March 2019 – 7 nights with the family
Oman taught us that there are hidden gems all over this world and that we only need to open our eyes and embrace our sense of adventure to find them. This country in the Middle East is full of beautiful beaches, a high standard of living for its people, and endless expanses of deserts, mountains, and canyons. They have a rich culture and were warm and inviting in every way.
Like the rest of our travel guides, this is not an all-encompassing account of everything we did. We do not want to make a list of ‘Best’ or ‘Must-do’ experiences since we know it depends on your personal preferences. These are only our personal favorites and they are divided into two groups: “Avventura Favves” and “Other Things We Liked”.
Overview
This quiet and breathtaking beautiful corner of the world caught us by surprise. We could barely have placed it on a map before going, but when we started talking to our Italian friends about wanting to find a warm place for our March break, they recommended it enthusiastically. Being pampered in luxurious accommodations while exploring nature and a very different culture sounded exactly like a trip for us.
We spent 3 nights on the beach close to the capital city of Muscat and then 4 nights at one of our favorite hotels ever in the Grand Canyon of Oman. It is a very safe and incredibly clean country. We drove around on our own (spending about $1/gallon on gas). They have an incredibly well-organized system of highways, speed cameras everywhere, and a law against honking. Everyone was driving nice, new, and clean cars (generally white sedans which we didn’t know still existed). We later learned that keeping your car clean is a law. We asked a local about where are the old cars go and he didn’t quite understand the question!
The general wealth of the country, as well as the level of education and quality of medical care, stood out to us. Every Omani citizen (male and female) is gifted a parcel of land on their 24th birthday. Even in the middle of the desert at an auction for farm animals (read about the incredible Nizwa Goat Market below), we were able to speak in English with a few of the farmers. That was surprising to us.
We loved exploring the food in Oman. Geographically and historically, Oman sits at the crossroads of trade routes between Southwest Asia and Africa and the Meditteranean, and its cuisine is a rich confluence of all those cultures. We’re not expert enough to define exactly what is Omani cuisine, but to us, it seemed a fusion between Meditterean and Indian flavors. Whatever it is, it’s delicious.
It is worth noting that it is a fairly expensive place to visit. If you’re on a budget (or even if you’re not) and looking for a similar kind of experience, we loved Morocco.
Also, don’t forget, there’s limited to no alcohol in this corner of the world. And also no card playing. We generally play cards with the kids at restaurants as a fun way to pass the time while waiting for our food to arrive, but we were a bit embarrassed by our ignorance when the waiter had to “gently” tell us that card games are forbidden in their Muslim society.
Avventura Favves
Nestled (or more literally, hanging off a cliff) in the Jabal Akhdar section of the Al Hajar mountains, sits this luxurious hotel built from natural materials and overlooking a canyon that is not unlike the Grand Canyon in the US. Although we picked it for reviews and the breathtaking pictures, we all might have enjoyed their incredible Kids Club the most. The kids LOVED it. There were arts and crafts projects and a fun outdoor activity that changed each day. The kids could not wait to get there each morning. It allowed for the adults to enjoy the pool and the amazing spa (twice) that has unique options, so we (obviously) chose the “bell therapy” massage. The kids stayed so late we also got to take part in happy hour at the bar overlooking the canyon. There are many juniper trees in the area, so of course, it’s a gin bar with a huge list of choices. The cocktails were even better with the ‘free’ food they serve each day at that time.
We loved the personal approach of the hotel. They welcomed us when we arrived with the traditional Fwala (Omani coffee and fresh dates), gave us a tour of the property, and explained the activities schedule (think archery, star-gazing, cooking classes, and geology-focused hikes). They also gave kids a nice welcome packet including a scavenger hunt with prizes.
Since the hotel is set in the middle of nowhere we did something we rarely do and chose to eat dinner at the hotel. We were pleasantly surprised that the restaurant focused on high-quality Omani food (a combination of Mediterranean and Indian cuisines), even on the kids’ menu.
While staying at the hotel, we particularly loved:
- Hiking with a guide from the area to explore the mountain terrain, learn about the local customs (including the rosewater they produce), and enjoy tea and dates with his family. This is another ‘free’ activity provided by the hotel.
- The long butterfly nature path on the hotel property with lots of information about local flora, musical instruments, and water storage.
- Our unguided hike to “follow” a trail down into the canyon. We promptly got lost. And with the cool weather, we didn’t think too much about how sunny it was and returned a nice shade of red. But it was a very fun adventure!
The hotel also offers many Via Ferrata climbs that sound amazing, but Joy was too young.
Note that the Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort is nearby and we debated about which to stay at since both have amazing reviews. In the end, the family room option at the Alila made more sense for our family of 5, plus we also liked that the Alila is a smaller, more personalized property. We considered doing dinner over at the Anantara one night but we were so happy with the Alila that we never made it.
