Across the Border
Experience luxury at the
Shangri-La Resort & Spa, Muscat
I
t was mid August 2015 and my
family and I wanted to squeeze
every precious drop of fun and
relaxation out of the summer
holidays. We decided to take a quick
trip across the border to Muscat. We
decided that, since this would be our
last little vacation before the winter
break, we wanted luxury and that is
exactly what we got at the Shangri-La’s
Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa.
We decided to drive to Oman. Three
hotels awaited our arrival, and each got
better as we explored. Approaching
Al Waha, our excitement heightened,
as a man-made tunnel through the
mountain led to a sanctuary facing
the Sea of Oman. Al Waha lives up
to its name with several swimming
pools merging to form a serene oasis.
Date palms and traditional Dhofari
architecture reminded us that we were
still in Arabia.
We booked our stay at the Al Bandar
Hotel. Like its name suggests, this
hotel is akin to a town with a mélange
of fine restaurants. There is even a
souq
selling
intricately-designed
crafts, jewellery and artwork.
the largest in all of Oman, I was told.
They say it’s almost as if you have
walked into a real Arabian palace. This
is an adult only hotel, so we have put
it at the top of our list for a romantic
getaway without the kids.
Check in
After a three-and-a-half-hour drive
from Al Ain, Abu Dhabi down the
scenic route 1, which goes through the
mountains and then down the coast,
we arrived just after 7:00pm. It was as if
everyone had been waiting just for us.
The Valet quickly and efficiently helped
us to alight from the car and assisted
us very ably with our luggage. I must
confess that we had way too much
luggage for the four-day stay. We were
ushered into the magnificent lobby,
where our children, much to their
delight, were served ice-cream just as
they entered. Check in was a breeze
and the check-in agent gave us all a
warm welcome and all the information
we would need to access the facilities
of the resort. The agent suggested a
room upgrade and followed us to our
originally booked room just to ensure
we were satisfied.
The palatial Al Husn is indeed as its
name implies; a suitably exclusive
castle. Rooms and suites are amongst
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After The Bell
The room
We had booked a deluxe sea-view
room and had requested extra beds
for our children, which were there
ready and waiting for us. The room was
very tastefully decorated, boasting
modern Arabian-inspired décor. It
had everything you would expect in a
luxury five-star room, but curiosity got
the better of me. I thought if this was
so nice, what would the upgrade to a
premier room be like. So I asked the
agent if I could have a look at a premier
room and she graciously obliged. We
were sold. The premier room was
stunning. It had the most wonderful
unobstructed view of the ocean. The
room itself was larger and felt even
more comfortable than the previous
and with two children needing space
to play this was perfect.
The Food
With children who are not so easy to
feed, I found that the Tanoor buffet
restaurant served delicious food
and plenty of it. We only ate there.
The restaurant offered characteristic
cuisines of the Arabian Gulf region in a
traditional Omani atmosphere. On our
next visit without the children, we plan
to try more of the many restaurants
that the resort has to offer. I have heard