I was at an Oman tourist event this week and a couple of things stood out for me.
Firstly I was reminded what a great holiday destination Oman is. Not only is it guaranteed winter sun and warmth but it’s it has also go so much to offer away from the beach. You can genuinely get a flavour of one of the oldest Arabian cultures, you meet local Omanis all the time (something very rare in the Gulf states), the cultural sights & museums are excellent and the landscapes are dramatic. These include the cliffs and canyons of the Jabal Akhdar, the fjords of Musandam, the empty deserts and dunes of the Wahiba Sands and, possibly my (least) favourite, the dizzying coast road to the Yemen border from Salalah – empty beaches backed by stupendous precipices. I am not sure you can find the weird frankincense trees elsewhere and watching the turtles come ashore, or dash for the sea, at Ras al Jinz is inspiring.
Following on from this it was good to hear about some of the new hotels and camps that have opened up across the country. Muscat already has good hotels from the cool Chedi to the resort-like Shangri La, stately Al Bustan and handy Intercontinental. There are now other options a bit further out such as the Sifaway Boutique and Millennium Resort, Mussannah. To enjoy the views of the mountainous Jebel Akhdar you can now overnight at The View deluxe camp or The Sahab hotel and there are a wide range of desert camps reaching up to the luxurious Desert Nights Camp. On the almost tropical coast of the Dhofar in the far south, with it’s occasional Caribbean feel, the Crowne Plaza and Hilton have been joined by the Marriott Resort and the boutique Juweira with the Salalah Rotana Resort due soon. If you are heading to Musandam in the north your options are the spectacular Six Senses Zighy Bay or the Golden Tulip in Khasab. As the range of hotels grow the easier it becomes to offer touring holidays to help visitors get a flavour of this fascinating country.
There will be more on Dhofar and the South another time however if you want to find out more about holidays to Oman speak to an expert at Putney Travel.
by TMS