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat –
This is one of the largest mosques in the world that has enough space for over 20,000 worshipers at one time. It truly is an architectural wonder. At the time that it was built, the main prayer room boasted the largest chandelier and carpet in the world. And helpful for our education, it is one of only a few in Oman that is open to non-Muslim visitors. We did an audioguide tour which was great to learn about the structure itself and, more importantly, a lot about the Five Pillars of Islam and other Muslim traditions and beliefs. Our kids still talk about how the audioguide made a specific point to say that the small, plain women’s prayer space (as compared to the gigantic ornate men’s prayer space) was not discriminatory, but to make the women feel “more comfortable”. We love how these experiences create so much conversation in our house.
Muscat Royal Opera House –
This is a majestic building. We didn’t get to see a performance, but it is attached to an upscale mall and by chance when we were walking around some of the artists were there performing some of their pieces.
Nizwa Goat Market –
Not far from the Alila hotel in the mountains is the town of Nizwa. It is famous for its fort and regular goat market. What an experience to see the locals parading their goats and offering them up for sale! We stood out with our pale skin and western dress, but they were happy to let us push in close to see the action of this once weekly event. Besides the goats being auctioned off, there were tons of other animals for sale… chickens, rabbits, ducks, parrots, sheep, and pheasants. There was also a date market showcasing about 20 different types of dates. We tasted many different types of products and bought a few gifts to bring home. We had no idea there were so many varieties of dates. After we left we saw a few of the goats being driven in trucks to their new homes.
Other Things We Liked
Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort –
Although this was not quite up to “Favves” standards, it came close. It is a super family-friendly beautiful beachfront hotel with lots of pools. It was perfect for our needs, but perhaps reminded us a bit too much of an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean and needs some updating.
Kargeen Restaurant –
This restaurant was super difficult to find (think hidden behind a strip mall down a long dark corridor with no signs), but was a bit of an oasis. It offered an extensive menu of traditional Omani food and was set up in a way that made it easy to try many different dishes. We had visited Morocco a few months prior so we expected no alcohol but we were surprised to learn that we couldn’t play cards as we often do to keep the kids entertained when we are waiting for our food.
Begum Restaurant – We love Indian food and since we aren’t able to eat much of it in Itlay, we took the opportunity to enjoy some while in Oman (twice).
Tea House –
We made a quick stop here to cool off with some karak, a sweet creamy tea similar to chai.
National Museum of Oman –
This is another beautiful clean (white) building. It’s not particularly interactive or fun like the modern museums (like in our hometown of Torino), but it was interesting to hear about the history of an area we knew very little about and to learn about its dependence on the sea. We strolled over to the Al Alam Palace for a view from the gates.
Mutrah Souq –
We parked by the water and ventured into this Souq (market) for some street food one evening in Muscat. Try some sambusa (mini samosas) and halwa (sticky candy to go with coffee). Eating with all the activity buzzing around us and listening to the call to prayer was highly memorable.
Qurum Beach + Le Makan Cafe –
Stroll along the long, narrow beach and stop in for fresh juices, or even better the surprisingly delicious date milk.
Logistics and Miscellaneous Notes
- A visa is required to travel there, but the process was online and it was approved the next day.
- Flight – there is Air Oman, but we flew with Qatar Airways. Both directions were during the evening and connected in Doha, which felt like the middle of the day since the lights were so bright and there were so many children playing and everyone was shopping.
- Car rental -Another trip, another terrible experience. We booked through Expedia but for some unknown reason Dollar canceled our trip the morning we arrived. The Dollar employees were less than helpful, and Viber and WhatsApp were not working to call the US because it is not allowed from Oman. Luckily an employee of the airport told us quietly that if we use our VPN we could use those apps. We finally got through to Expedia in the US who informed us it wasn’t their doing and not their problem. After waiting forever and lots of arguing, always a fun way to start a trip, we finally got a car. Not the one we needed since going to the mountains required a 4×4, but they did finally bring what we needed to our hotel the next day.
- To get to the Alila hotel in the mountains they tell you a 4×4 is required. There is a checkpoint before the access road and the roads are extremely steep, but it is paved and easy. The nice road does end before the hotel, but the hotel picks you up at that point and drives you the rest of the way.
Next Time We Go
- The Six Senses Zighy Bay looks so luxurious, but will still be outside our budget. But we’d be more than happy to go back to the Alila Jabal Akhdar Hotel.
- Near the town of Sur, 2 hours from Muscat, there is a turtle reserve and hikes in Wadi Bani Khalid and Wadi Shab.
- We loved this vacation, but more than likely we’d go back to explore more of Morocco for a similar type of trip.
The Avventura 