Sunset in the Dunes of Al Nahda
Why the natural beauty of Oman makes it a perfect family friendly destination
Modern Dubai VS Traditional Oman
When it comes to the United Arab of Emirates and the Middle East, we tend to head to Dubai as the most luxurious choice; whilst Dubai offers endless choices of high- end hotels with modern -day luxuries, Modest Oman is the alternative for those who appreciate the natural beauty and creations of the earth. The region holds Muscat as its Capital city, filled with lots of captivating and beautiful mosques. The Sultan Qaboos Mosque is the main attraction for Omani visitors. It is known for holding the largest chandeliers and the endless landscape of white marbled floors and buildings make this monument a truly fascinating experience. Not far off you will have the port situated amongst the markets and a view of the ship and marina. The Forts and souks of Nizwa are the places to visit when shopping for local and authentic goods, whilst experiencing cafes, restaurants in the main square serving traditional Omani cuisine and streetfood, yet when you branch further out to the surrounding areas, you see amazing mountains. There are also many old secluded villages to explore, and the sand dunes, the sea and the wadis breaking through the land which are spectacular views which were shown to us through Al Fawaz tours. However when it comes to deciding to your residence and stays, we have a great selection for the most diverse range of families, friends and couples.
Al Sahab Resort and Spa- A Great option for Mountain and Trekking lovers.
This medium size cosy resort is located on the Hajar Mountains and you will notice amazing heights from the top of the resort. Many varieties of interesting activities, hikes and tours are offered. The Mirage in the Mountain tour is a three -hour tour offered for two people. We went for the wadi of abandoned villages tour but there is also a wadi of waterfalls tour that would be something interesting to try. On Friday they have the goat market and Birkat Al Mouz tour too. The hotel also has the Uru Spa where we tried a traditional Omani massage and you will have access to a swimming pool with children’s activities and an outdoor BBQ garden in the pipeline. The food was awesome offering a variety of Omani grills, soups, mezzes aswell as South Asian cuisine. My recommendation would be to try the Chicken Maqboos, which is the Omani tradition roasted chicken served with rice and The Beiruti Grill, the spiced paneer sticks were my starter favourites.
Al Nahda Hotel and Resort – Great for Wellness, Spa and tranquility lovers
This award- winning resort is located in Barka which is about one hour away from Muscat City centre. About a thirty- minute drive from Muscat International airport. This resort has won the World Luxury Spa Award in 2018. Originally a Mango Orchard, Al Nahda offers a more of a lush and colorful experience. The Boutique property runs over thirty acres of greenery and the hotel holds regency style villa buildings, 109 rooms surrounded by inspiring sounds of rare- species of birds. The long pathways, plantations, lots of flowers make it a blissful experience and then finally the ‘Uru Spa’ is one of the main features with twenty- two eastern style garden spa rooms known as being a nature- inspired sanctuary. Also they have floodlit tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, golf facilities and a state- of- the- art gym offering many fitness activities. You can relax near the swimming pool and spa baths whilst your children can splash away in the designated wet play area. There are also 2 large restaurants.
The Dunes by Al Nahda- Great for outdoor activity and adventurers
The Luxury Boutique desert resort is situated over an hour from Muscat International Airport. Traditionally known as ‘Wadi Al Abiyad’ (White Sands in Arabic). You will be staying in fifty authentic Arabic Bedouin tents situated in a village across the sand dunes, facilitated with all the required amenities of a modern hotel. Coming out of your room, you will look across and see the beautiful sand dunes and as you look on the other side, you will experience a breathtaking horizon of the mountains. The Dunes offers more outdoor activities, and the sand bashing experience is amongst one of the popular choices for guests. They also offer, the camel farm experience, use of quad bikes, cultural tours, shuwa- making, sand surfing, kite flying and a BBQ. We had the opportunity to try the ‘under the stars experience’ which consisted of an Omani set up on the floor, with mood lights, blankets whilst a traditional roast and three course meal was presented to us with a selection of the Chef’s special, whilst also dining in the Fleur Restaurant. You can also try a sand- spa treatment which is conducted with hot sand therapy and provided by the natural solar system which is one of the resorts highlights and a moon-lit deep tissue massage in the evening which I tried in the open air.
Travelling there
5 nights at Dunes with private transfers and return flights with Oman Air and Southall Travel offers 5 nights at Dunes by Al Nahda on a half board basis from £1,555 per person (two sharing) including private return transfers from Muscat airport. 4 nights at Sahab and then three nights at Dunes, private transfers and return flights with Oman Air. Southall Travel offers 4 nights at Sahab Resort & Spa, Jabal Akhdar on Breakfast and 3 nights at Dunes by Al Nahda, Barka on half board basis from £1699 per person (twin sharing) including all private airport transfers. 5 nights at Sahab Resort & Spa offers 5 nights at Sahab Resort & Spa on a breakfast basis from £1,165 per person (two sharing) including private return transfers from Muscat airport. Visit: southalltravel.co.uk. To book your tours and for other activities to do you can visit www.experienceoman.com, www.alfawaztours.com.
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