Taking the roads less travelled

I have a confession.

The first time I went to Oman, about a year ago, I didn't know exactly where it was, thought it would mainly consist of red hot desert and a few crumbling shacks, and wasn't convinced the hotel I was booked to stay in would be, you know, up to Dubai standards.

I sat on the plane, arms folded, with the look of someone about to endure a particularly lengthy session of root canal work.

It pains me to remember my ‘not been long in the Middle East' ignorance — but what can I say? — Oman just wasn't on my radar.

In the end, this starkly beautiful and most unique of countries left me simply spellbound.

Recently I got the chance to pay another visit and I was determined to take in as much as I could this time round.

I took the very comfortable 45-minute flight on Oman Air's business class from Abu Dhabi to Seeb International airport in the pretty capital of Muscat.

I know many people visiting Oman from the UAE simply travel by car — but for me, the flight is so worth it as you get great visuals as you hover over the strange, brown and white mountains and the journey seems to pass in an instant.

Paradise by name…
My first night's stay was at the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, about an hour's drive from Muscat.

The resort is dramatically situated on a bay nestled against a mountain backdrop and comprises three large hotels, one business — Al Bandar, one family — Al Waha and one discreet high-end hotel — Al Husn, where I was booked to stay for the night.

There are two things that linger in the memory long after visiting Al Husn: the smell of frankincense that wafts intoxicatingly throughout the building (the trees from which this aromatic resin is taken grow plentifully in the local hills) and the huge Arabian archway that frames the entrance to the private outdoor swimming pool.

It's a totally serene (children are not permitted), supremely elegant hotel that seems to be suspended in a more civilised time.

I spent a relaxed first day exploring the facilities, which include a vast swimming pool which splinters off into a hundred different nooks and which even has a ‘lazy river' - complete with gently flowing current.

The two adjacent beaches are pristine, although guests were advised not to swim in the sea when I was there due to the visible red tide that has blighted the region over recent months.

This problem seems to come and go and really doesn't affect one's enjoyment of the spot as there's so much space to just wander around or find a shady place to relax in.

As you'd expect the standard of food is top notch. In the evening I ate at the signature Sultanah restaurant that offers a regularly changing international menu with a strong Mediterranean influence.

The seafood is outstanding and you enjoy it all under the Omani stars on a romantic outdoor terrace.

Following the turtles
After breakfast the following day it was back on the road to head for the recently opened Ras Al Jinz Scientific & Visitor Centre on the Ras Al Hadd nature reserve.

My driver for the day, Ahmad — a born-and-bred Omani with perfect English and a great deal of national pride, took a few detours en route so I could see a couple of the country's many beautiful wadis.

These palm-lined, enclaves with their towering mountain walls and emerald water are eerily beautiful and as such, are popular with the locals who come to picnic with their families. I wished I had longer to sit and enjoy the cool and the quiet.

A few more detours later off several brand new highways, through small towns such as bustling Ruwais and then along the coast where we saw local kids playing football (immensely popular in Oman) on the beach, we were finally at Ras Al Hadd.

The ambitious Ras Al Jinz venture, which opened in November last year, offers a unique eco-tourism experience and an up-close-and-personal encounter with the green turtles that nest in the area.

Guests stay in the centre itself in what I would describe as comfortable 3-star type accommodation.

There is a casual but pleasant restaurant and decent sized rooms — but the emphasis here is on communing with nature — so forget Dubai-style ostentation and get outdoors!
In the evening a small group of us were escorted to the nearby beach with a guide to see the turtles laying their eggs.

Although we were visiting during the low season (April to May) I was promised I wouldn't be disappointed.

Manager Celine Geraud informed me that the optimum time to visit is between June and September when thousands of expectant turtles hit the shore.

As we walked quietly along the beach guided by soft torchlight our guide whispered some facts and figures about the green turtle, the protection of which is now being strongly backed by the Oman government.

And then, almost without warning, we were at the edge of a ditch in the sand with what can be only described as an alien, flailing back and forth, wedged in it.

Well okay, it was a turtle and not really an alien — but the shock of suddenly seeing this massive creature laying her eggs hits you like a slap and it's actually quite an emotional experience.

An awe-struck hour or so later, we got to see the full cycle of the birthing process when we were shown a cluster of tiny, clumsy, newly-hatched baby turtles shuffling their way towards the sea.

