It’s clear that French-Moroccan architect Lotfi
Sidirahal drew inspiration from traditional forts in
designing the resort, notably in the cone-like tower
that houses the signature restaurant, Al Qalaa. But
the dining option to beat here is a private dinner set
on a platform that stretches to the brink of the canyon,
named Diana’s Point. The princessapparently visited
the site briefly back in 1986 (lesssplendidly, the
resort’s Bella Vista restaurant has named a burger in
her honour). In this dramatic setting a chef prepares
a Lebanese spread of meze and grills, served to the
single pampered table by a dedicated maître d’.
A hike with one of the resort’s “mountain gurus”
to the three largely abandoned villages above the terraces
is the chance to see the life coaxed from stony ground.
Much of the walk follows the falaj channels that deliver
water to groves of pomegranate, pear and walnuts before
reaching the terraces themselves, where banks of
rosebushes seem to cling to the escarpment. The
mountain’s name is not such a misnomer after all.
The children who once lived here would reach the
school in the valley below, incredibly, by bounding down
theterraces–afeatinfinitely more suited to the goats
that wander tightrope fashion along the stone walls in
the villages in search of water and low-hanging leaves.
W
ater – although in this case an
abundance of it – is also the defining
feature of the Dhofar region in Oman’s
south. Having flown for the best part of
two hours over desert-like plains often starker than the
Australian outback, it’s a surprise to see the landscape
turn green as we descend to Salalah, the capital of the
region. From May to early September the region is
blessed with the khareef, or monsoon. The balmy
weather rejuvenates the nearby ranges and attracts
holidaymakers from all over the Arabian Peninsula,
seeking to escape the 50-degree heat at home.
It also accounts for the huge walled plantations of
banana and coconut palms that ring the city and line
the approach to Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara.
Reminiscent of a whitewashed village, albeit an
uncommonly luxe one, the resort has at its heart a long
infinity pool that stretches to a private beach. The pool
is flanked by 30 guestrooms, two of three restaurants,
and rows of villas set among graceful coconut palms.
Behind their high walls each villa has a courtyard with
a four-poster cabana beside a garden-fringed pool.
The resort takes its name from the neighbouring
Al Baleed World Heritage site, the remains of an
ancient port and trading post for frankincense. While
its fragrance wafts through hotel lobbies, shops, souks
and homes throughout Oman, most of the country’s
frankincense, and the most prized, comes from the
Dhofar region. This is where you come to follow the
frankincense trail.➤
GOURMET TRAVELLER 133