OMAN


brilliant. Staff cater to your every whim and even provide individual coolboes filled with water and vian cooling spray for guests who venture down to bathe by the beach. Treats such as ice cream and fresh fruit skewers are also served. While the beach was nice, I preferred to spend my tie by the infinity pool, which never felt crowded. After a dip, head to the terrace of the Sultanah


restaurant where a generous (and complimentary) afternoon tea is served. It’s a popular affair with many guests taking advantage of the sweet treats. Similarly, the complimentary pre-dinner drinks served in the main courtyard are a hit with guests. Guests staying at Al Husn have the advantage of being able to use the facilities across all three properties – where you’ll find a souk, a lay river and a bigger spa facility than that in Al Husn.


OMAN AIR BUSINESS CLASS I’d heard good things about Oman Air’s business offering, so my expectations were already high. On boarding, the ample space of the cabin was the first thing to impress. Business runs in a one-two-one seat configuration with a total of  seats available eing greeted with a glass of Laurent-Perrier champagne and an impressive amenity it allowed me to settle in straight away The lie-at bed is a dream, even on a ight that is ust shy of eight hours, but its the service on board that wowed me most. The team was a delight and were more than happy to share their local nowledge and recommend activities and restaurants in man The combination of good food, good service and impressive hardware meant this was one of the best ight eperiences ve ever had BOOK IT: Oman Air flies to Muscat twice a day from Heathrow and once a day from Manchester. Return business class fares start from £2,450 per person. OMANAIR.COM


Cultural delights


The Shangri-La lies 20 minutes’ drive from central Muscat, and the property offers a free daily shuttle to various parts of the city.


A trip to the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is well worth a visit. This beautiful place of worship, with intricate and colourful mosaic interiors, boasts what was once the largest carpet and chandelier in the world (until Emiratis and Qataris made bigger versions). While the mosque is a true vision of manmade


beauty, Oman has an abundance of natural beauty spots. Head to one of the country’s countless lush green wadis and swim in the cool water lagoons. Wadi Al Abriyeen is one of the most beautiful in the country, and just an hour and 45 minutes away from Muscat. Four villages are located in the wadi, which is famous for its pal, banana and leon trees. ere you’ll find several freshwater pools and waterfalls to dip your toes into, but you won’t find a turtle ranger in site. BOOK IT: Rooms at Al Husn start from £212 in low season SHANGRI-LA.COM


OPPOSITE, FROM LEFT: FIRST ROW: A worshipper at Muscat’s biggest mosque; Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque SECOND ROW: Shangri-La Al Husn’s ‘turtle beach’; Hollie-Rae at Wadi Al Abriyeen; the courtyard at Shangri-La Al Husn THIRD  hangri-a l usn’s infinity pool; FOURTH ROW: A local at Wadi Al Abriyeen; turtle hatchlings Credits: Markus Gortz, Hollie-Rae Brader


74 ASPIRE FEBRUARY 2019 aspiretravelclub.co.uk


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