Hotel Al Nahda Resort and Spa

The hotel is located in the heart of Barka's tropical garden, an hour's drive from the capital, Muscat, whose location in the interior of the country makes it a perfect place to visit. Seeb International Airport is about 22 mi away, and the transfer should take around 30 minutes.

An electric car is used to move around the vast 75-acre area of vegetation, a real oasis in the middle of a desert. Health addicts can make the most of the high quality spa, which offers 60 different treatments in 22 massage rooms. There is also a meditation room given over to yoga. More athletic guests can choose between the tennis courts and a 24-hour fitness room equipped with the most up-to-date facilities and the assistance of a personal trainer.

Opened in November 2006, the Al Nahda has 109 rooms scattered over a vast tropical garden covering 31 acres, where many mango trees grow. The lobby, though small, has a beautiful fountain. The lagoon pool, 7 feet deep, is set in charming surroundings among waterfalls and rocks. The surrounding solarium, of Olympian calm, has cushioned deck chairs, palm leaf parasols and showers. Towels are available on the spot, free of charge. A little further into the tropical garden, a large rock adds to the atmosphere of naturalism.

The rooms are very spacious (720 sq ft), original and well decorated. They are tiled, and have a king sized bed, armchair, sofa, coffee table and converted terrace. They are provided with all the most modern facilities: discreet individual air conditioning and fan, satellite television, an electronic safe, a mini-bar, tea and coffee-making facilities, a telephone, an ironing board and an iron. The bathroom is clean and attractively decorated, with a bath and flexible shower, toilet, a magnifying mirror, hair-dryer, bathrobes, slippers, a set of scales, tissues and hospitality products.

The Al Nahda has three restaurants: the main buffet restaurant and two "a la carte" restaurants serving Arabic and Asian specialities. The Khalab buffet restaurant, with a capacity for 140 guests, is open 24 hours a day.