Celebrate good t It’s time to start planning for the festive season. And we’re here to help, with our guide to Eid, Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Oman
eid speciaLs grand hYatt muscat If you can’t wait until the Christmas season (you old romantic, you), then celebrate Eid Al Adha at the Grand Hyatt Muscat. Book a Grand Room for only RO75, a Club Room for RO100 or a Grand Suite for RO125, for two people including breakfast at Mokha Café. Then you’re sure to be in for a treat come Christmas time. A minimum twonight stay applies. Valid for GCC residents only. Please quote EID09 when booking. Valid November 22 to December 5. Grand Hyatt, Muscat. Tel: (+968) 24641234
the chedi
The Chedi Muscat is offering Eid packages starting at RO115 per person, which includes two nights accommodation, breakfast for two at The Restaurant and one dinner for two up to the value of RO25. Plus, on top of this, guests can enjoy 30 per cent off a spa treatment. Valid November 25 to December 5. The Chedi, Muscat. Tel: (+986) 24524400
Grand Hyatt Muscat
The Chedi
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EID, CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR
d times christmas famiLY Outings turning On the Lights Nothing screams Christmas like an explosion of glittering lights and the glorious warbling of carol singers. If you want to take the family to see the festive season truly begin then you must be there when the lights go on. Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Muscat will be holding an evening of twinkly lights, festive songs and general Christmassy merriment, December 17. A great evening for parents, children and all those who love a good sing-a-long. Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Muscat. Tel: (+968) 24776666
Dhow trip
it’s a date
Want something a little more candle-lit rather than star-lit? Try the Palm Grove Beachside Restaurant at The Hilton Salalah. It sits on the edge of the Indian Ocean and offers some of the finest seafood in Oman. Attracting locals and tourists alike, it’s one of the finest restaurants in the region, where a romantic evening can be finished off back at the hotel sharing a shisha and some Arabian chai. Palm Grove Restaurant, Hilton Salalah, Salalah. Tel: (+968) 23211234
take it easY
If you want something a little more traditional then check out Radisson Blu’s Christmas choir, who will be performing all the old favourites and a selection of lively medleys on December 24 in the hotel lobby and on December 25 in Olivos (during the Christmas bubbly lunch). Radisson Blu Hotel, Muscat. Tel: (+968) 24487777
If you’d rather chill out with your loved one and avoid the hectic Christmas rush then treat yourselves to a stay at Al Nahda Resort & Spa. It offers to send you on the road to a fitter, healthier and more balanced lifestyle. What better way to start the New Year? They aim to help you get fitter, manage your weight, check your aura and chakra balance, learn yoga, meditation or a new sport. But of course if you wish to indulge in copious amounts of Christmas cake instead, then they can help you with that, too. Al Nahda Resort & Spa, Barka. Tel: (+968) 2688371
cOupLing up secLuded chaLet
friends bubbLY Lunch
a gOOd OL’ sing sOng
For something a little different check out SAMA Tourism Villages – specifically SAMA Al Wasil – which offers one and two bedroom en suite chalets where you can relax and have those quiet Christmas moments alone with your loved one. Alternatively, enquire about their rock climbing, trekking, mountain biking and diving opportunities and have an active Christmas time. Sama Al Wasil, Wahiba Sands. Tel: (+968) 25586036
Start how you mean to go on – with some celebratory bubbly at Olivos on Christmas Day. A lunchtime soirée will set you up nicely for an evening of friendly festive fun. Spoil yourselves with the tempting treats on the buffet tables presented with all the traditional trimmings, including stuffed roast turkey and chestnut purée, topped off with molten Christmas chocolate cake. A snip at just RO37. Radisson Blu Hotel, Muscat. Tel: (+968) 24487777
dhOw and Out in the musandam The greatest of all Christmas trips has to be organising a bunch of your buddies, heading up to the Musandam and spending a day cruising around on a dhow boat. Dolphin spotting, snorkelling and diving will make it a Christmas to remember. Pack all your own your own grub and celebrating on board in traditional style. Paddling and puds may be an odd combination but Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas if you don’t have a few stories to tell once it’s finished. Khasab Travel and Tours, Khasab. Tel: (+968) 26730464
whaLes and dOLphins
Arrange these trips through the Crowne Plaza or Hilton Salalah, who will take you on a journey to spot dolphins and whales. Tours leave from both Salalah Port and Mirbat Harbour. Crowne Plaza, Salalah. Tel: (+968) 23235333 Hilton Salalah, Salalah. Tel: (+968) 23211234
priVate partY
