Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort Get Up Close and Personal With Understated Luxury

The mountains of Al Jabal Al Akhdar are very impressive at first glance, but the devil is in the details and the Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort that is one of the luxury collections of Anantara hotel chain in the Kingdom of Oman allows you to get up close and personal with these magnificent peaks. mylifestylenews writes.

Located at 2,000 metres above sea level, you truly get to experience something that cannot be compared, as nature has created something mystical and magical and once you scratch the surface you will be fascinated by the riches that will be revealed.

The mesmerizing canyon view will stun you and immediately love at first sight, then it becomes part of your background as they wrap around the resort and while you are standing high on top of the mountain.

Rocky mountains dominates the landscape around the resort, the natural sounds of silence in a mountain wilderness are hard to describe, as your whole being has to reorient the senses and shed the familiar that you have left behind in the metropolis. The ability to blend into the landscape is a big plus and Anantara group of hotels has created a stunning resort that clearly puts nature at the forefront of your vacation experience. So, we felt we were in heaven.

Sunrise at Diana's Point - the view from the Saiq Plateau was named after the late Princess Diana's visit in 1986.

An intimate arrival space provides muted light and shadows to counterbalance the secrets that lie beyond - brilliant blue sky and huge mountain vistas of peaks and deep valleys. The welcome was extremely warm and with the local Omani touch: fragrant local coffee and delicious dates – while the necessary details were swiftly taken care of and then it was off to our new temporary home in the mountains.

The resort is built to blend in with Omani heritage and architecture, luxurious elements and touches of the Omani culture which lend a tranquility that calms the atmosphere with its sophistication of luxury.

Uninterrupted view from the all day dining Al Maisan restaurant.

The atmosphere as you walk to your villa is breathtaking, with the views slowly unfolding and taking hold of your concentration. Our cliff top pool villa surpassed our expectations as it was revealed that villa 5 has the perfect view and on opening our entrance door we could instantly understand why.

We walked into the living room that was furnished in an elegant, but understated way, which allowed the reveal of the view through the adjacent mountain peaks to the valley below across our infinity villa pool and it is a spectacular view.

On further inspection, our villa had the perfect proportions: his and hers walk-in wardrobes was expected in such a thoughtful design, a large bathroom with his and hers vanities, with a large bath and rain shower chamber off to one side that had a private outdoor garden view. This would have to be one of the more elegant bathrooms we have encountered and the circular rain shower area was larger than expected.

The bedroom is similarly furnished very simply with the bed positioned to look out at the majestic mountain views over the infinity pool. The outdoor pool deck was all about the view and you just can’t stop staring out into the beyond – simply magic!

Outdoor balcony with complete privacy overlooking at the mountain

You will never get tired of this magnificent view from Villa 5

Food plays an important part of the resort stay, you will be spoiled in every outlet and never be short of choice nor varied tastes to enjoy as there are three outstanding restaurants and a tea room at Al Baha that serves superb pastries. A must-visit is the Al Buj Lounge, once a natural defence, prized for its lofty height as Al Jabal Al Akhdar was used as a fortress in the mid 20^th century when a warring faction sought refuge. The bar with stunning interior design taking the inspiration from Oman’s traditional forts with a Mococcan motif ambience as Al Burj means “The Tower” in Arabic.

For dinner, Al Qalaa is definitely the true essence of inventive fine dining with the local freshest produce used to inspire.

Afternoon tea is served at Al Baha cozy courtyard

Prior to building the existing super highway in recent years, the inhabitants of Al Jabal Al Akhdar lived in isolation and seldom left the mountain, as the only way in and out was via a donkey on rugged and precipitous paths.

Knowing this, you could picture that they had to survive in tough conditions, so the local architecture on the mountain is very traditional and the resort has structured a marvelous trek called the “Three Villages Walk” that is not to be missed during your stay with the Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar.

The guided tour is an easy walk through what was three deserted villages, but are now being re-used in parts. On this walk the mountain side unfolds before you with every step you take.

Terraced agriculture has created a mesmerizing vista, no matter which angle it is viewed from. Given how barren the mountains first appear, it is a pleasant surprise to see so much verdant nature, encompassing flowers, fruits and vegetables, as there has always been an abundant water source.

The local village architecture embraces the age-old tradition of mud brick construction which has withstood the best of time, as these old settlements have been populated for hundreds of years by hardy and self-reliant people.

A wadi can be found along the heritage villages walk

Sunset at the heritages villages

The locals believe that the mountain was once below the sea millions of years ago and one of the most astonishing parts of the walk is to discover a wealth of marine fossils that are visible on the surface of large rock slabs that you can study close up on the wall (this is as a result of the tectonic collision that created the mountain millions of years ago).

You may also want to challenge yourself by seeking some thrills and set a goal for your new year's resolution by participating in one of the resorts newest star activity highlights in the challenging and exhilarating zip lining experience that takes place on a sheer cliff face right in front of the resort. The satisfaction is brilliant after you have conquered the mountain with least expectation of how much hidden talent inside you has been let out.

Should such activities not interest you, you can spend hours soaking up the silence and the stunning mountain views in your own private pool villa or the main resort infinity swimming pool that is situated on the edge of the cliff.

Besides having the idea behind this Anantara Jabal Al Akhdar Resort is to reinforce connection to the Mother Earth and you can leave the world behind while you take time to embrace what the nature has give to us and the blessing to the magnificent mountain, a thoughtful touch is one of the peaceful philosophy that is found here.

Mesmerizing sunset at Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort

Capturing the magical sunset moment

A hotel or resort is only as good as its team that looks after the guests and we found so many that made a difference and grabbed our attention by exceeding our expectations. The hospitality and service also worth mentioning especially Thilina, our guide for the village walk and Hayman in the Leisure Centre were so amiable.

Awatef, the hostess in Al Qalaa with a standout personality as well as Osama who waited on our table was quite knowledge and spot on for us to experience the true Anantara hospitality that the resort management should treasure. And that is priceless!

Tried & Tested:

Location: 5/5

Design & Decor: 5/5

Service: 5/5

Food & Beverage: 5/5

Value For Money: 5/5

Experience: 5/5

Highlights:

Private Pool Villa

Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort

110, Al Jabal Al Akhdar,

Nizwa 621, Oman

Tel: +968 25 218 000

Reviews are based on actual day of visit and experience. mylifestylenews reserves the right of final decision in case of any disputes. All images are photographed by mylifestylenews team without any photoshop enhancement and are the property owned by mylifestylenews unless otherwise stated.