Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Fall 2013 - (Page 102)

outdoors Climbing and trekking are amazing experiences in Oman thanks to the Sultanate’s unusual landscape, yet there are many other ways in which to take in the country’s natural attractions. Off-roading A 4x4 will get you to most places in Oman. You can explore the endless rolling sand dunes of Wahiba Sands, off-road through the Hajar Mountains, enjoy the sunset from Jebel Shams, the “Mountain of the Sun,” the highest peak in the Arabian Peninsula. Dune bashing is one of the major attractions here; you have not been to Oman until you’ve explored Wahiba Sands. Kayaking Take a fun guided kayak tour from Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel to the nearby village and learn how dhows — traditional vessels — are made. Fishing Tour the best places for fishing on the coastline of Muscat. Local guides can help to make your fishing trip successful. If you have never been fishing before, book a lesson with a real fisherman. MohaMMed al Saudi ConCierge Al BustAn PAlACe, A ritz-CArlton Hotel 102 w w w. r i t z c a r lt o n . c o m Before we ascend, we come across a lone hawksbill turtle nestled among the leathery fronds of a carpet of soft coral. We had earlier seen two large green turtles pop their heads up for air as we traveled between dive sites, but the hawksbill is a rarer prize. Classified as “critically endangered” — on the brink of extinction worldwide — it is increasingly difficult to find underwater. So I am astounded when two more appear from behind a large rock. I signal to another diver in our group, Nabil, an Omani engineer, that I am going to edge carefully closer as the first turtle appears willing to pose for photographs. In fact, all three, it seemed, were comfortable with their new guests, and we spent the rest of our dive following their graceful movements as they casually circled us. Nabil later told me that encounters with sea turtles are not uncommon here — the Sultanate hosts some of the largest remaining populations in the world. There are still no other dive boats in view when Zachariah welcomes us back on board with his signature smile, and I realize we could have chosen just about any point, bay, cove or island and been alone all weekend. “I want to show you something,” Zachariah says, grinning, and he hauls anchor and heads seaward, squinting toward the horizon in the afternoon sun. His keen fisherman’s eyes have picked out a pair of 12-meter-long Bryde’s whales. We learn that even some of the whales in Oman are unique to the Arabian region, choosing to remain here year-round rather than migrating, as whales do in most other parts of the world. “There are many more further south,” Zachariah says, “and many, many unexplored dive sites, so remote that only the local fishermen know about them.” I believe him. In a single day, less than half an hour from Oman’s capital city, we have encountered whales, turtles and a diversity of reef fish unlike any I have seen anywhere else on the planet. But my curiosity has only been stoked, not satisfied. I am already eager to return. On our trip back, cruising over the sea at sunset, I see the Al Bustan Palace and the jagged mountains that form its breathtaking backdrop. The hotel sits above two traditional fishing villages nestled in coves on each side. It is in one of these villages that Zachariah and his brothers — there are two others who work at the hotel, I later discover — grew up, he proudly tells me. One of the perks of a diving holiday is that one cannot fly immediately after diving, so there is inevitably a day to relax at the end of the adventure. As I wander through the rows of date palms in the hotel gardens, I realize that there is nowhere better to spend a gap day. But the lure of the sea is strong (as is the sun) and by late afternoon I find myself snorkeling the shallows off the hotel beach. Even here the marine life is spectacular. Finally, though, it is time to leave and we dry off, pack up and prepare to face the world again. A waft of incense drifts past me as I walk through the hotel lobby to our waiting car and our journey home. “Come again,” the doorman says, beaming. I would recognize that smile anywhere. Far leFt: Ward Schumaker deeP BRe aT h From left: streaked rabbitfish hover in the clear waters above the Al Munasir wreck; the writer ’s wife, Annabelle, walks along the pristine shoreline of the Al Bustan Palace, a ritz-Carlton Hotel in Muscat. Exploring oman’s natural sidE http://WWW.RITZCARLTON.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Fall 2013

Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Fall 2013
Contents
Contributors
Editor’s Letter
President’s Letter
Falling in Love With ... Barcelona
Design
Shopping
Beauty
Gifts
Jewelry
Watches
Behind the Scenes
Family
Local Knowledge
Outdoors
As It Was
Culinary
Let Us Stay With You
Heritage

Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Fall 2013