Jebel Shams Resort – one night at an altitude of 2000 meters
The road is steep and slowly winds its way higher and higher into the Jebel Akhdar mountains. Our destination for the day is the Jebel Shams Resort, where we will spend the night.
The highest mountain in the range is the Jebel Shams (Sun Mountain) at over 3000 meters. The 3-star resort is located at an altitude of around 2000 meters. From Nizwa, the driver takes us in a four-wheel drive vehicle in the direction of Al Hamra. We will make a stop there on the return journey, but now we are drawn further up the well-maintained road into the mountain range. The mighty mountain massif rises up around us and every now and then I spot a goat on the side of the road.
Then the road changes. For about 10 kilometers, we drive along a steep gravel road. I am reassured that we are in a well-motorized four-wheel drive vehicle. Driving up here in a small rental car is possible, but certainly not as easy and relaxed. The road only improves again shortly before we arrive at a viewpoint in the Wadi Nakhr. Wadi Nakhr is often referred to as the “Grand Canyon” of Oman and the viewpoint is only a few meters away from our accommodation for the night.
Welcome to the Jebel Shams Resort
First, as with every check-in, we went to the resort reception. This is rather small and inconspicuous and is located in one of the buildings right at the entrance. The reception was very friendly and we were quickly able to move into our sunset chalet. The car can be parked on the resort grounds, in our case almost directly in front of the room door.
The resort offers a total of 34 rooms in small bungalows. There are different categories, which differ in terms of facilities, location and, of course, price: Mountain Lodge, Twin Room with Mountain View, Private Detached Chalet, Sunset Chalet.
Sunset Chalet
The Sunset Chalets are located on the edge of the resort. They are small “terraced houses”. Each chalet has its own entrance and its own small terrace with sunshade and table. The mountains stretch out behind the chalet. You can walk a few steps over scree until you reach a protective fence. Behind it, the terrain becomes unclear, there are steep rocky edges and the panorama is incredible.
In the evening, the chalet lives up to its name. Sitting on the terrace, we enjoy a beautiful sunset. Despite a slight haze, the sun turned into a big red ball, the sky turned reddish and the mountains around us shone almost golden. Beautiful, unforgettable, indescribable!
After enjoying the sunset, it was time to take a closer look at our accommodation.
The chalet is around 28 m² in size and has a bathroom and a combined living room/bedroom. The bathroom is equipped with a shower, hairdryer and a few toiletries and has a fairly simple design. My choice of color would not have been the dark tiles, they made the room look small and dark. The water in the shower was wonderfully warm!
There were two separate beds with very hard mattresses in the chalet. We had an excellent night’s sleep. The facilities also included coffee and tea making facilities and a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, as well as air conditioning and a very loud fan heater for cold days.
On the internet, we found quite different information about WiFi in advance. When we stayed at the resort, we were able to use free WiFi, but it only worked in reception and the restaurant. It wasn’t very fast, but was perfectly adequate for checking emails and accessing websites.
Overall, the room was good for one night. It is quite simply furnished and could definitely be a bit more modern, but for us the resort scores points for its incomparable location.
Restaurant at the Jebel Shams Resort
The resort’s restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
On our day of arrival, we were able to have dinner in the restaurant from 7.00 pm. There was a buffet with Indian and Arabic dishes. Patrick really enjoyed the food. I had stomach problems all day and preferred to stick to pasta and some bread, so I can’t really say anything about the food.
I also only ate a little of the really good-looking breakfast buffet the next morning. But there were good freshly prepared omelettes, for example, as well as fruit and vegetables. It was actually the perfect buffet for my breakfast needs.
What else is there …
What would accommodation in Oman be without a pool! The Jebel Shams Resort has a pool with a few sun loungers. There was a snack bar nearby that served cakes and coffee.
Hiking trails into the mountains start close to the resort.
Our tip: The sky is often clear in the mountains and the stars sparkle wonderfully. Ideal for taking photos!
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