Not many survive — foxes pick off a large percentage of them and several get disorientated and die in the heat of the morning sun.

But those who do make it and can go on to live for a hundred years.

All in the best possible taste

After a night of strange turtle dreams, it was on the road once more back to Shangri-La for one blessed day of total leisure.

I managed to get the sand and dust from my travels out of my pores by indulging in a traditional Hammam treatment (think Turkish bath) at the resort's gorgeous CHI spa.

After being steamed, soaped, scrubbed and massaged to within an inch of my life I felt ready for anything! But mainly I slept by the pool…

On my final day I was scheduled to visit Muscat and a couple of other high profile hotels that are key selling points for Oman's fledgling tourism industry.

The drive through Muscat was a bit of a revelation. It's so pretty and clean with its musky-coloured low-rise buildings and it has, dare I say it, a slightly European feel to it.

I made a mental note to take a weekend break there soon and really explore the back streets and shops.

My first stop was the renowned Al Bustan Palace Intercontinental, where I met director of sales Pierre Sabbagh for lunch.

The atrium at the entrance of the Al Bustan almost defies description. It is a huge, sky-high glittering creation that still, miraculously, manages to be tasteful.

Once you've got over your neck-lock from staring up at the cascading crystal chandelier, you can appreciate the sheer beauty and scale of the place.

Pierre ushered me into the Al Khiran Terrace, a buffet style eatery with open-planned kitchens and food stations that cater for every possible craving.

He told me that business was doing well since the hotel reopened in January of this year after a comprehensive upgrade.

The rooms adhere to an elegant and traditional style of décor with warm tones and plenty of timber panelling.

Outside, the lengthy beach (often talked of as the best in Oman), lush green lawns and luxurious pool keep the guests happy.

And now for something different
My final stop that day was to see a hotel I'd heard people rave about but which seemed a little cloaked in mystery.

The Chedi, Muscat is located just 20 minutes from the capital at Al Ghubra and has made a name for itself by creating a haven of peace with a very zen-like style ethos (or so I'd heard).

I'll be honest, the lobby entrance to the 5-star resort was a culture shock after the opulence of the Shangri-La and Al Bustan.

Although perfectly pleasant, it's smallish and understated — and I felt a bit confused.

It was only after meeting Lore Koenig, the resort's charismatic director of sales and marketing that I began to understand what the Chedi is all about.

For a start, it's enormous — covering 85,000 sq m and filled with almost alarmingly green palm gardens and gurgling water pools alongside a straight golden beach.

Yet, because of the very deliberate unfussy symmetry of the layout, it doesn't feel overwhelming.

As I was pressed for time, Lore took me to see one of the outdoor club suites.

Simple yet stylish — and ultra romantic, with a show-stopping sunken bath and his'n'her iPods.

The suite was a million miles away from any other hotel I could think of that I'd seen in the region.

Lore also informed me proudly over lunch in one of the elegant, but again very chilled out, restaurants, that the The Spa at Chedi had just won the Conde Nast Traveller award for ‘Best Spa' within the Middle East, Africa and Indian Ocean region.

Unsurprising then, that the hotel is a big hit with honeymooners and couples in general.

(Another) fond farewell

And so it was a short hop back to the airport after a whirlwind couple of days.

Leaving Oman seems to always leave me feeling a bit dejected – basically because I never seem to get to stay long enough.

If you want shopping malls, crazy nightlife and conspicuous wealth then Oman probably won't be your cup of tea.

But if you love nature, stunning scenery, a genuine sense of cultural identity and pleasing aesthetics, then you might just fall in love.

Go there . . . Muscat . . . From the UAE

From Dubai
Emirates flies daily.
Fare from Dh1,775
Oman Air flies daily.
Fare from Dh1,585
From Abu Dhabi
Etihad flies daily.
Fare from Dh1,465

— Information courtesy: The Holiday Lounge by Dnata.
Ph: 04 4380454

Fact file

Oman authorities have made it illegal to build higher than eight floors in order to maintain a pleasing aesthetic

The central desert of Oman is an important source of meteorites for scientific analysis, including rare specimens from Mars and the Moon

The Musandam area of Oman, surrounded by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman, has one of the widest biodiversities of marine species anywhere in the world and is a diving hotspot