Saturday, September 5, 2009

khasab fort




















Friday, September 4, 2009

Golden Tulip Resort Dibba





Golden Tulip Resort Dibba

Mina RoadDibba, Oman




Description:




The Golden Tulip Resort Dibba is perfectly located for both business and leisure guests to Dibba. All hotel's guestrooms have all the conveniences expected in a hotel in its class to suit guests' utmost comforts. Each of the hotel's guestrooms offers Non Smoking Rooms, Air Conditioning, Bathrobes, Daily Newspaper, Hair Dryer, Ironing Board, In Room Safe, Television . This Dibba accommodation contains all of the facilities and conveniences you would expect from a hotel in its class. In addition, the hotel's guests can enjoy the leisure and sports facilities provided on the premises: Jacuzzi, Gym/Fitness Facilities, Tennis Courts, Water Sports (non-motorized), Pool Outdoor, Garden. Being one of the good quality hotels in Dibba, guests staying at this hotel will find its convenient location and tranquil atmosphere pleasurable. For your reservation at the Golden Tulip Resort Dibba, simply submit your dates and complete our secure online booking form.
Amenities:
Business Center
Disabled Access
Fitness Room
High-speed Internet
Parking
Restaurant
Room Service
Swimming pool


Description:




The Golden Tulip Resort Dibba is perfectly located for both business and leisure guests to Dibba.All hotel's guestrooms have all the conveniences expected in a hotel in its class to suit guests' utmost comforts.Each of the hotel's guestrooms offers Non Smoking Rooms, Air Conditioning, Bathrobes, Daily Newspaper, Hair Dryer, Ironing Board, In Room Safe, Television .This Dibba accommodation contains all of the facilities and conveniences you would expect from a hotel in its class.In addition, the hotel's guests can enjoy the leisure and sports facilities provided on the premises: Jacuzzi, Gym/Fitness Facilities, Tennis Courts, Water Sports (non-motorized), Pool Outdoor, Garden.Being one of the good quality hotels in Dibba, guests staying at this hotel will find its convenient location and tranquil atmosphere pleasurable. For your reservation at the Golden Tulip Resort Dibba, simply submit your dates and complete our secure online booking form.
Amenities:
24 Hour Reception
Air Conditioned
Babysitting / Child Services
Banquet Facilities
Bar / Lounge
Business Center
Cable / Satellite TV
Coffee / Tea Maker
Conference Room(s)
Currency Exchange
Disabled Access
Dry Cleaning
Elevator / Lift
Fitness Room
Free Breakfast
Gymnasium
Hair Dryer
High-speed Internet
Laundry service
Massage / Beauty Centre
Mini Bar
Non-Smoking Rooms
Parking
Porters
Private beach
Restaurant
Room Service
Safe-Deposit Box
Swimming pool
Tour Desk
TV



Check-in:
From 2:00 PM



Check-out:



Prior to 1:00 PM






map:



Golden tulip resort khasab


Golden Tulip Resort Khasab Oma
Po Box 434, Khasab, 811 Oman


Description
- 60 Rooms - 4 Levels -Elevators -Interior Corridors all Rooms Have Balconies, With A Splendid Sea View. all Rooms Are Interconnecting fully Equipped, With Satellite Tv, Minibar - C2t- Standard Standard Room 2 Single Beds -Room Amenities available In All Rooms - Air Conditioning - Balcony - Bath Robe - Bathroom Amenities - Cable News - Cable Tv - Coffee/tea Maker - Color Tv - Direct Dial Phone - Electrical Plug Adapters - Fireplace - Full Size Mirror - Hair Dryer - Ironing Board - Minibar - Newspaper - Remote Control Tv - Shower Only - Speaker Phone - Workdesk Lamp meeting Rooms-2 venue Capacity Musandam 100 kumzar 10 Musandam- without Pillars, Benefiting From The Daylight, And Fully equipped kumzar- boardroom
Facilities
Services
Airport transportation (complimentary)
Babysitting or child care
Concierge desk
Concierge services
Currency exchange
Express check-out
Fitness equipment
Hair salon
Health club
Laundry facilities
Multilingual staff
Parking (valet)
Porter/bellhop
Room service
Self parking
Tour assistance
Wheelchair accessible
Business & Event
24-hour front desk
Business center
Conference room(s)
Room service (24 hours)
Secretarial services
Rooms (all rooms include)
Air conditioning
Alarm clock
Cable/satellite TV
Coffee/tea maker
Complimentary newspaper
Complimentary newspaper (M-F)
Fax machine
Fireplace
Hair dryer
Housekeeping
In-room safe
Internet access - dial-up
Iron/ironing board
Kitchenette
Minibar
Non-smoking rooms only
Pay movies
Television
Wake-up calls
Wheelchair accessible
General
Air-conditioned public areas;
Bar/lounge;
Coffee shop or café;
Elevator/lift;
Fax machine;
Fireplace in lobby;
Marina on site;
Number of floors: 4;
Restaurant(s) in hotel Restaurant;
Shopping on site;
Swimming pool - outdoor;
Television in lobby
American Express
Check-in time is
02:00P
Check-out time is
12:00P
Diners Club
MasterCard
Visa
Recreation
Boating
Fishing
Playground
Scuba diving