If you fancy an ‘out of the hotel’ experience this Christmas, then organising a private Christmas party for you and your friends is definitely the way to go. And if you want to make it one to remember, then you have to do something worth remembering. Holiday in Oman can put together a variety of packages to suit almost any need. Be it a corporate day or a festive jolly for you and your mates. Options include: Christmas and New Year trekking trips, learn to climb weekends, canoeing, abseiling, camping… You name it, they seem to have it. Give them a call and tell them what you have in mind; they can put together packages to suit almost any need Holiday In Oman, RO500, Tel: (+968) 24485663 AUTUMN/WINTER WHAT’S ON 15
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Our pick of the Christmas dining Shangri-La On both Christmas Eve and Christmas day you can enjoy a buffet dinner at Al Tanoor or Samba and even take the gorging into the evening at Bait Al Bahr, Capri Court, Sultanah or Shahrazad. The evening dinners all have set menus so even the most serious of foodies should be happy. Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Muscat. Tel: (+968) 24776666
Al Nahda Resort AND Spa
Enjoy lavish dinner buffets from December 14 to December 30, with themed entertainment during these weeks. This includes a beer festival on the lawns, wine and cheese noontime events and a salsa troupe that will be performing into the evening at Al-Waha bar and lounge. Contact them as timings may vary over the festive season. Al Nahda Resort & Spa, Barka. Tel: (+968) 26883710
New Year's EVE The final countdown
Want to count down to the New Year together? Then combine it with a stay in the Shangri La Muscat, where you can enjoy a New Year’s Eve dinner in various dining outlets across the hotel. Afterwards hotel guests can head to a private countdown party. More sophisticated and refined than the rowdy parties you may be used to, and certainly more romantic. Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Muscat. Tel: (+968) 24776666
Party time
Party 2009 away under the stars with resident Radisson Blu band The Lighter Side and toast 2010 with tribute to the biggest pop star in the history of music – Michael Jackson. Tables are available to book now for this spectacular, sparkling New Year party, which will be held in the hotel’s intimate pool gardens with a dedicated waiter service at each and every table. You’ll also get to enjoy a three-course dinner and free flowing beverages. The price? RO57. Alternatively, resident DJ Prince will be playing a set of his very best electro in The Cellar Bar. Head here if all you want is a good old-fashioned New Year’s boogie. Just RO15. Radisson Blu Hotel, Muscat. Tel: (+968) 24487777
Zighy Bay
New Year’s dining The Chedi One of the finest hotels in Oman, so where better to munch down on New Year’s Eve than at their special Gala Dinner. At just RO95 per person, it’s guaranteed to be a feast remembered well into next year. Afterwards make your way to The Chedi Club Lounge to see in the New Year in style. The Chedi, Muscat. Tel: (+968) 245 24400
Olivos
Olivos coffee shop is offering an unrivalled monster buffet with an endless variety of delicious dishes guaranteed to satisfy your hunger for the year to come. Perfect after that wild night out. Get your blurry vision back on track with a selection of cuisines from around the world, then mess it up again with unlimited bubbly from noon to 3pm. Enjoying this lavish brunch in one New Year’s resolution that shouldn’t be hard to keep. A meagre RO37. Radisson Blu Hotel, Muscat. Tel: (+968) 24487777
Couples
If you want to avoid the chaos of New Year then spend some time in Six Senses Spa in Dibba. Here you can ring in the New Year peacefully and harmoniously. Guests have the choice of three arrival experiences – a scenic fifteen-minute speedboat trip, a winding drive down from the hilltop overlooking the bay or travel as a companion passenger with the Six Senses Hideaway’s professional paraglide. Located on a headland on the northern Musandam Peninsula in the Sultanate of Oman, it makes a perfect spot to forget everything at New Year and just concentrate on each other. Six Senses Spa, Zighy Bay, Musandam Peninsula. Tel: (+968) 26735888
Overnight dhow and beach cruise
If you want to avoid the crowds but still want something special then try an overnight dhow and beach cruise. Perfect if you want to pack your own necessities and spend the night with your nearest and dearest in wild seclusion. RO400 for a couple. Holiday In Oman. Tel: (+968) 24485663
Friends
Feeling a little lively? For a New Year with a bang head to Al Nahda Resort & Spa who will be having a ‘grand’ New Year’s Eve Party and celebration. They promise to have a very well reputed and famous European artist performing live on the lawns. Tickets will be priced and sold as a package including dinner. Drinks will be sold separately. Al Nahda Resort & Spa, Barka, from 9.30pm. (+968) 26883710. www.alnahdaresort.com
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