The Sunday Telegraph - 01.09.2019

The Sunday Telegraph Sunday 1 September 2019 *** 7

“traditional cultural heritage” label.

That is a huge part of why we went.

After a day to rest and relax, our first

outing was to the Grand Mosque, and

then on to Muscat’s fish market and

the last shipyard building the wooden

dhows that once plied these shores.

But that traditional heritage is only

half the story of Oman today.

You can do as much or as little as

you like. If you want to do more, one

friend advised, eight and 10 is a better

age for children than four and six. But

while our circuit stretched the nippers

it didn’t completely wring them out.

Our boys loved the stunning sandy

beaches, and temperatures rarely

dipping below the high 20Cs (low

80Fs) even in winter.

My introduction to pure Dubai-style

hedonism came when, as we lounged

around the swimming pool at the

Kempinski hotel after the long flight, a

man appeared with a spray to clean the

lenses on my sunglasses. Top-end

tourism is certainly the way that Oman

wants to play it and the Kempinski is

just one of several luxury hotels

around Muscat, of which the most

famous is Al Bustan Palace.

But while the Bustan is an icon of

long-standing, the Kempinski is new,

gleaming and full of restaurants

which, like all the top establishments,

are authorised to serve alcohol, which

is strictly regulated here. Connecting

rooms ensured everyone got a good

night’s sleep.

After four days in the city, we

headed to the desert. If its rich,

benevolent Islamic culture is one

reason to visit, Oman’s landscape is

another. Stark ochre mountains rise

directly from the shoreline. Behind

them, the apparently barren plain is

punctuated by the astonishing deep

green of date palm groves erupting

from mountain springs funnelled

miles by the falaj irrigation network.

We had one night in the sands, again

in great comfort. The drive through

the dunes gave a taste of the adventure

sports possible (“Faster, Salem, faster,”

shouted the boys, thrilled, and he was

keen to put his foot to the floor of the

4x4 and tip it at gut-wrenching angles.

When, white-knuckled, I demurred,

we all knew who was really scared).

The view from the dune top as the sun

set was far more my thing, and corny

though it may be, the boys were

thrilled to ride a camel the next day.

But the biggest treat was to come.

Jebel Akhdar – the green mountain

• is part of a range that reaches
  9,000ft. In the 35 minutes it took us to
  drive the astonishing road that scales
  it, the temperature fell from 36C to
  20C (97F to 68F). The view from the
  top is breathtaking, particularly so if
  you are staying at the Anantara hotel,
  which is the kind of establishment so
  indulgent it ruins you for other places.
  Built on the side of the Jebel Akhdar
  gorge, many of its rooms have private
  infinity pools that appear to drop away
  into the void.
  Like the Kempinski, it offers a kids’
  club if you want to leave the children
  for an hour or two. Much better,
  though, to enrol them in a spot of
  archery, one of Islam’s three great
  sports. No toy bows here.
  From there it was a two-hour drive
  down the mountain to the airport. The
  boys had quickly grown used to
  running to hug Salem’s dishdasha robe
  each morning, and it was with real
  emotion that we parted: Omanis make
  Italians seem positively frosty when it
  comes to the adoration of children.
  A day later, the boys were telling
  their classmates all about it. Returning
  to cold, rainy Britain
  seemed almost surreal.
  But that is the joy of
  Oman: the contrast with
  our green, pleasant and
  crowded land could not
  be starker. It is harsh,
  empty and beautiful. Yet it
  is not forbidding. Its
  otherness can be softened
  by luxury, should you
  choose, but parents may
  well find that it is the
  otherness their children
  relish most of all.

HOW TO PACK

Dress to impress in the Galapagos, says Laura Craik

S

uddenly,

everyone’s going

to the Galapagos.

“The

Galapagos,” they’ll

say in answer to

your holiday

inquiries,

desperately

trying to keep

the smug out of

their voice,

knowing it’s a

destination on

everybody’s

bucket list. Only

you can’t say

“Galapagos”

with any nonchalance. It’s not a

nonchalant word. It’s like

Chanel, or caviar. Going to the

Galapagos says that you are

winning at life: that you’ve done

the beach holidays, seen the

Colosseum and the Taj Mahal,

and are now ready to experience

nature: magical, wonderful,

unforgettable nature, so

beautiful that it’s almost a crime

to reduce it to a small flat square

on an Instagram grid. Although

you’ll try. Of course you will.

Located off the coast of

Ecuador in South America, the

Galapagos Islands truly are

magical. Clear turquoise water,

sandy white beaches and a

plethora of happy, ecologically

protected wildlife make the

islands a series of jaw-dropping,

life-affirming experiences whose

geography is more varied than a

novice might expect. While

Santa Cruz is a desert spattered

with cacti and volcanic rock, Isla

Isabela is a hotch-potch of

verdant palm trees, red

mangroves, sandy

beaches and

volcanic rock.

Which means

only one

thing:

you

have to get your packing

right.

