Oman - Sea, Sand & Summits!
On arrival into Muscat after our 7 hour flight from London, we were escorted to the relaxing cool lounge while they processed our visas and offered us drinks and refreshments. In no time at all, we were on our way to the fabulous 5 star Shangri-La Resort.
The Resort offers a choice of 3 Hotels which cater for all tastes and budgets. We were allocated our rooms in Al Husn – the most luxurious of the three! Rooms are very large with a king sized bed. The bathrooms were full of L’Occitaine products which was a real highlight! The balcony overlooked the sea with a free mini bar offering soft drinks and beer.
We quickly headed to the beautiful infinity pool overlooking the Sea of Oman. The sunbeds are sumptuous and the complimentary cool boxes with soft drinks as well as Evian spray to cool you down were very welcomed! The Hotel offers a daily afternoon tea in the lobby and then the Manager’s Cocktail party every evening on the balcony - all included. In addition staff are very attentive without being overbearing.
The following morning after one of the best breakfast buffets ever, we were whisked off in a convoy of to the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque – a must see highlight of the City. Respectful to their faith, we covered up our arms and heads. The absolutely stunning 8 ton Swarovski crystal chandelier dominated the room and it is also home to the 2nd largest carpet in the world!
We stopped briefly in Nizwa to visit the Fort and the souks and then we were off to Wadi Al Madeen for lunch. Wadis are large pools that are formed from the water coming off the mountains. Driving into the mountains, a 4x4 is compulsory and you can see why as we climbed higher to 2004 ft above sea level. We checked in to Sahab Hotel which has the most magnificent views of the Al Hajjar mountains.
The following day we were back in the jeeps to the desert to do some ‘dune bashing’. The 3 jeeps competed with each other to see which one could get over the dunes in one could go. The dunes are a spectacular orange colour and so much higher than ones I have seen in likes of Dubai. As we arrive at our base for the night – Arabian Oryx Camp – a sandstorm hit and it started to rain! Luckily, the weather settled down so we could go back up the dunes to witness the beautiful sunset. Back at the camp, we settled round a campfire under the stars. The ‘tents’ were basic but still have en-suites and AC.
En route back to Muscat, we visited a traditional Bedouin home. We stopped at another Wadi, before going to a lovely beach to cool off. We arrived back at Muscat to the comforts of the 5 star luxury Al Husn.
We had time to explore the resort and see the other 2 properties Al Waha & Al Bandar which were more geared towards families and those on a tighter budget. The Resort offers a great choice for all – plenty of activities for all ages, great choice of bars, restaurants & shops .
I recommend that you do take the time to leave the resort and see the delights that this wonderful country has to offer. It is really diverse and in contrast to Dubai, it gives you so much more than just a beach. The Omanis are truly so friendly and it is so safe – it’s clean, no litter, graffiti and the buildings are all low rise. The climate is ideal for a winter break and its culture, nature and choice of activities will appeal to many looking for something a bit different.