6

Om

an

Muscat

Nizwa

Salalah

The central

infinity pool

at Al Baleed

Resort Salalah

by Anantara

overlooks the

private beach.

Top left: prayer

time in Muttrah.

Left: a vendor

at Muttrah Souk.

Getting there
Qatar Airways flies from five Australian
cities to the Omani cities of Muscat,
Salalah and Sohar via its hub in Doha.
It operates one direct flight daily from
Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra
and twice daily from Sydney to Doha, with
connections to 150 destinations on six
continents.qatarairways.com

Stay
Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort
Opened in October 2016, this resort is
set on the edge of a canyon on one of
Oman’s highest mountains. Guests can
salute the sun on the cliff’s edge, take
in films under the stars, and take a hike
with the resort’s “mountain gurus”.
Thrillseekers can scale the cliff-face
and fly over the canyon on zip-lines. The
resort can arrange the two-hour transfer
by car from Muscat. If renting your own
car, hire a four-wheel-drive to be allowed
up the mountain. Rooms from $840.Al
Jabal Al Akhdar, jabal-akhdar.anantara.com

Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara
A private beachfront dotted with palms
is the exotic setting for Al Baleed, just
15 minutes from the airport in the
southern city of Salalah (or a nine-hour
drive from Muscat). Opened soon after
the Al Jabal sister resort, it’s close to
lush wadis and groves of frankincense
trees, and Salalah’s Al Hafah souk.
Rooms from $475.Al Mansurah St, Al
Baleed, Salalah, salalah.anantara.com

The Chedi MuscatThis beachfront resort
is a study in serenity with an air of Middle
Eastern romance. One of its three
swimming pools is said to be the longest
in the Middle East, its 103 metres fringed
by palms and six restaurants. Rooms from
$864.North Ghubra 32, Way No 3215 Street
No 46, Muscat, ghmhotels.com

More
Visittourismoman.com.au

Trip

notes

UAE

Saudi Arabia

Arabian Sea

Gulf of Oman

GOURMET TRAVELLER 135