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

khasab fort

For more than four centuries the Fort of Khasab has cast its harsh shadow over the sands of the Khawr
The fort, used to house the Wali and his family in past centuries, has recently undergone a comprehensive restoration programme
and been transformed into a regional museum, opened inFebruary 2007.
The Museum

The courtyard of the fort contains houses and boats which show the unique heritage of Musandam, including three traditional boats from Kumzar, the most northern tip of Musandam.
Behind the boats is a summer house made of palm fronds (Arish), elevated on pillars of stone to catch the sea breeze. Arish houses were used by mountain dwellers and inhabitants of coastal settlements during their summer trip to Khasab to fish and harvest dates.
Nearby is a reconstructed Bait Al-Qufl or House of the Lock built of heavy stone and extending partially below ground, a style of building which evolved as a means of safeguarding vital supplies during periods of seasonal migration.
The rooms in the upper level of the fort display tableaux featuring traditional medicines, costumes and jewelry, together with a women's majlis, a wedding room and a Qur'an school.
Exhibits in the central tower provide in-depth information on geology, wildlife, architecture, lifestyle and other aspects of Musandam culture.
Documentary film footage and a treasury of artefacts complement the exhibits. Of particular note is a splendid collection of antique Jirz, the small long-handled axe that has become a central symbol of the heritage of Musandam.

