WARNING: it is about the Crowne Plaza SALALAH and not the Muscate one ( website does not recognize the city).
I take time-offered to provide congratulations on the Crowne Plaza Salalah in which I was able to live at a (too short) stay during a professional trip.
Located on a white sand beach and hidden behind a banana field (taxi driven mandatory to get there), this hotel is worth a look.
I will pass on the fact that it is a luxury hotel .I preferred it because it is a lot less crowded than the famous Hyatt located in Muscat, the main city of Oman.Of course, the pool is not so amazing than in the Hyatt (one of the reference in the country) but it has got more to offer and you could probably enjoy walking on the beach in the evening at sunset and getting multitude of colored shells coming ashore on the long beach of white sand, typical of the fauna of the Indian Ocean.
Many activities are offered to residents, but the relaxation is king and you will manage to organize your days as you wish (there is a small practicing golf, among other things)
Staff is in the early care (it’s a several star hotel) and you have the opportunity to make business meetings in special room dedicated to.
I would also encourage you to discover the Sultanate of Oman that is unfortunatly less known but very interesting to look at. It still kept the old school side that we could feel in the books of Winston Churchill and other Lawrence of Arabia .Modernization is timorous following the example of neighboring Emirates (but less huge!)and people are great.

On our tour of Omani forts, we were told that lunch had been arranged for us at the Falaj Daris Hotel. I wonder if anyone else had visions of sitting cross-legged on a carpet, helping ourselves to stew from a communal dish, using only flatbread and fingers?

However, the hotel is actually Westernised, but with a strong Arab ambience. We sat at tables, and used knives and forks. The ‘dining room’ was, on this early Spring day, actually around the outdoor swimming pool, and lunch was served buffet-style. But, there were waiters, too, who came around asking what we wanted to drink.

The buffet mostly contained dishes which most Europeans would recognise, and there were plenty of labels explaining what the unfamiliar stuff was. It was here, I got introduced to ‘Ummali’; a sort of sweet milk pudding.

Good food, relaxed atmosphere … I think, if I had more time to spend, I’d stay here.

A very nice Family who is also close friends of us introduced Captain Salim the other day as we were into Fishing in the Gulf of Oman. After the date is set and the price is fixed we met this warmhearted Omani Guy, who used to work at the Sultan Office, at the Private Dock of Muscat Harbor.

It was Salim, the Captain, 4 Adults and 1 Kid on the board and we paid for 6 h Trip (Deep Water & Surface Fishing til 0ver 80 M deep and Coral Reef Snorkeling) around 120 RO (240 €) all in ( Baits, Ice for cooling the Fish and soft drinks). You could also hire the whole boat for 200 RO with max of 10 Pax.

He did take care each of us kindly, patiently and also very entertaining, incl. SOS Medicine on board ;)

We got 31 Red Snappers and 1 Queen Fish - n around 20 of the Red Snappers are caught by my Bear who never been fishing before! A few weeks before my friends got some Baby Sharks and huge tunas!

His Services are as follow
-Sea Tours Organizer
-Dolphine Watching
-Sun Set
-Coral Reef Snorkeling
-Game Fishing
-Beach Camps
-Transfer Service

Photos from a Trip with Capt. Salim in November 2010, courtesy Mrs. Sebayang

Seeb International Airport, Muscat (MCT) is main n the only international airport in the Sultanate of Oman. Its named after the old Fisherman Village, which is only a few KM away from the Seeb Real Estates, 15 KM from residential localities and 30 KM from Old Muscat.

MCT airport is being expanded and modernized at the time being and it will be upgraded to 12 million-passenger capacity during the initial stage and subsequently to 48 million.

To me this rather old place is such a simple (n visitor friendly) airport where you feel safe, as Oman is ONE of the SAFEST COUNTRIES on the planet, and you wont get lost. ;)

The Airport Staffs and Custom are very polite, friendly. One thing Im not quite agreed is their increasing the Fee for Visa on Arrival to 20 RO (40 Eur).

Fyi, the Parking Area is the only total disaster here!

Sohar is a town on the Indian Oceans coast on the way to Muscat and is reputed to have been the birthplace of Sinbad

The fortress itself is well maintained and beautifully restored since the Portugese empire collapsed

Well worth the visit

Although I have not stayed here ,only been fed and watered ,the hotels are superb ......the resort is about to be increased by marina and villas to purchase !!

Fantastic Mosque of truly Grand proportions.... A definite must

A true Grand-Hotel in the heart of the capital of Oman. Prices are of course very high. 300 Euro for a room is nearly a bargain. But the Grand Hyatt Muscat offers any possible luxury, a fantastic breakfast buffet, generous rooms. We were lucky enough to get a great suite with fantastic seaview, the great rooms start with the category "Grand Seaview Room". After a dusty trip through the country you may relax marvellously here. Delve down into the world of 1001 nights. But it's also obvious: this artificial luxury world has nothing in common with the rest of Oman. Here may feel like a sultan in the hotel.

Simply a stunning and breathtaking hotel. There are strong arabic design influences on the entrance hall with large chandelliers, large carpets and a sunken sofa. The piano bar is fabulous place to sit and enjoy some music and soak up the atmosphere. There is a fabulous fountain pond thing that runs straight down to the sea and all the rooms are low rise off from this with a private beach. We did not stay here but merely met friends at the bar, had a meal and enjoyed a fun evening sipping cocktails and champagne. Quite a formal atmosphere and service and can be very sophisticated. 6 star quality hotel and the private dining rooms are stunning all individually decorated. Food was western influenced and to a very high standard.

This stunning Wadi (a series of waterfalls, caves and freshwater pools pouring out of the desert) is one of the most beautiful places on earth.

I was taken up there by friends who live in the country, but the best way to see this magnificent natural phenomenon is by hiring a local guide. The young men who do this are very respectful, and usually speak great English. Your hotel may have locals on their books who can take you there.

One tip when heading up here is to take a s little as possible. If you want to see the most rewarding part of the treck, you will have to be completely submerged at one point of your journey, so loose comfortable clothing and unfortunately for those who have not been there, no camera!

Disappointingly, last time I visited Wadi Shab the evidence of the growing tourism industry was glaringly evident. Large parties of German and American tourists were being guided up in full walking gear with camcorders, backpacks, the lot. Not only were they being screwed over by their tour operators (petrol is only a few pence per litre and they would abviously be unable to see the best bits) but they were leaving litter all around the picninc area at the bottom of the Wadi.

My top tip - visit Oman in the very near future, and contact the Omani Tourist Board to tell them that these kind of trips need to be regulated, NOW.