Muscat, Oman

I can’t quite recall what inspired us to visit Muscat. In fact neither of us seem to remember how or why we managed to stumble across this relatively low-key gem of the Middle East. But crikey we’re glad we did! We were in desperate of some rest and relaxation and that’s exactly what we got.

After a significantly delayed outbound flight, and hours of hanging around airport lounges, we arrived at the resort nine hours later than scheduled. Although we were both pent-up with tiredness and frustration, within seconds of arriving at the resort, the warming smiles, cold towels and refreshing peach juice soon wiped away the day’s ordeal..

1 – Immense humidity

The change in air temperature always grabs your attention when arriving in a warmer climate. But nothing prepared us for the sheer humidity that greeted us in Muscat. Anyone wearing glasses will relate to the inconvenience wet air brings, particularly my fiancé! The humidity levels were around 60-70% during our stay and, although typical during Summer months, took some getting used to. It’s not just glasses or sunglasses that attract the microscopic droplets – windows, furniture, mobile devices and even skin all had a permanent coating of condensation! Being clammy and sticky all over became par-for-the-course. It wasn’t all bad though, once you’d acclimatised it didn’t feel that noticeable.

2 – Rugged landscape

I’d always assumed that Oman was just one flat, gigantic desert. But it’s not. It’s a mountainous region and the sandy coloured hills stretch the entire west coast. The roads that span across the rugged hills are tastefully woven into the landscape, it makes for some spectacular views, particularly alongside the coastline. Oman is of significant interest to archeologists, since remains of early humans were discovered buried in caves carved out of the mountains last century.

Resort: Shangri-La Al-Husn 

Shangri-La turned out to be exactly what we expected – luxurious, tasteful and Eastern. Our luggage was discreetly taken from the taxi on arrival and delivered straight to our room. On check-in, we received a room upgrade before being escorted there by the hotel manager who gave us a whistle-stop tour of the site en-route. Within seconds of arriving at our sea-view room, we heard the satisfyingly familiar Shangri-La knock at the door. We knew this meant only one thing – complimentary room service, this time in the form of freshly-made hot peach tea. It was poured into quality chinaware by a smiling waiter. It’s the incidental Shangri-La touches like this that never fail to make you feel anything other than special.

The resort is part of a bigger complex encompassing two other hotels, Barr Al Jissah and Al Waha. The Al-Husn resort is far superior and whilst residents from there can visit the other two resorts and facilities, the freedom to roam freely throughout the complex isn’t reciprocated for non Al-Husn guests.

The resort resembled a Moroccan village with arched stained glass windows, iron candle holders and dark wooden fretworks positioned at every opportunity. And our five-star room was no exception. The headboard was plush with dark wood fretting and the lampshades were designed to cast stencilled lighting across the wall. Our bathroom featured a clear glass wall, making chilling time in the bath a visual delight. Whilst bathing, we could see into the bedroom and beyond to the mountain rocks in the distance. Signature decor designs that provided us a cosy little boudoir for our eight night stay.

We overlooked the endless pool, which trickled down the rocks and seemingly into the ocean. In summary, Shangri-La Al-Husn is an idyllic hotel in the most picturesque of locations.

Resort Restaurants

On the first night we ate in the Shahrazad restaurant, situated in the Al-Husn building. This delightfully authentic eatery served-up top notch Moroccan cuisine. Along with the obligatory falafels and hummus, we devoured a delightful terrine by candlelight to the subtle sounds of a four-man-band, playing traditional music delicately in the background.

Al-Husn’s main restaurant, Sultanah, imitates a yacht. With its nautical decor and sea-view veranda, it was not only spectacular to look at, but housed the most utterly delightful buffet fare. The quality of the food was second-to-none, although I wish more fresh fruit had been on offer. We ate breakfast here every day as part of our B&B board basis.

Other restaurants in the wider complex included Italian, Indian, Chinese, Spanish and French – so an excellent range of flavours that cater for every palette. We dined in the Italian and Spanish restaurants and the dishes were superb. In fact all of the foods we sampled during this stay were incredibly good and we’d struggle to pick a favourite. 

As mentioned, we stayed on a B&B basis and found the gratis pool snacks, afternoon tea from 3pm as well as canapés and drinks at 6pm a pleasant treat. They curbed our hunger pangs and we only needed to buy one main meal each day. These thoughtful, complimentary gestures brought added value and made the overall cost of the holiday very reasonable.

Pool

The majority of time spent in the resort was by the pool. We wanted a relaxing holiday and that’s exactly what we got. The pool area boasts an impressive 50m endless pool with jacuzzi, hydro jets, shaded areas and a waterfall, so time spent in the water was never dull. Pool staff are on hand around the clock and wait on guests at every opportunity. Whether laying out towels, bringing cool boxes of fresh drinks and nibbles, or retrieving lost or forgotten items (like an Apple Watch)! Their intent to make guests feel looked-after was commendable.

