What's your favourite holiday spot in Oman?

T-Mag Thursday 02/August/2018 11:15 AM
By: Times News Service
What's your favourite holiday spot in Oman?

We asked a number of local stars in Oman to share where they prefer to spend their long weekends or mini-vacations, and this is what they had to say:

Green holiday attracts
My favourite destination in Oman is Salalah but you need to spend three to seven days there. For a mini vacation, I would prefer Jabal Akhdar, because it is not very far, has a pleasant weather, and it reminds me of home (Nepal) sometimes. We have cold places in Nepal too. The greenery and the different plantations also attract me to Jabal Akhdar. My favourite resort is Anantara where I can enjoy my privacy in a serene and meditative environment. — Sarmila Parajuli, Nepal Ambassador to Oman

Off-road to Wadi Shab
I think one of the nicest places I’ve been to in Oman that’s a little bit different from everything else is Wadi Shab. It’s all-natural and a great place to explore so I would recommend that everyone must go there this Eid.
I think, though, if you’ve got family and kids, the place you’d want to go to is the Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah. It’s got great facilities for the family to enjoy. You’ve got a beach where you can spend the day, you’ve got swimming pools, you’ve got loads of things that are going to keep the kids really happy. I have been to other places like Sohar and Saham, and they are okay, but they’re not really places you would go to for a vacation. For me, if you’re looking to go off-road and be one with nature, it would have to be Wadi Shab, but if you are going somewhere nice with the children, it would be Barr Al Jissah. Of course, I have yet to go to Salalah but I really want to go there in the future. That is on my list of places to go to in Oman.
—Chuck Martini, Head Coach, Muscat Football Academy

Beckoning beaches
During Eid, the tradition is to go to your native town, and from there, to visit your family and friends who also live in the nearby wilayats. If it is a longer holiday – which this Eid looks to be – then we either go to the beaches, which are always nice even in the summer because they are cool due to their closeness to the sea. Eid is a time when a lot of people eat good food, so we often go for a picnic near the sea. Another place we really like to go to is Salalah, because it is the peak of the Khareef season and the weather is really nice this time of year. It is some 23 or 24 degrees and you have amazing rainfall that you never find in other parts of Oman. The rest of the Middle East is so hot during this time of the year and then you have Salalah, which is so different, so it is a place where everyone loves to go for Eid. When it comes to my children, they love water sports, so any place with water is fine for them — whether it is a hotel with a swimming pool or the beach — because they love the sea. —Ali Al Barwani, CEO, Oman Road Safety Association

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Family time in Salalah
For me, it would have to be Salalah because there are many areas of great cultural and historical significance there. Two of our Prophets (PBUH) are buried in Salalah so that is a place that is really important to me. It is also a place that everyone in the family loves, because you will never find anything like it anywhere else in Oman. You find many families there this time of the year because it is so hot and you want to get away from the heat. It is a vacation spot that is loved by many, because there is something for everybody there. You can just take a four-wheel drive and enjoy a barbecue with some family and friends in some fantastic weather, so what more do you want? —Syed Jameel, Manager, Oman National cricket team

For some relaxing moments
I like The Chedi Muscat because it is very chilled out. It has a nice, peaceful environment and is an amazingly well-kept place. What I really like about The Chedi are the different varieties of food that they have, and they have some really nice facilities as well. I also really like the pool and the beach because they are really great places where you can hang out. — Gerald Lami Senior Coach, Juventus Oman

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Nature at its best
If you are into nature and a sea lover like me you must go to Ras Al Hadd, that is almost three hours drive from Muscat. This is one of the best places in Oman where you can experience nature in its most rugged form. The beach in Ras Al Hadd is breathtaking and one can go for beach activities like surfing, windsurfing, and kite surfing along with turtle watching. The weather is pleasant most of the time and ideal for a good swim. Also, you can buy fresh fish from the local fishermen and if you’re into fishing you might join them as well in their small boats for a thrilling fishing adventure. — Fahad Al Abri, Omani global handstander

Cold winds and the rains
For me, my favourite Eid destination has to be Salalah because of the weather. It’s like nothing else you find during this time of the year because of the Khareef season, with the cold winds and the rains.
My children also love it because they are not used to seeing this that often, and when we get guests from Dubai or other parts of the GCC, they are shocked to see a place like Salalah simply because there is nothing else like it, and they wonder why they have never seen a place like this before, or even heard of it. I have been to Salalah three times in the past five years. —Hemant Mehta, Ex-cricketer Oman

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Glamping at Sifah
When I think of staycations, Salalah is definitely one place I always look forward to visit. And now that my friends live there, it has been an even easier trip to take. I took the children there for the first time a couple of weeks ago and everything was spectacular to them. The funniest part was trying to convince them that we haven’t left Oman. If I were to choose somewhere closer to home, I would say “glamping” at Sifah with the children and friends has always been a winner.
—Dina Al Khalili, Unicef Oman