We went south from Muscat to have lunch with friends from Riyadh who were staying at Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa. The resort comprises three hotels: a luxurious one, a business one and one for families.

This is the beach at the Al Waha Hotel, where our friends stayed. They said had spent just about all of their time in the very warm water. They only got in to the souk in Muscat and missed the Grand Mosque. People have different expectations for vacations, but I simply can’t imagine going to a country like this and not seeing some of it.

The complex is a bit of a drive from Muscat and I think is perfect for people who want to spend all their time there in the pool and on the beach and not do much sightseeing. That isn’t us (no pictures, eek!), so I’m quite pleased we stayed at the Al Bustan Palace instead!

Another picture posted today of the Al Waha lobby: