We recently stayed at the most insane resort we’ve ever seen – a place so futuristic that it almost looks fake.

Picture this: rows of shiny UFO-shaped pods floating above impossibly blue water. If you asked Chat GPT to create a picture of futuristic sci-fi overwater villas, the resulting picture would probably look very close to the pictures on this resort’s website.

What makes this place even more unique? It’s part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, a project to transform the country into a premier tourist destination. It’s the biggest tourist infrastructure program in the world in a country where tourist visas didn’t exist just 10 years ago.

An internet search of the Shebara Resort pulled up very few results – no reviews and no photos from past visitors, just a sleek website that left us wondering, is this place real?

So we did the only natural thing and flew to Saudi Arabia to see this resort with our own two eyes. We had no idea what to expect and a million questions filled our minds. How would it stack up to the famous overwater villas in the Maldives or Bora Bora? What would the food be like? Would there be resort bars with alcohol in a country where alcohol is illegal? Would there be a dress code?

Finally the moment of truth came and we hopped on a boat to Shebara Island. As we approached, there it was. Every bit as tangible and surreal as it appeared on the website.

If there were overwater villas on Mars, this is what they would look like.

The Resort

This resort was gigantic and the very definition of luxe, with every detail enhancing the already incredible experience.

The main beach had soft white sand and water so electric blue it looked like blue Gatorade. Throughout the resort there were not one, not two, but three infinity pools perfect for cooling off under the desert sun. The pool bar was stocked with beer, wine, cocktails, champagne, coffee, and soft drinks and staying true to local culture, it was all completely alcohol free.

Free sunscreen stations were everywhere and employees in golf carts zipped around the resort, ready to take you anywhere you needed to go. There was a dive center, free snorkeling gear, padel courts, running tracks, and maybe the nicest gym we’ve ever seen. Of course, no resort would be complete without a spa.

Given how new the resort is and how few visitors have been to the island, it seemed almost as if we had the whole resort to ourselves, just us and the incredibly kind employees enjoying this futuristic oasis.

The Villa

This villa was unlike any other overwater villa we’ve stayed at in our entire lives. And after stepping foot in our villa, it became clear why we didn’t see many other guests around the resort, because honestly, who would want to leave?

When we were thinking of ways to describe this villa, a few words came to mind: simple, elegant, modern, and sleek. There were hardly any 90-degree angles in the whole place. Every detail, every item, was the best of the best.

Each villa has its own private infinity pool – ours overlooked the ocean – with tons of cushy outdoor seating.

The living area had huge couches, incredible views of the Red Sea, and a minibar hidden inside a giant reflective silver orb. Oh, and everything inside the minibar is free. Then right off the living room is a full kitchen, in case you want to whip yourself up a meal, or bring your private chef along, I guess.

Inside, both of the two bedrooms were truly the comfiest beds we have ever slept in. And that’s not something we say lightly because according to Kara’s count, we slept in 125 different beds in 2024.

Both bathrooms were totally decked out with massive waterfall showers, incredible tubs, and luxury bidets imported from Japan. The closets were stocked with fluffy robes, chic beach bags, adorable woven beach sandals, and cozy slippers.

The Food

At this point, it should come as no surprise that the food here was to die for.

The breakfast restaurant, included free in every stay, featured a buffet and a massive a la carte menu. We gorged ourselves on cheesy zaatar bread, caviar-poached eggs, and ricotta lemon pancakes right on the beach.

An Italian restaurant run by a Michelin star chef, was a fabulous place for a candlelit dinner. The Japanese restaurant served incredible udon noodles, miso glazed eggplant, and earthy matcha desserts. After an afternoon of snorkeling, we enjoyed gyoza and fish and chips at the poolside restaurant. Safe to say, this resort has a ton of options to choose from, and you can’t go wrong choosing any one of them.

Life at the Resort & Our Final Review

Our vacation here was spent snorkeling in the Red Sea – taking in the sights of manta rays and lively coral reefs — and relaxing at our villa. The views couldn’t get any better and everything we ate was absolutely unforgettable. We didn’t have time to scuba dive, but given our previous experiences scuba diving in the Red Sea, I’m sure it would have been amazing.

There were some small hiccups that made it clear to us that this was a brand-new resort, but the staff were all so friendly and eager to discover how they could make our stay even better.

Overall, our experience here was incredibly fascinating. We kept wondering: in 15 years will people be talking about the Red Sea the same way they talk about the Maldives?

Want to see the full resort and spaceship villa tour? Check out the video below.