“Travelling Again?” my mother says to me on Skype (we speak pretty much every day – not sure if that makes me an incredibly sweet daughter or a rather needy adult who needs to take a lesson in separation).

“Well yeah,” I say, “Who wouldn’t want to see and experience as much as we can, while we can?!”.

It’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned since starting my own business; that for me, having the freedom of my own time is completely irreplaceable. I don’t say that so I lose 70% of you lovely readers as I’m declaring “how wonderful it is to holiday all year round” (and that would be one huge fib, very far removed from the truth!) but to inspire the few who may need the extra push that if it’s something you want to do – to go out on your own – go out there and get it! To put things in perspective, 3 years ago I was commuting to London every day for my real estate job, and not doing very well at it either!

Anyway, enough pre-holiday talk … time for some sunshine!

Following my visit to The Chedi Andermatt in March time, I very quickly became a self-confessed Chedi adorer with the aim to visit as many Chedi’s as I could by the end of the year. Bali is next on the list.

The style, the atmosphere, the quality and uniqueness of the hotels was not quite like anything I had seen before so when the time freed up for J and I to take a trip to Oman – The Chedi Muscat was the first point of call!

We decided to drive from Dubai – a somewhat gruelling 5 hour journey but once you get going with epic snacks on hand, it kinda flies by! We were due to leave super early but I had a last minute shoot which meant we didn’t actually arrive in Oman till early evening. Tip: For those driving from Dubai and crossing Oman border, make sure to have a letter from the bank stating the car is eligible to leave the country even IF it’s fully owned by you. We nearly got sent back another 2 hour route.

We arrived in the Chedi club suite which is a stunningly spacious room with the most insane marble bath tub I’ve ever seen.

You could totally fit a party of 5 in there, if that’s your thing. (Not recommended, of course).

The rooms are somewhat understated which brings out the elegance in the detail. It also comes fully equipped with snacks and night caps of your choosing which is a rather unexpected and welcomed touch.

Our first of the two nights was spent at The Long Pool restaurant, literally the longest pool in the region – it’s quite spectacular, and serves mainly Japanese cuisine in the evening. I highly recommend the seared salmon sashimi and duck orange teriyaki. A few of the raw starter dishes lack depth of flavour but the portion sizes are ample which is a nice plus!

DAY 2

Breakfast is in the main restaurant, “The Restaurant” which is one of the most peaceful morning meals I’ve had in a long time. Singing birds and swaying palm trees make for the perfect backdrop.

J got stuck into his Coco Pops (We don’t have cereal at home so he goes full pelt when the opportunity arises!) and I opted for a classic eggs royale with the compulsory side of holiday waffles!

After being blown away by the beauty of The Long Pool for dinner the night before, we decided to reside there for the day, passing the others as we wondered through the grounds.

The impression I got from my short stay was that the Serai pool is more suited to families with children, The Chedi pool is super tranquil and where you’re most likely to have lunch, it also has lots of shade to get out the heat of the sun, and then the Long Pool is the most serene out of all of them – but shade is hard to come by.

A beautiful view of our suite on the left hand side overlooking the grass and beach.

(Chedi pool).

And our stunning location for the day! I was tempted to go for a midday gym session but decided it was high time for a bottle of rose, switch off and afternoon pampering!

Lunch at The Chedi pool can be a super healthy quinoa salad or full blown beef burger and fries. We had two days so we tried both! It’s a nice selection and peaceful backdrop overlooking the sea. Worth noting service also does’t disappoint, the staff are incredibly friendly and eager to help where they can.

I took to the spa for a 5pm massage treatment whilst J rustled up the energy for a weights session. I was very happy in my robes and slippers for a change! The treatment made me realise something else and that was we left something off our wedding list – a set of those sheets! I’m not sure what silk they were made from but my word, nothing softer has ever touched my skin!

A cup of peppermint tea, dates and almonds and I was ready to join the hubby for a glass (or three) of pink champers and a sunset walk for our last evening.

That Restaurant, Though.

This deserves a whole little section to itself! The Japanese food the first night was good, but the food at The Beach restaurant was something else, and that’s without including the atmospheric, open fire lit view over the sea.

The menu is a creative collection of seafood inspired dishes served either outside on the beautiful beach decking or inside the restaurant still capturing the sea breeze.

There is a tasting menu available but we went for a la carte, following their suggestion of an appetiser, followed by first and second course.

Below is the chefs choice of goats cheese profiteroles and salmon tartare on parmesan crisp.

We then had a selection of fresh oysters, creamy lobster bisque and seared scallops, followed by seafood tagliatelle and a truffle and cheese fondant. We had room for more, before you ask! I can’t fault any of the dishes that we were served that evening, except possibly more truffle in the fondant, but that’s to be  expected from any truffle fan! All of the choices were exquisitely cooked and delivered on intense flavour.

For main course, a porcini-crusted tuna loin for me and pan-fried sea bass for J with a perfectly crispy skin. The food is fresh and the chef is clearly confident enough in his skills and palette to not feel the need to clutter the plate with ingredients that don’t belong.

Day 3 – Leaving Day 

We woke up early, mainly because I think my body was excited for round two of waffles, but did head to the gym a few hours later. It was an inevitable visit given how insanely beautiful the gym at The Chedi Muscat is! First time I entered, I thought I was coming into an Asian-inspired spa not least an awesome workout zone.

The gym has everything you could need, from it’s own pilates studio, to stretching equipment and the most versatile cables I’ve used. This is all encased in dreamy dark wood flooring and engraved panels that let the light shine through.

After a final luncheon, we said goodbye to the one of the most relaxing staycations Jack and I have had the pleasure of going on. Until next time Muscat!

I hope you enjoyed this blog! Please message below if you have any questions or comments about the stay, would love to hear from you!

LLG x

You can find out more details about the Chedi Muscat through their website here.