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LATEST Pictures clockwise from top: Al Bustan Palace resort; Dunes by Al Nahda desert camp; Muscat International Airport; Royal Opera House, Muscat; Bimmah sinkhole; the view down to Muscat’s old harbour
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man’s star is on the rise and it’s fast-becoming a hot winter sun destination as new hotels open up, transport links improve and the country expands its range of tourist attractions.
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Top tip The two-millionyear-old Al Hoota cave complex now features an enhanced experience including Oman’s first electric train, delivering visitors to the cave entrance.
The main gateway to Oman, Muscat’s brand new international airport opened in 2018 providing a further boost to the country’s thriving travel sector. With a much larger capacity than the previous terminal, the new airport can handle up to 12 million passengers a year, with a runway and two gates designed to accommodate superjumbo Airbus A380s, the world’s largest aircrafts. It comes at the ideal time for flag carrier Oman Air, as it steps up its international flights from its Muscat base. Among its international routes, the airline now has twice-daily direct flights between Muscat and London Heathrow operated using its Dreamliner jets, and daily flights from Manchester. British Airways also runs daily flights from Heathrow to Muscat during the winter season from October to March.
The shiny new glass and marble Art Decostyle terminal commissioned by Sultan Qaboos features traditional mashrabiya designs, contact stands and air-bridges negating the need for buses from gates to planes. World-class facilities include 96 check-in counters, 8,000 parking spaces, a 90-room airside hotel and 6,000 square metres of duty-free shopping.
STAY From dune camps and mountain hideaways to Arabian palaces and classic beach resorts, Oman boasts some of the best places in the Middle East to rest your head, and its collection of great mid-range and luxury hotels is growing year-on-year. Adding to a handful of luxury hotels in and around Muscat, Jumeirah Muscat Bay is a modern arabesque resort offering a new place to stay on Bandah Jissah Beach, while the Kempinski Hotel Muscat Oman close to the popular Wave development has cemented the city’s five-star offering. One of the city’s best-loved luxury beach hotels, Al Bustan Palace reopened in 2019
Muscat’s brand new international airport opened in 2018 providing a further boost to the country’s thriving travel sector Beauty Has An Address | experienceoman.om
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28/08/2019 13:33