A SUMMER ESCAPE AT ANANTARA JABAL AKHDAR RESORT, OMAN – ladies who online

If you’re seeking a place to escape the summer heat in Dubai that is not too far, Jabal Akhdar might be the place for you! You might think the weather in Oman is like here in the UAE. It might feel similar in some areas, but Jabal Akhdar is a different story. Jabal Akhdar (Green Mountain), which is part of Hajar mountain range, is at 2000 meters above sea level. It’s 15 degrees cooler than Muscat and Dubai, and for this reason, it’s an excellent place to visit even during summer. It’s an extraordinary place to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, and an ideal place to unwind and relax in a serene environment.

Jabal Akhdar

It’s only about an hour flight from Dubai to Muscat, and less than two hours drive from Muscat International Airport to Jabal Akhdar. You can either get a hotel transfer (costly though) or rent a car (4 x 4 is a must as per government regulation) at the airport as it’s more budget friendly and convenient, should you wish to move around.

Driving from UAE to Jabal Akhdar (a more inexpensive option) will take around 5 hours. If you think about it, it’s pretty much the same if you’re taking a flight considering you have to be at the airport 2 hours before. If you’re not comfortable driving up and around steep hills, or it’s your first time doing so, it might be better to use a driver for the 30-minute drive up the mountain.

My Big Guy and I travelled via plane and hired a car when we went to Jabal Akhdar. He was already in Muscat for business, so he didn’t have to pay for his ticket. But I got mine using Sindbad miles from Oman Air, so I only paid the tax, which was OMR 27. I checked the cost of a hotel transfer from the airport, and it was an eye-watering OMR 165+++ for a round trip transfer. Since google map is there to the rescue, we rented a Toyota Rav4 for OMR 25 per day. As we were there for two nights and three days, we only paid OMR 50 for the vehicle as it already included the petrol for OMR 20. The total was barely half the cost of the hotel transfer.

My Big Guy booked a one bedroom deluxe garden pool villa in Anantara Jabal Akhdar Resort as he found a “Beat the Heat” exclusive saving for Oman and GCC residents. We paid OMR 357 for two nights and a half board (includes buffet breakfast and complimentary buffet dinner for two) including all the taxes – a saving of up to 30% off the best flexible rate. You might think it’s still expensive. But for a luxury five-star hotel perched 2,000 meters above sea level in the Hajar Mountains, whilst overlooking picturesque canyon rims from every viewpoint and every angle, was worth every penny. We stayed there around June, which coincided with Ramadan, so it’s more than likely that the price we paid was lower compared to the other times of the year.

Anantara Jabal Akhdar Resort

The one bedroom deluxe garden pool villa comes with a garage just outside the villa that can be accessed from the garden (a plus since we had a car). Okay, there’s no view, but having a bigger space, with an outdoor area and private pool is what we preferred. There were different accommodations to choose from. Either you get a room with a view, a garden pool villa or the cliff pool villa. The room option is entirely up to your preference and budget.

Our villa was spacious inside and outside. It has a traditional Omani interior, separate living room, bedroom, walk-in closet and a spa-like bathroom with Amouage toiletries, bath salt and soap menu. The garden also has a good-sized pool, two sun beds, outdoor lounge, dining table and chairs. A yoga mat is available in the room too, in case you wanted to practice on your own. 

The resort is massive, and there are activities in the hotel that kept us busy during our stay. The hotel also has a gym, tennis court, bicycle rental (first hour for free) and other paid activities like yoga, rock-climbing, archery, village trail hike, and so on. The cost of the paid activities is quite expensive, but thankfully we received a 20% discount voucher from our villa host that helped to lower the price. We also did a yoga class on Diana’s Peak one morning (OMR 15 per person but paid OMR 12); rode a bicycle outside the resort (free) and did the via ferrata rock wall climbing with a zip line across the canyon (OMR 80 per couple but paid OMR 64) on our last day. I almost backed out of the via ferrata because of my fear of heights, but I’m so glad I didn’t. It’s not as terrifying as I thought it would be. It helped that our instructor was excellent. It was such an astonishing and exhilarating experience.

The infinity pool and Diana’s peak of the hotel offer picturesque views of the canyon – a must-see place for capturing amazing photos.

The service and hospitality in this hotel are undoubtedly five stars. The buffet dinner has good options, and the dishes changed the two nights we were there.

Finally, upon check out, we were given personalized souvenirs. What an impressive way to say goodbye! These small gestures made our stay even more memorable!

Disclaimer: All content provided on this blog is true during the time of stay and is for informational purposes only. Hence, it’s highly advisable to contact Anantara Jabal Akhdar Resort directly for further information about their updated rates and offers.