Arabian sights in Oman


Arabian sights in Oman

Oman is a land of turquoise seas, rare turtles and desert. Not to mention draconian building restrictions that have prevented the country from becoming like the set of The Fifth Element, unlike its neighbour Dubai. This is largely down to its leader, the Sandhurst-educated Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said, who took over the country from his father in 1970 (aided by the SAS) and has managed to bring it into the 21st century without obliterating its heritage. His approach is most apparent in Oman's capital, Muscat.
It is a city of low square white buildings surrounded by mountains on all sides. On the coast of this Zenlike city, in the Al Khuwair district, lies The Chedi hotel, an indulgent confection of archways, white tiles, imported palm trees and grass so finely manicured you could play pool on it. My days could easily have been spent deliberating over which of the four delicious restaurants to eat in, dabbing my brow with perfumed towels handed to me by beach boys, and listening to the local muezzin's call to prayer as I swam in one of the two enormous infinity pools.
But I had more challenging ambitions. My trip was inspired by Lady Jane Digby, a 19th-century adventuress who led a scandalous life before finding true love at 47, in 1854, with a 30-year-old Bedouin sheikh. She was an accomplished horsewoman and fell in love with desert life as much as with her husband, and it was with her in mind that I quit the hotel and headed over the craggy mountains to the golden dunes beyond. My destination was a small Bedouin encampment of wonderfully comfortable tents furnished with thick carpets, soft beds and colourful hand-woven coverings.
Less glamorous, sadly, were my first attempts at camel riding - despite my smart new jodhpurs. I was only just in the saddle when the animal raised its back legs, pitching me forward so violently that I nearly fell off; then, straightening its front legs, it nearly tossed me off the back. After this rather humiliating beginning (I am sure Lady Jane managed side-saddle camel-mounting with more grace), we began lurching across the sands, the cantankerous beast honking with constant complaint. I tried to make conversation over this din with my guide, a beautiful young man in his early twenties with heavily kohled eyes (both men and women in the desert use kohl to prevent sun damage). He told me about his childhood as a Bedouin, spending weeks in the desert without seeing another living thing except for the hawks overhead.
Perhaps the camel was soothed by his tones, because by that evening my mount and I seemed to have come to some sort of understanding. He stopped his moaning and on riding back to camp we were rewarded with a wonderful sunset, the sky fading from blood red to indigo all around me.
Dinner was waiting on my return, a feast of chicken roasted in the ground, spiced lamb kebabs, saffron rice, lady fingers, stewed cabbage and a sweet sticky date pudding, all of which I fell on with the fierce hunger of a travel-weary warrior. I drank mint tea (alcohol is forbidden outside hotels) and lay back to appreciate nature's ceiling of a billion stars.
The next morning, after an early breakfast of eggs and spiced beans, I stopped for a swim in Wadi Bin Khalid, an enormous emerald green lake enclosed by dazzling white rocks; my only company a few chatty frogs. I 'camped' again that night, on the white sand of Fins Beach, but with a spacious tent, stand-alone loo and shower, and a barbecue crackling outside, I was hardly roughing it. And that night, after more stargazing, I fell asleep lulled by the sound of plashing waves less than ten feet from my bed. My final adventure was to see one of Oman's greatest treasures - its sea life. In a small rickety fishing boat, I motored half a mile from shore and was soon joined by a school of bottlenose dolphins leaping in arcs and a pair of rare leatherback turtles slowly paddling past.
After this perfect day, it was with a heavy heart that I bade goodbye to the camel and the dark-eyed young guide and made my way back across the rippled sands to Muscat. Just like Lady Jane, I had fallen head over heels in love with the desert.
Check in: Oman What to take and where to go
Must stay The Chedi hotel is the perfect weekend getaway, with 151 rooms and suites, all with views of the Indian Ocean or the Al Hajar Mountains. The 350m-long private beach has great umbrellas for shade and one of the two pools is reserved exclusively for adults. Additionally, there are two tennis courts, a fitness centre and an extensive spa. I had a Balinese massage that was pure bliss.
Don't Miss A visit to Muscat's Grand Mosque , built by the Sultan in 2001. Made from 300,000 tonnes of Indian sandstone, it has a 91.5m-high main minaret, a 6,000-capacity prayer hall and a carpet so large that it took 600 weavers more than four years to make. And go to Sur, a port once visited by Marco Polo in the 16th century, where they still make traditional wooden fishing dhows. The Wadi Shab is a glorious natural oasis in the mountains.
What to BuyThe Muttrah Souk is a wonder; the covered market is just off the Corniche next to the harbour and has an incredible collection of Omani silver and amber and spices of the region. Pick up a necklace made of antique silver Thaler coins. I bought an enormous piece of amber with an insect inside for about £80. Bargaining is a must. Afterwards, stroll down to the harbour and admire the Sultan's 155m yacht Sunflower.
Eat and drink Try mashuai, a traditional Omani meal comprised of a whole spit-roasted kingfish, served with lemon rice. And drink the traditional Omani coffee mixed with cardamon powder, which comes with khawas (dates) at the end of every meal.
What to take to the desert A good hat and a scarf to cover your nose and mouth to prevent the sand getting into your mouth as you ride your camel. Duty-free booze if you want to have a snifter after dinner while looking at the stars. Take bug spray and wipes to get rid of the desert dust.
Book in advance The best way to get around Muscat is with a local guide. The Omanis are incredibly friendly and proud of their country and are always happy to answer any questions about local life.
Go with A nine-night tailor-made trip to Oman with Original Travel costs from £2,600 per person (twin-share basis), including transfers and seven nights' B&B at The Chedi Muscat in a deluxe room, plus a two-night desert safari (020 7978 7333; originaltravel.co.uk).
Visa The government recently changed its visa policy and will now issue one-month tourist visas upon entry
Currency £10 = 6 rials
Time difference +4 hrs
Flight time 7½ hrs