MUSCAT (Oman)
09 August - 12 August 2017
I
recall the pilot advising over the in-flight comms we were ‘Now flying over Muscat’. Looking down at a small part of the
Arabian peninsula I remember thinking that it was amusing that we were flying
over a city whose name was the same as the surname of my football coach. That
was some 35+ years ago now. The skies were crystal clear and blue, and the land
beneath looked grey and parched, standing out starkly against the Gulf of Oman
and the sky around us.
Way
back then I wanted to go and experience what was once 12kms below my feet. That’s
the oddity of flying around the world and over foreign places where in
actuality you can be very close to a location, within 8km-12kms, but reality
tells you that you’re a world away.
Considering
the U.A.E. are neighbours with Oman then why wouldn’t we take the opportunity
to going on down there?
So
what did we find?
The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
Omani rials
The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
Honeymoon welcome - The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
Honeymoon welcome - The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
On
first passing the city is unmistakably modern but not in the same manner as
what you find in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. It feels like a modernist Soviet country
in terms of its architecture. A formless straggle of low-rise, washed buildings
and suburbs string out down the coastline, the result of an increasing
population generally defined through the modern 20th century
migration of people out of the rural and into the urban. For me, this part of
Muscat was uninspiring. I had the expectation that I’d see something closer the
way a place like Marrackech currently presents itself, but it appears that was
a long way from reality.
Contemporary
and consumerist, typified by a string of coastal hotels that are opulent and
pander to a new wave of tourists wanting to discover this safe, liberal,
Islamic country. We were more than fortunate to have booked ourselves into The Chedi (Muscat), for the duration of our stay. A place, where
they say in their promotions, the Al
Hajar mountains meet their luminous reflection in the serene waters of the Gulf
of Oman. The place itself was exquisite, a beautiful Arabian mix of white
walls, dark wood panelling, elegant chandeliers and intricate carpeting. The
shapes and forms within the structure of the building are very Arabic but as a
whole the feel is light and airy. The whitewashed façade sits beautifully amongst
their large 21 acre garden oasis. The
real highlights of the grounds were their glorious pools, three fantastic
features, one of which was a 103 mtrs long which seemed to drift out into the
Gulf of Oman.
The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
The
most charming part of Muscat however was the engaging port district of Muttrah and the nearby quarter of Old Muscat. Spread around a tight bay
the seafront is lined with Portuguese forts, colourful mosques and an
assortment of typical Arabian buildings. This to me is where we found the true
character of Muscat, or perhaps I should say, what we wanted the true spirit of
Muscat to exude. It seems to be these days that the old towns in cities serve less as the cultural epicentre of a city
and act more as a forum of nostalgia and touristic fascination. Old Muscat felt
a bit like that to me, slowly being diluted by commercialism & capitalism,
being strangled by a whole world that’s no longer held at arms length but is
pervasive in their everyday lives.
Al Jalali Fort - Muscat - Oman
Muscat - Oman
Muscat - Oman
Al Jalali Fort - Muscat - Oman
Al Jalali Fort - Muscat - Oman
Al Jalali Fort - Muscat - Oman
Al Jalali Fort - Muscat - Oman
Old Muscat from Al Jalali Fort - Muscat - Oman
Old Muscat from Al Jalali Fort - Muscat - Oman
Al Jalali Fort - Muscat - Oman
Muscat - Oman
Old Muscat, up until relatively recently was all Muscat had to offer. The walled town
was home to the residence of the sultan and other notables, a beautiful oasis
like city bounded by mountains along the coastline. Viewing this part of the city
from its various vantage points you get the feeling of the idea that attracts
people and has them interested in discovering more about the location and
culture.
The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
The 103 mtr pool @ The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
The 103 mtr pool @ The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
The Chedi - Muscat - Oman
The Gulf of Oman - Muscat - Oman
Inga
and I split our time between Old Muscat and The Chedi. Truh be known, the hotel
was actually a fair distance from the old city, which itself resides more on
the periphery of what is known as Muscat these days than anywhere considered to
be particularly central. For us this meant a lot more time spent in the
majestic Chedi pools and staring out into the Gulf of Oman on beautiful 30
degree days with cocktails in hand, swaying palms overhead and an ongoing
honeymoon buzz.
