The Mountain Paradise in Muscat, Oman

Oman is a mountainous country in the Middle East nestled on the edge of the Arabian Peninsula; its capital Muscat, a quaint little city bearing some semblance to the houses in the tales of the Arabian nights. The city has well laid out and easy to drive around roads, historic landmarks for the history buffs and overzealous tourists alike and some of the friendliest people on earth.

Closeted in the mountains, 45kms outside the city and set amid 124 acres of ocean and desert is the amazing Shangri La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa although to be honest I didn’t find anything amazing at all the night I arrived in Oman.

My plane had landed late and by the time I managed to escape immigration, my airport transfer had returned to the hotel. Furious I hailed a cab to take me on what I imagined would be a mere ten to fifteen minutes ride but to my astonishment, half an hour later we were still on the road. I was forced to ask the driver if he was trying to kidnap me. He gave me the famous Omani smile and assured me, with a mixture of much Arabic and little English, that we who would be at the hotel in due course. Eventually after a long drive up an unending winding road, we arrived at the hotel. As it was nightfall, there wasn’t much to see and I was exhausted anyway. I checked in and retired to bed almost immediately.

The next morning the sound of the waves crashing together woke me up. I walked onto my balcony to a view so peaceful and serene; I immediately felt at one with nature. I felt myself transported back to a point in time when life was easier with no hustle and bustle of modern life. After a superb continental breakfast at the Mokha Café, I eagerly prepared myself for the day.

The resort is divided into three hotels; Al Waha, a family oriented hotel, Al Husn, a superb six star facility for the Donald Trumps of the world and Al Bandar, the center of the resort located opposite the newly opened Heritage Village, a unique cultural center. There are golf carts and air conditioned SUVs readily available to transport guests from one end of the resort to the other. Walking is possible but can be quite a shock on the system considering the Middle Eastern summer heat.

The Heritage Village was my first port of call. I discovered authentic Arabian horses and camels, artifacts narrating the history of Arabia and a welcoming souk much like the days of old before the invasion of the west. The merchants plied a variety of goods from national dress to spices to carvings and the very fetching curved dagger which Omani men wear in a belt around the waist. There was henna; an artistic variety of tattoos which Arab women sport all over their body, available as well. The goods are reasonably priced but part of the fun is haggling with the merchant to arrive at a price suitable to both parties.

The walk back from Heritage Village to my room left me quite sweaty and sticky so after a quick change I took a dip in the Al Waha lazy river. A delightful half kilometer stretch of flowing water which connects the Al Bandar and Al Waha hotels and allows you to float in-between the two pools in – as the name indicates – a lazy manner.

After a few hours in the lazy river, I had worked up an appetite and on recommendation deiced to try the buffet at the Al Tanoor restaurant in Al Bandar which offers a wide range of Arabic cuisine prepared before you at live cooking stations. After lunch I returned to my room for a much needed nap but not before reserving a spa treatment for later on in the evening at the chi spa.

Chi Spa

In Chinese philosophy chi refers to the vital force thought to be inherent in all things. The unimpeded circulation of chi and a balance of its negative and positive forms in the body are held to be essential to good health. This forms the basis of the chi experience at Shangri La.

I was invited to complete a questionnaire to discover my element sign prior to treatment. Mine turned out to be Metal which is apparently the element of beauty and protection. I enjoyed a very relaxing all over body massage, which is free to guests by the way, in a relaxed and tranquil treatment room surrounded by rose petals and crushed frankincense. I fell asleep and let the therapist work her magic. By the time it was over, I was so relaxed, getting up to leave proved to be quite an effort but the thought of my visit to the piano lounge that evening served as quite an incentive.

Nightlife

My first top was at the Piano Lounge, a bar offering a terrace which allows you to take in the amazing view while enjoying cocktails, light snacks and soothing piano music. After about an hour I decided I’d had enough soothing experiences for the day and needed something with a little more spirit so I headed for the Xyro nightclub situated in the heart of the resort stopping over for a few minutes at the Long bar next door to swig a couple of more cocktails.

There was a live band at the club belting out current popular tunes interspersed with some old school hits. The crowd was pretty relaxed and I made a few friends but if you’re a major party animal you mightn’t have much fun club hopping in Oman as the clubs close around two in the morning.

The less than fourty-eight hours I spent at the resort was over all too soon but I plan to return for a longer visit not too far into the future to take in some of the finer sights I skipped the first time round. If you happen to stay at the Shangri La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, don’t miss out on the Turtle beach, scuba diving and snorkelling and dolphin and whale watching which allows you to observe the awesomeness of nature amidst relatively untouched and unexplored coastal areas.

Facts File

Capital: Muscat
Climate: Muscat is generally hot for most of the year. The hottest months are from May – September with temperatures as high as 40 degrees and the cooler months are from October – March with lowest temperature being about 16 degrees.
Currency: Omani Rial. However some of the more popular foreign currencies are acceptable everywhere though change will be given in local currency.
Language: Mainly Arabic, but most people speak English as well. Other languages include Swahili, Hindu and Malayalam.
For more information on Oman, visit www.visitoman.com

Hotel hotline
Shangri La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa: +968 24776666
Email: slmu@shangrila.com
Website www.shangrila.com/muscat