September is one of

the cooler months in

the Galapagos,

although still fairly

warm, with an

average maximum

temperature of

24C (75F). While

it’s definitely

classed as low

season, many

visitors will

prefer

September for

its lack of

humidity, and

also for its wildlife

opportunities: there’s much

activity this month, and you may

even spot whales. It’s also one of

the driest months: expect drizzle

rather than rain. So let’s eschew

a raincoat in favour of a

lightweight down jacket –

essential when you’re up on

deck and for walking on chillier

mornings and evenings.

Patagonia’s iconic Nano Puff

(£145; theepicentre.co.uk) is

warm, windproof, easily

stowable and 55 per cent

recycled. I’ve chosen the hooded

version for extra warmth.

Footwear is crucially

important, and in September it

would make sense to pack a pair

of sandals such as Tevas, as well

as some more substantial trail

runners. Hoka One’s Speedgoat 3

trail running shoes (£124.99;

ellis-brigham.com) embody that

crucial, “go anywhere”

construction, and come with a

supreme grip, excellent

cushioning and great stability.

Let’s also pack some shorts. I

did debate suggesting some

“travel shorts”, but couldn’t:

most of them are just too

municipal-looking for comfort,

and besides, what even is a

“travel short” other than

something that dries quickly

and has loads of pockets? These

rainbow-trimmed brushed shell

shorts by activewear brand

Perfect Moment

(£80; net-a-

porter.com)

embody

comfort (they

have a

drawstring

waist),

practicality

(pockets!) and

also style.

You’ll also

need a bag for

daytrips, big

enough for

water,

snacks,

binoculars

and a travel

towel (if the water’s not too

chilly for a dip). At 0.77kg,

Osprey’s Lumina 45 (£220;

ospreyeurope.com) is seriously

light, with a large main pocket, a

top drawcord and two side

pockets ensuring ultimate

accessibility. A fully ventilated

mesh backpanel will keep you

cool, whatever you do.

Finally, sunglasses.

Sunglasses? OK, so you’re not

planning to pose by an infinity

pool, but trust me: the light in

the Galapagos will be as

dazzling as it is breathtaking, so

let’s pack some serious ones;

ones that don’t slide down your

nose. High fashion Canary

Wharfs (£49.99; sunwise.co.uk)

are not, but they’re antiglare,

water-repellent, non-slip and

offer 100 per cent UV protection

• plus they’re made in the UK.
  Happy whale-watching. And
  turtle-watching. And bird... oh,
  I’m so envious.

ly,

one’s going

Galapagos.

hey’ll

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nly

have to get yo

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Septemb

the coole

the Gala

althoug

warm,

avera

temp

2 4C

it’s d

clas

seas

visi

pre

Sep

itsl

hum

ith

d

t

it

ore var

might expect. W

anta Cruz is a desert sp

with cacti and volcanic r

Isabela is a hotch-potcho

verdant palm trees, red

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Which me

only on

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rts by activewear brand

fect Moment

0 ; net-a-

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body

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e a

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cticality

kets!) and

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ou’ll also

d a bag for

trips, big

ugh for

er,

cks,

oculars

a travel

el (if the water’s not too

lyforadip).At0.77kg,

(£145; theepicentre.co.uk) is

warm, windproof, easily

stowable and 55 per cent

recycled I’ve chosen the hooded

Harry de Quetteville and

his family travelled

through Oman with Red

Savannah (0044 1242 787

800; redsavannah.com)

which offers a seven-

night journey for a family

of four from £2,945

adult/£2,345 child aged

two-11. Price includes

return economy class

flights between London

Heathrow and Muscat

with Oman Air, four

nights at the Kempinski

Muscat Hotel, one night

at the Desert Nights

Camp in the Wahiba

Sands, two nights at

Anantara Jebal Akhdar in

two interconnecting

rooms, a private 4x4

vehicle with English-

speaking chauffeur-

guide, a half-day private

boat charter for dolphin

watching, entrances to

all attractions visited,

daily breakfast, three

dinners, two lunches and

a desert camel ride.

ESSENTIALS

“tradition” – by which I mean desert,
camels, the sounds of the call to prayer
drifting across the rooftops in the
evening light. It is perfectly possible
not to meet any Omanis at all beyond
passport control. Indians are the
mercantile class. Your hotel may well
be managed by them, the restaurants
you eat at and souk stalls you shop at
run by them. Omanis, by contrast,
tend to fill the state jobs, in the banks,
the government ministries and police
force. When I asked our
wonderful guide, Salem, if
Omanis and Indians ever
intermarried, he shook his
head softly and said simply:
“Oh no.”
This is important because
Omani tourism trades off its

SAND

STORMER

4x4 thrills on

the dunes; the

Kempinski,

Muscat, left

Omanis make Italians

seem positively frosty

when it comes to the

adoration of children

50 miles

OMAN

Jebel Akhdar

Muscat

Wahiba Sands

Abu Dhabi

UA E

Dubai

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