Oman........Truly Arabic
The private transfer to our chosen resort, the Shangri La Barr Al Jissah Resort, took 45 minutes and our driver, an Omani, spoke perfect English. During the journey he gave us a fascinating insight into his country.
Located in between a dramatic backdrop of rugged mountains and the pristine blue Sea of Oman, Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa is comprised of three spectacular hotels set in 124 acres of stunning scenery.
We had chosen to stay at the Al Waha Hotel which is the largest of the resorts three hotels. As it is located at the foot of the mountain range, a man made tunnel was cut through the mountain to provide vehicular access which makes for an unusual arrival by road.
The Al Waha has 262 rooms, each with either a balcony or ground floor patio, with sea view and all the usual modern facilities. The name Al Waha means "The Oasis", and has been designed so that the hotel's several swimming pools form an oasis incorporating many date palm trees with plenty of sun beds and umbrellas provided around the pools, or the peaceful garden area amongst the palm trees as well as on the beach. A cool box with complimentary bottles of water for each sun bed was a nice touch.
A fun and relaxing facility for adults or kids was the Lazy River which transported you on large rubber rings through the gardens behind the beach to the pool at the Al Bandar Hotel. Getting on and off the rings was a challenge as was staying on along the waterway. Naturally I fell off several times. All part of the fun!
The resort’s other two hotels are the Al Bandar located in the centre of the complex and the six star Al Husn which is built on a rocky headland at the far end of the bay. The Al Husn has 180 rooms and suites and is described as one of the most palatial and luxurious hotels in Oman.
As a guest in the resort we were able to dine in any of the eight restaurants located around the complex. In the Al Waha, the Samba restaurant provided an excellent breakfast buffet and international cuisine for dinner including themed buffets. Light lunches and drinks were available from Assira the pool bar which also had a happy hour which we made full use of for sun downer cocktails. We also enjoyed, Bait al Bahr a very good seafood restaurant located on the beachfront and Capri Court at Al Bandar is a superb contemporary Italian Restaurant. Our favourite though was the Tapas restaurant on the large courtyard in front of the Al Bandar which offered a mix of Mediterranean and Asian dishes tapas style in a lovely setting. It was so good we went back another night!
For something different we took the hotel shuttle bus up to Al Mazaar Souk, also part of the resort. In addition to shopping the Souk area has three further dining options. Zafran Café serves coffee, pastries and light meals and Asia provides contemporary dishes from east and southwest Asia. However, to give my husband a treat, I chose the third option, Fairouz, a Lebanese restaurant with resident belly dancer. The food was excellent and watching the belly dancer was a fascinating experience!
A variety of excursions are available through Zahara Tours the main one being a city tour of Muscat which includes the Grand Mosque and the Bait Al Zubair Museum to understand Oman’s history and development. You also visit the magnificent Official Palace of Sultan Qaboos. Other options include an evening Dhow cruise, journeys through the mountains to see ancient forts, canyons and Wadi’s or your own 4x4 chauffeur exploring the desert with an overnight under the stars!
Oman is growing fast as a tourist destination and is an excellent alternative to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Development is carefully controlled to retain the Omani heritage and values while providing a 21st century experience and facilities.
Shangri La’s Barr Al Jissah resort offers a great choice of quality hotels, facilities, restaurants and activities in a spectacular and truly relaxing setting. It was everything we hoped for and more and we absolutely loved it!