, and the majority of them were either sponsored collaborations or paid for with my points. Shebara, the ultra luxury futuristic resort in Saudi Arabia, was unattainable for me in either of those ways since celebs and the world’s richest are already flocking there. But! Luckily I have some really nice travel friends (all women) who splurged for a few nights there, and invited me as their guest!
If you haven’t heard of Shebara yet, I’m sure you recognize it from the photos. It’s hard to miss/forget overwater bungalows in the shape of a giant silver pod. At first I actually thought the photos were an AI creation of a luxury resort for aliens.
To this day, I can’t quite understand why they chose silver pods as a design for over water bungalows, but they’ve got me intrigued and talking about it, so I guess that’s part of the answer!
Anyway, here’s what it was like staying at the super exclusive alien resort, what you need to know to book a trip there, and of cours–please click them so I get a little tiny commission since like, they ain’t paying me to promote them! They will also get you a discount!
UPDATE: Shebara has just taken themselves off of all third party booking platforms, making it impossible to even get an affiliate link for them, however I am a registered Travel Advisor through a travel agency and I can book your stay through that, which will be cheaper and with upgrades! Please email me if you’d like me to book for you, it would help me out a lot, plus I am already in contact with the making it easy to arrange everything! EMAIL: info@mylifesamovie.com
Where is Shebara?
Shebara is located on an island off of the western Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. It shares the red sea with Egypt directly across from it (Mara Salam), and Jordan in the north.
How do you get to Saudi Arabia and how do you get to Shebara
Part of Shebara’s exclusivity is that it’s relatively difficult and expensive to even get to! You need to fly into Red Sea International airport, and then take a transfer (book through the resort) to then get to a boat transfer, unless you’re a baller and prefer paying for the private sea plane!
I always use this cheap airfare finder for flights, and would recommend looking to fly into Riyadh or Jeddah first!
How Much Does it Cost to Stay at Shebara?
The average price for Shebara’s overwater bungalows is around $2000 per night and includes only breakfast, access to the pools, wellness activities, and snorkeling gear.
You can get it for less if you book through me! Send me an email at info@mylifesamovie.com!
Flights from Riyadh to Red Sea International were around $300.
Boat transfers to and from the resort is around $200.
Airport transfer to/from the boat was around $100.
Shebara has four restaurants that are not included with the nightly price, and meals start from $17 for small bites (like tuna tacos), up to the hundreds.
Other additional costs and fees at Shebara were:
- Shisha ($75 per shisha)
- Drinks (starting at $17 for non-alcohol beer)
- Clear kayaks and paddleboards ($100 per hour but they offer 30 minutes free in the morning)
- Tips (not included but expected)
What Amenities and Activities Does Shebara Have?
Shebara is on a pretty decent sized island, and there’s a good amount of things to do! Here’s the ones I know:
- Two glorious pools (on adults-only)
- Endless beach areas
- Clear kayaking and paddleboarding
- Snorkeling (on your own or with a paid tour)
- Scuba diving (paid)
- Motorized underwater jet ski thing
- Yoga, pilates, and sound bath
- Full gym and spa
Can You Wear Bikinis/What to Wear in Saudi Arabia
Recently Saudi Arabia eased up on their strict rules for what women wear, taking away the mandatory requirement for the hijab (head covering) and abaya (robe). But, everyone it still required to dress modestly in public.
This doesn’t apply as much at resorts though. You can wear shorter dress or strapless tops, and you can wear bikinis if you’d like, but I’d recommend a one piece, and definitely a cover up!
You can see what I wore in the photos and I also have this full blog post: What to Wear in Saudia Arabia: Full Packing Guide
Is there anything else to do nearby?
Shebara is on it’s own private island, so if you want to go do something else, you have to transfer back to the mainland, or another island. There’s an island nearby with an Editon and SLS hotel, but on the mainland where you get transferred from, there’s not too much to do.
Does Shebara Serve Alcohol?
Nope. Saudi Arabia is still a completely dry country due to Islamic laws, but there are rumors that they are going to start allowing beer and wine to be served at the high end luxury Red Sea Resorts soon in the future to attract more tourists. Shebara will hopefully be one of them!
They have various non-alcoholic beers, and a full non-alcoholic wine list and mocktail menu. The villas also have mocktail bars in the rooms!
Would I Recommend Staying at Shebara?
If you can afford it, or afford to splurge for it, I’d definitely say yes. We had a few hiccups in the beginning, like an extremely long check in process, and lack of a walk through or explanation of the property, but luckily the staff is nice and helped us out.
The space pod villas are REALLY cool, unlike anything I’ve seen before in the 145 countries I’ve been to so far, and the beach and water on the island is stunning!
The only thing I was disappointed by : the check in and transfer process took WAY too long for a five star luxury resort, and the email communication prior to the trip took a long time as well. Our transfer was never confirmed beforehand which led to extra time at the airport, and the check in process took several hours, taking away time to spend enjoying the resort. We also did not get any sort of tour of the property on arrival, or explanation of where things were, so I’d recommend asking for a property tour as soon as you check in!
Again, this was not sponsored at all, so the only way I can make anything from it is through me as a travel advisor, so please contact me it you end up booking a stay here! I also have established a relationship with them and have their whatsapp which should make your stay better! Thank you!!
