Vibrant Oman
Vibrant Oman
Oman, the most enchanting destination in the Middle East, brings in a natural narrative amidst luxury hotels, fabulous food and beguiling architecture
Text: Shilpi Madan
There are destinations, and then there are destinations that have the ability to inspire wonder, shaping unforgettable memories as you travel through them – with each element retaining its special integrity in the entire chorus. Oman, in the Middle East, is a little utopia that raises the bar for your bucket list. A perfect, year-round destination with a diverse canvas, that brings in everything: startling marine life, prima donnas in mountains, unending stretches of quiet dunes and a hotbed of culinary whispers.
Of Dives, Dunes and Destinations, Darlings
Muscat serves up the swanky, urban-chic Jumeirah Muscat Bay, with its private sugary-sand beach, strapped by two fishing villages (that serve up love letters from the ocean in a fantastic fresh catch basket at Jumeirah meals), a cool helipad and edgy groves for hosting dream weddings. Experience birdsong (yes!), magical sunsets here. The chefs – who have worked across different ethnicities (great pedigree) – bring in the best in global gourmet gospels.
A cool zip in the Land Cruiser brings you to Al Mauj Marina from where the speedboat rides foamy waves to reach Ad Damaniyat archipelago. Nine, uninhabited tropical islands off the coast of Oman, patrolled by seagulls, with no permission to dock at the beaches during the nesting season. Snorkelling here for hours easily tops my list of superb marine experiences in the Middle East. No crowds (a la South East Asia), endless bales of Green, and Hawksbill turtles gliding seamlessly through the jewelled water, delicately poised corals on the seabed, and colourful shoals of fishes including the Red Sea clownfish and stingrays.
Just when you think you have experienced the best, another experience arrives to elevate the bar. That is the beauty of Oman. Wandering along the Mutrah Corniche and the old Nizwa Souq brings in a delicious dive into the local fabric of the desert sultanate. Silver bijouterie, stunning semi-precious stones, hand-woven rugs by Bedouin tribes, incense burners, Omani halwa, and curious pottery splash out brightly.
The jaw-dropping interiors of the palatial Royal Opera House, a visit to Al Baleed UNESCO World Heritage Site − the Museum of the Land of Frank Incense here traces the fascinating journey of frankincense from Oman to Rome and beyond; glamping midst the dunes in Wahiba Sands, and wandering through the Swarovski-chandeliered Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque crafted in 30,000 tonnes of pink Indian sandstone, are unmissable experiences.
But it is the flight from Muscat to Salah that robs you of breath. The slo-mo transition from the bald dunes to the lush mountains fed by the monsoon, with gurgling waterfalls stuns. Alila Hinu Bay with 45 hectares of untouched beachfront by the Arabian Sea is the coastal postergirl of all luxury properties. Make way for dips into the lagoon and kayaking; indulge in flamingo-watching, drink in the splendid emerald green of Wadi Darbat to experience the magic of oases.
The more diva-esque Alila Jabal Akhdar perched on the edge of the deep canyon in the Al Hajar Mountains brings in that soul-cleansing experience. A communion with the peaks when the pale fingers of dawn light up the sky in sheer silence. My life-changing experience arrived in the surreal Via Ferrata mountain climbing challenge. Moving down precariously into the vertical spill, and then clambering back was a coup, in my mountain climbing debut. Hiking trails, butterfly walks, eating from the organic gardens, admiring cosmic darlings through giant telescopes at night, swimming in infinity pools by Omani moonlight, and luxuriating in the outdoor Spa Arbour at the edge of the canyon inside a wispy cabana compose sparkling moments.
Of Fabulous Food
Food is one of the great reasons to travel, and each meal in Oman is better than the last. Dates are used aplenty, with Omani dates bringing in a slightly lower, more welcome sweet quotient. The signature Omani halwa is a slow-cooked delight with the popularly used local cardamom and saffron, together with nuts.
In the indigenous apothecary of Oman, frankincense has held traditional importance. Specific varieties of incense are edible, especially the light green strain that is found growing between the mountains and the desert in the Dhofar region. The fragrance has been known to foster creativity, combat negativity. The use of incense has brought in healing powers to potions, and the ingenious use of frankincense in food lends a special dimension to the preparations in Oman. The frankincense ice-cream – a must-have – is a delicately flavoured sweet preparation that brings in milk, saffron, egg and nuts.
Salalah brings in a rich produce of almonds, with the skin of the seasonal, larger, reddish brown variety of almonds making its way into pickles from January to March. Almond flour is a popular substitute for wheat flour, appearing in pancakes and bakes. Omanis are passionate about their shuwa, simmered in its own fat. Delicately marinated mutton hand-rubbed with tabrizah – traditional spices mixed with date vinegar – is wrapped in banana and moringa leaves and lowered into a tandoor – a pit dug into the ground for 24 hours. The tender meat is then slow-cooked on acacia embers, lending a subtle, smoky flavour. Shuwa Musannef is another yummy favourite of light mini Omani pancakes stuffed with shuwa meat.
The rich use of Omani limu, the dried black limes, emerges as the secret in most dishes, the superstar as the Omani palate celebrates the tangy taste. These are blanched in saltwater and left to dry until they shrivel up into dark grey balls. Tomato soup swirled with dry lime; the local kingfish stew with onions, tomatoes, chillies, and saffron with Omani limu are lip-smacking renditions.
Chef Prakash Sundaram at Alila Hinu Bay uses mango wood and lemon wood cleverly to bring in flavourful accents in the qabuli spice-stroked camel meat; and the dry camel rendeng.
Another hot surprise arrives in the awal sambosa stuffed with sun-dried baby shark, meat flakes laced with chillies. As the year closes, the hares laham− slow-cooked lamb with cardamom and cinnamon hits the right spot for all foodies. Often served with the traditional mutton biryani, that brings in inspiration from Egypt, with 30% vermicelli, and 70% rice. Sorghum is locally grown, and makes its mark in millet breads and pancakes.
Herbal tea with the treasured za’atar (the cousin of the thyme, and a very popular condiment in Oman), ginger and honey is a golden sip on the go. The versatility of za’atar rubs well onto lobsters and calamari, as well as breads.
Umm Ali, the Arabic style bread pudding, rather rabri-esque, with layers of crispy puff pastry baked in sweet milk with slivered pistachios, raisins and more is the biggest winner. A traditional ode to desserts with its secretive layers.
Oman is a vibrant country, chock-full of unique offerings. Celebrate robust, hearty food with whispers of spices and grand feasts that show no sign of ending.