Day 3.
The view of the mountains at dawn from our balcony after I got up just after 6am.
A short walk from the hotel was the 700 year old village of Al Aqr, situated on the side of the canyon and next to descending terraces filled with pomengranate trees.
The village was largely uninhabited with only a few residents who worked on the terraces.
The ruins of an old abandoned traditional Omani house.
The former residents now long ago left for villas with more modern conveniences.
Inside which literally felt like stepping back in time.
A very small doorway that led to a pantry.
Though mostly desert like much of Oman, the high mountain elevation at Jabal Al Akhdar results in some rain that keeps it moist enough to support some agriculture. Pomegranates, walnuts, apricots, black grapes and peaches are grown as well as the famous Damask rose bushes that the area is famous for.
The
tiered farms are irrigated by Oman’s ancient
aflaj system, which since 2006 have been recognised with
UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Consisting of gravity-powered water channels, the falaj run down the cliff-face using collected rainwater from ponds above.
The morning sun now shining across the resort. The amazing location on the edge of the dramatic precipice is also very apparent from this angle high above.
We then headed to Al Maisan for a delicious breakfast.
With a mixture of Western, Arabic and Asian cuisine to start the day.
Back to Diana's Point to take in the magnificent view again.
The cloudless blue sky was quite a contrast to the day before.
On the right on the side of the canyon is the small village of Ash Shirayjah.
We then headed to the infinity pool for a dip and some relaxation.
And were quickly given extra towels and a coolbox by the pool attendant.
A great place to just soak in the pool and enjoy the mountain views.
The obligatory cheesy holiday selfie! The pool is heated to a constant 29C (84F) year round so was just the right temperature to relax and chill in.
And taking a midday nap under the sun lounger.
After the lazy morning at the pool we went to the Al Baha courtyard café for a cappuccino, a rooibos tea and some macarons to share.
Some beautiful Arabic calligraphy artwork on the wall.
Rianda then made a visit to the hotel gift shop for some retail therapy and to buy some gifts for back home. All the items were handmade by local Omani families and priced quite reasonably.
Back at our balcony where some of the wild mountain goats came by to say hello.
Checking out the resort
spa where Rianda made an appointment for a facial treatment.
I couldn't justify spending 35OR ($91) on my ugly mug so opted for a soak in the men's relaxation room while Rianda was pampered in the ladies spa.
In the late afternoon we went to the Al Burj (The Tower) lounge, a Moroccan themed lounge, for a pre-dinner drink.
Olives, nuts and cheese to snack on. It was happy hour so the drinks were half-price.
They had quite a selection of interesting drinks so we both chose one of the locally inspired creations. Rianda's
In Bloom mocktail (left) made with rosewater, cream, spices and syrup and my
Marrakesh Daiquiri (right), mixed with both aged and light rum, pomengranate juice, fresh lime juice and Marrakesh spices.
The barman offered to take our photo and had obviously done this before and went for a slightly cool and creative take.
We then ventured back to to Diana's Point to enjoy the dying light at dusk.
A table for setup for a romantic dinner for a lucky couple. Being in high demand this private table dining experience at Diana's Point must be booked well in advance and costs 75 OR ($195) per person.
We settled for table instead at Bella Vista, the resorts Italian restaurant. Fresh olive bread and tomato salsa to start.
I had opted for a generous serving of minestrone soup for the entrée from the half-board set menu.
While Rianda enjoyed the chicken wings with a side of sliced jalapeños from the à la carte menu.
For the main Rianda had the tasty risotto ai funghi.
And my very tasty diavola pizza with tomato, mozzarella and pepperoni.
We had originally only ordered a single tiramisu to share but the waitress surprised us with a complimentary second one for an extra sweet and delicious end to day 3.
Day 4.
Enjoying the view while enjoying a lazy start to the day. The temperature was a very pleasant 21C and with no wind at all it was great to be able to just leave the balcony door open and take in the view from the comfort of bed.
After summoning a bit of motivation we headed to the resort fitness center the work off a bit of the excess calories over the past few days.
At Diana's Point again for one last gaze of the seemingly endless mountain canyon below.
About to take one last dip.
And making the most of the last chance to enjoy the cliff-edge pool.
Indulging in the breakfast buffet again at Al Maisan before getting ready to depart.
We checked out just after 11am and were given a gift of a couple of bottles of scented rose oil to take home. We were specifically told not to drink it though so not sure if some unfortunate guests had tried to previously!
For our journey back to Dubai today we would drive the 483 kilometers back down the mountain and then cross back over into the UAE via the city of Al Ain.
Stopping at a mountain viewpoint as we make our descent.
An Omani mountain military base at 1,600 meters.
And on Highway 21 as we start the long drive to the UAE border.
Topping up the tank one last time with the
Al Hajar Mountains looming behind us.
A water storage tank artfully camouflaged as a historic tower.
A sign warning of possible sand dunes encroaching on the road as we near the edge of the
Rub' al Khali Desert.
And being stamped back into the UAE just after 3pm. With the advent of smart gates at Dubai Airport it had been several years since I had a fresh UAE stamp so it was definitely a bit of a novelty.
Grabbing a bite to eat at an Adnoc station before the final drive back on the
Dubai-Al Ain highway.
And back in Dubai after 1,164 kilometers and at the end of a great summer getaway to Oman!