Service

I’ve probably eluded to the fact that we received exceptional service throughout, so there’s not much more I can add here other than a shout-out to the Hotel Manager, Emre Kilic, who went out of his way to interact with guests and make them feel special at every opportunity – a real credit to Shangri-La. The team also arranged an outing for us and put environmental sustainability in everyday things, such as providing metal straws which were served with all of our drinks. (Overall Rating 95/100)

Dolphin cruise

We decided to take a mini-excursion into the ocean ‘outback’ to watch the dolphins one afternoon. The local harbour is conveniently located on the other side of the complex, just a two-minute buggy ride away. The Water Centre at the harbour offered a variety of water-based excursions including snorkelling and scuba. We played safe and opted for a dolphin trip. Our personalised tour, hosted by a young-looking sailor, reached the dolphin hotspot after a 45 minute hi-speed boat ride. Although we managed to catch a glimpse of the dolphins, my lack of sea legs kicked in and we had to rapidly return to shore! (Overall rating 91/100)

Wadi Shab

Wadi Shab is a largely untouched valley located a 90 minute drive from Muscat. After reading some positive reviews we decided to visit the natural attraction during our stay. We hired an english-speaking taxi driver to take us there – little did we know this extremely friendly chap would become our personal tour guide for the trip!

After what felt like an eternity to get there, we parked up feeling rather excited for our forthcoming adventure – but completely unaware just how beautiful and breathtaking it would be. To get to the valley entrance you need to cross a small lake, so we jumped on a creaky paddle boat to take us there. Just like any valley, when you’re in the bottom it’s difficult not to look up and take in the beauty of what’s around. The strata-lined crevices that tower above are jaw-dropping. We walked through the valley, in the heat of the day, stopping periodically for a drink of water and a moment to absorb the wonder. The shades of blue in the water and sky, offset by the golden towers that domineer above, are truly spectacular. We sampled a few fresh dates en-route, which were laid out in the sun to dry. I remember the warmth and sweetness of this sugary fruit to be the perfect energy boost.

We passed several small water pools along the way and about 1.7km in, we finally reached the penultimate pool. In the stillness of the Omani midday sun and oppressive heat, it was the most welcome sight. We dumped our belongings on a rock and trotted on in. I can remember the calmness, the warm yet cooling relief of the water and the overriding desire to explore Wadi Shab further. We paddled, swam and tiptoed on through the turquoise river until we reached what we thought was the end. If it wasn’t for our friendly taxi driver we’d have probably turned around at this point and what a shame that would have been. Hidden in the rocks is a tiny opening which leads to a stunning waterfall in a cave. We had to breathe in and feed our bodies through the narrow crevice to get there – not recommended for anyone claustrophobic! But by goodness it’s the most worthwhile and exhilarating finale. The sights and sounds of the Wadi Shab waterfall tucked away in this unassuming cave was truly breathtaking. We spent a good 30 minutes lapping up this natural wonder and imprinting its enchanting beauty in our forever memories.

The walk back was relatively easy – still on a high after such a reward, how could we not be? I would 100% recommend a visit to this ‘place of natural wonder’ to anyone visiting Oman. The reviews do not do Wadi Shab justice. That said, if you are not relatively fit and healthy, or unable to walk and climb nearly 2km in immense heat, then you really should avoid going. As difficult as it is for me to write – this place could present a danger to those less fit than we are. It’s a tough trek and we saw many people turning back half way there. (Overall rating 97/100)

Bimmah Sinkhole

On our trip back from Wadi Shab we decided to stop off at another of Oman’s natural formations, Bimmah Sinkhole. We’d seen photos of this natural land-collapse-cum-swimming hole and wanted to experience it ourselves.

The sinkhole is situated close to the coastline and the immediate area has been renovated to incorporate a carpark and footpaths so it’s not quite as ‘untouched’ as the photos suggest. A concrete staircase has also been built into the wall of the sinkhole, most likely to ensure the safety of visitors who previously climbed down the cliff edge – a scary 30m drop!

We captured some great photos of the sinkhole and ventured down to the bottom to dipped in the aquamarine-coloured ‘puddle’! We decided not to go for a full-on swim but spent ten minutes in the viewing area before we succumbed to the heat and needed to get back up for air. (Overall rating 91/100)

Gem of the Middle East

Muscat, in fact Oman, appears to be slightly off the peripheral radar – certainly for most British tourists. Whilst most people decide to visit Dubai or Abu Dhabi – this neighbouring beauty seems to get overlooked. It’s far less bling and commercialised than both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, yet has presence in the world’s emerging economy. It’s a financially and politically stable country, with much to offer. In my opinion Muscat is the real gem of the Middle East, boasting authenticity, stability and beauty!

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Date of visit: 5 July 2019 to 13 July 2019