Travel, life, loves and laughs.
The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is a truly inspiring place both architecturally and spiritually.
It was a very quiet Monday morning when I visited due to Eid and the public holiday. I approached from a side entrance near the car park and was redirected to enter from the main entrance at the front.… Read the rest
The Shangri-La Bar Al Jissah resort at Bandar Jissah would be a wonderful getaway for a weekend retreat.
There are actually a few distinct buildings that share the private beach at Bandar Jissah, all of which look wonderful. … Read the rest
Wow! The Royal Opera House is a spectacular sight and I think we caught it at its best light with the pink hues of sunset reflecting off the sparkling new marble. It’s new, with construction only completed in 2011. It’s also grand, and while the main concert hall has capacity for 1100, there is also an auditorium, an art centre, retail and restaurants contained in the complex all set in beautiful formal landscaped gardens.… Read the rest
We were keen to go snorkeling whilst visiting Muscat and had heard excellent reports of the experience. After some research, Bandar Khayran was top of the list of destinations and I proceeded to book an 8 hour Bandar Khayran snorkeling tour with a local company through our hotel (the Coral Muscat Hotel). … Read the rest
The walk from the watchtower near Riyan Park to Al Alam Royal Palace is about 2.5km. It’s a really pleasant walk (even in the heat), along a bay through the old city Gate (also a museum) and down through the old town.… Read the rest
There are many watchtowers in Muscat. Just take a drive and see how many you can spot, perched up on rocky outcrops surveying the surrounds.
This particular watchtower (restored Portuguese) isn’t particularly large or exciting, containing all of two cannons and nothing else, but the steep climb is worth the spectacular views both back towards Mutrah and out across the next bay towards Old Muscat.… Read the rest
Mutrah Souq is a delight to the senses, a chaotic mix of sights, sounds and smells. Enter from the Corniche, near the traffic lights where pedestrians can safely cross over and make your way up the main covered corridor. Be sure to look up as there are a couple of spectacular colored ceilings, both glass and wood.… Read the rest
I awoke this morning to a cup of tea on my nightstand, followed closely by a glass of muesli with fruit & Laban. This doesn’t happen very often but this morning my husband had been up for half an hour playing with the boys and had been kind enough to ease me gently into the day.… Read the rest
JA Palm Tree Court is part of the Jebel Ali Resort, an oasis in the truest sense of the word. Located in the southern region of Dubai, near the base of the undeveloped Palm Jebel Ali and next to the Jebel Ali Free Zone and port area, it’s a lush green space set on the coast between sand and sea. … Read the rest
We are only here by luck. Our Bateaux Dubai cruise was an ‘extra’ on our resort weekend stay at the JA Palm Tree Court. We nearly decided to forego it, though thank goodness we didn’t!
Appearing as a bonus in the fine print, we have completely underestimated the value and enjoyment of this activity. … Read the rest