Al Saqla is a relatively new, and certainly unspoiled tourist destination on the coastal road between Sur and Duqm, a leisurely forty-minute drive south of the seaside town of Al Ashqarah. Blink and you’ll miss it! But miss it, and you miss out on what we found was an absolute ‘pearl’ of a holiday destination.
Established on a small rocky peninsula jutting out from mile upon mile of beautiful sandy beaches spreading as far as the eye can see to the north and south, it was established by the young locally-born tourism entrepreneur, Mubarak al Mukhaibi, in 2016.
A graduate in Hotel Management from Sultan Qaboos University in 2009, his graduate project outlined his vision for Omani tourism, with its emphasis on the local culture, traditions, and a clear recognition that tourists to the Sultanate are looking for something unique and different. “Even then, I already knew where, and what I wanted,” he told the Observer recently, “as I was born and still live only a few hundred metres from the location of the resort.”
“I consulted with everyone locally, from my family and friends, to fishermen,” he said, “I spoke with our elders, young people, people on bikes, motor-bikes, and in cars, trucks and buses. I spoke to shopkeepers, labourers, and people from hundreds of countries around the world, asking what they thought would ‘work’ here as a tourism destination, and every night I would sit and ‘doodle’ on my notepad, drawing pictures of my ‘resort-to-be. Then, as the reality drew closer to actual ‘bricks and mortar,’ I consulted the appropriate ministries, and we were fully prepared.”
In 2013, the ‘grand design’ began with a decent sized workforce, and he used a three-layered construction method that reflected the style and construction methods of times gone past, and though it took much longer than expected, with the various demands of the construction, Al Mukhaibi eventually opened his 2018 Arabian Gulf Tourism Award winning, Al Saqla Resort in 2016.
He commented, “Though the building process achieved the objective of being cool in the summer, warm in the winter, and extremely quiet so that nature could work its magic on the tourists, I can safely concede now that I am much wiser for the experience and should have learned to crawl before I walked. But,” he laughed, “that’s just youthful impetuosity, isn’t it?” Be that as it may, the resort itself is a building of permanent stone construction that will never be moved and provides accommodation options of studios and suites to suit all travellers, and Al Mukhaibi is currently planning further units due to increasing demand.
However, it’s the rocks, rock pools, the sea and sand that are the true stars of the show as they say. The beaches stretch leisurely away from the resort for miles, with just occasional little outcrops of rock that are home to huge oysters, scallops the size of dinner plates, conch and other seashells, crabs and lobsters. It’s a genuine nature enthusiasts paradise, as crabs scuttle from place to place, and little fish dart from the rock pools before the receding tide traps them. The sand between your toes is incredibly deep. In fact, it’s probably the most luxurious sand ever! It tickles the soles of your feet, then ‘oozes’ between your toes and embraces your whole foot in a soothing, almost massaging manner. You could get addicted to it you know!
The large rocky outcrop upon which the resort is built is paradise for fishermen, and the locals dragged in good catches of little mullet type fish, while we watched on. It looked like they were having fun, and it seemed quite something to stand on those rocks, occasionally splashed by a playful sea, catching those little fish.
The reward for an early morning walk is the sight of turtles, schools of fish, and dolphins which are regularly sighted very close to the shore. Windsurfers make the most of the prevailing light winds and settled seas during September and October, while June, July and August see a local phenomenon occur as the confluence of temperature, wind and sea conditions agitating dissolved organic matter, as algal blooms result in a ‘spume,’ or ‘sea foam’ which has long been traditionally accepted as a form of therapy, or health treatment.
Labelling Al Saqla isn’t difficult. It’s a truly natural, organic tourism experience. At a time when much of the tourist emphasis appears to be on the luxury alternatives, do the ‘barefoot’ thing, enjoy nature and experience this beautiful coastline as others have for centuries, as nature should be embraced.
Photos by Lena Peterse
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