travel - amazon s3...travel october 22 – 28 2014 timeoutabudhabi.com 75 travel edited by alex...
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Travel
October 22 – 28 2014 timeoutabudhabi.com 75
Travel Edited by Alex Hammond
74 timeoutabudhabi.com October 22 – 28 2014
Oh man, check out Oman
At 3,009m, Jebel Shams is Oman’s highest mountain, and when you’re standing on the plateau at the top it’s easy to see why it’s nicknamed the grand canyon of the east – because the cliff drops into a gorge so deep the trees at the bottom look like a five o’clock shadow.
Part of the Al Hajar mountain range, the peak is 240km from the capital, Muscat – approximately a two and a half hour drive in a 4x4.
Save for the odd bush, the mountain is dry and barren. Against a
The UAE’s closest neighbour may be a short flight away, but once you’re in its mountains you’ll feel a world away from home. Words Sarah Riches
GettinG thereOman Air flies direct from Abu Dhabi International Airport to Muscat
International Airport in Oman in approximately 40 minutes. Flights cost from Dhs895 return. www.omanair.com (00 968 2453 1111).
Need to know
blue sky, the different layers of rock glow orange.
It’s a memorable sight, which is why it’s surprising that the area isn’t teeming with tour buses and locals selling trinkets. But we’re the only people here, and it’s a weekend. There are no facilities, no toilets, just a flimsy fence that gives up half way round the perimeter. The landscape still looks as if it’s unspoilt after thousands of years.
We’re here on a tour with Golden Oryx. Our guide, Walid Al Shabibi, is
one of the company’s three guides. All of them speak English and Arabic. ‘As the mountain is the highest point in the country, in winter it can snow. It’s a cool place to visit during the warmer months. The surrounding farmland grows pomegranates and oranges for domestic use,’ says Walid.
The tour includes a buffet lunch at a nearby local restaurant, SJR, and a visit to the former capital, Nizwa, which has a population of 60,000.
The town is known for its fort (open Sat-Thu 9am-4pm, Fri 8am-11am, about Dhs1) which was constructed over 12 years in the middle of the 17th century. It’s made up of an earth-filled stone tower which is 34m tall, a courtyard, secret tunnels and walls. A staircase divided by thick wooden doors zig zags up to the tower in an attempt to thwart intruders; the ones that made it past the deadly pitfalls had boiling date
The drive from Nizwa back to Muscat takes 90 minutes. Muscat lacks compelling sights, but it’s still worth a day’s exploration – just bear in mind that sights are spread out and taxis cost more than in Abu Dhabi.
Downtown, a short drive from the airport in the east of the city, is Sultan Qaboos – Muscat’s grand mosque (open Sat-Thu 8.30am-11am, free). Apart from a 50m high dome, the exterior isn’t as impressive as Abu Dhabi’s Grand Mosque but the interior is decorated with chandeliers, ornate turquoise tiles and a 4,200sqm Persian carpet.
Built in 2011 from white marble, Royal Opera House Muscat is another top sight (box office Sat-Thu 9am-6pm. Email [email protected]). It’s worth a visit even if you’re not watching a show, but if you’d like to catch one, then autumn highlights include an opera by Giacomo Puccini October 23 and 27, a performance by Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer on October 30, a complimentary outdoor performance by a military band November 6-8, and a German ballet November 12-13.
The opera house is attached to Opera Galleria (daily 10am-10pm, email [email protected]), a luxury mall made up of designer boutiques. If you need a pitstop, have a coffee and macaron in Fauchon Paris (daily 9am-11pm, 00 968 22 346 999), a fancy cafe on the ground floor.
Nearby, the beach is a good spot to see the sunset – access it from close to InterContinental Muscat. Alternatively, stroll around the lake and gardens in Al Qurm Natural Park, a five-minute taxi ride away.
Muscat’s old town is to the west of the city. While the Corniche promenade overlooks an industrial port, it’s still worth visiting for a quick browse around Bait Al Baranda Museum (Sat-Thu 9am-1.30pm, 4pm-7pm, Dhs3), a 1930s house which has been renovated and turned into a museum about the capital’s history.
The museum is a five-minute walk from the souk (open 4pm-11pm), which is one of the best in the gulf. Like Istanbul’s or Marrakech’s, it is packed with shops selling kanjars, silver charms, lanterns and spices. Bonus: shopkeepers are welcoming, and don’t hassle tourists.
A coastal road leads you from the souk past Mutrah Fort, a couple of coastal parks and Muscat Gate Museum to Fort Mirani which sits upon a cliff top – a staircase leads to the peak. While you’re there visit Bait Al Zubair (open Sat-Thu 9.30am-6pm, Dhs4) around the corner. A private museum in a former home, it displays antique handicrafts and has
juice poured on top of them.
While you’re there, visit the souk, which was restored in
the 1990s. As well as fruit and
veg, fish and dates, you can visit
artisanal workshops and buy crafts such as
kanjars, or silver swords, the symbol of Oman. Livestock is paraded around a palm-shaded ring every Friday from dawn till 11am – go before 9am to see men debating the merits of goats, sheep and camels. ‘The goats are fed dates, honey and cream, so their meat is prized,’ explains Walid. ‘A small, 12kg goat might cost Dhs250, while a cow can sell for Dhs500.’
On the way back to Muscat, we stop at a viewpoint overlooking Birkat al Mouz, a 300-year-old village nestled among a palm plantation at the foot of the mountain range. A traditional irrigation system, falaj, feeds water from the mountains down to the farmland, which looks like the oasis in Al Ain in the UAE.
informative displays on traditional craft industries. The garden features a palm frond hut, falaj and souk, boat display and stone houses.
Al Bustan Palace, A Ritz-Carlton Hotel, is a 10-minute drive south along the coast. Built in 1985 for a GCC summit, it’s Muscat’s answer to Emirates Palace. The exterior is somewhat dated, but the lobby feels cavernous, like a cathedral, with a 38m high dome decked out in a gold mosaic, and its leafy grounds are surrounded by mountains.
Guests staying at the hotel can make use of its private beach, its
infinity pool – which is ideal for laps – or have a dip
in the lagoon pool, which ground floor
rooms open on to. Kayaks, canoes, windsurfs, snorkelling equipment and body boards are all totally
complimentary, while tennis,
catamaran and windsurfing
lessons are extra. If you visit with children,
pack them off to the kid’s club (00 968 24 799 666), which has a varied programme of activities including badminton, board games, table tennis and cooking.
Al Khiran Terrace is the hotel’s all day dining option, which has themed nights so you don’t get bored with its menu; otherwise, the hotel’s Chinese restaurant, China Mood, is a good bet – it reopened in September following a refurbishment. Most of the staff are Chinese, and the waitresses pour tea from a pot with a spout the length of your arm. Even if you’re not staying at the hotel, it’s worth visiting to dine at Beach Pavilion. Ask to be seated at the dhow boat on the sand and you’ll hear the waves just metres away.
Muscat is ideal for a weekend break, as this allows time to get into the mountains, learn about the local culture and relax on a beach. A Nizwa and Jebel Shams tour with Golden Oryx costs Dhs160 per car, three people maximum, www.goldenoryx.com (00 968 24 489 853). One night at Al Bustan Palace, A Ritz-Carlton Hotel costs Dhs1,574 including breakfast, www.ritzcarlton.com (00 968 24 799 666).
Twilight at Al Bustan Palace
The lobby at Al Bustan Palace
Al Khiran Terrace