Ξενοδοχεία με Al Mintarib Castle - حصن المنترب, Bidiyah

We were the only 4 people staying in the hotel during the off-season. All staff were there to serve us. It was really nice. Although it was hot during the day, it was very cool at night. You can take pictures of the Milky Way, but the light pollution is a bit large. We rented a 4WD car for our own driving. If you don't have one, you can pay for the hotel to pick you up. The original route feels a bit like Kenya.

Before we booked our hotel stay, we had corresponded months in advance with the Manager/Owner over WhatsApp. He had helped us with precise directions and answered all our queries happily. The day we arrived, they were surprised to find us there. It looked like we might have been the only guests there. But that didn't affect the service one bit. We were greeted by the owner couple who were themselves visiting from Muscat. We were introduced to Mr. Gopal, the cook, who took excellent care of our pure veg Indian food needs. The owner also helped organise 2 drivers for us - one for our excursion to the nearby Wadi Bani Khalid... and the other for the sunrise view at Wahiba Sands. Both the drivers were polite, charged reasonable and felt safe. The hotel itself looked like a vast property, parts of it still getting developed. There's a whole lounge area done up in traditional Omani style, with lowlevel plush seating, coffee table with a thermos of hot coffee, some dates and a water bowl. The outdoors have ample visitor parking, children's play area, a garden with aloes, date trees and some more vegetation. There also seemed to be some kind of outdoor party area for family functions or such. It was nice to come out in the night to gaze at the moon, the stars and what appeared to be a part of the galaxy. The outdoors were also fitted with sensor-lighting which i appreciated. Our room was spacious for 2 people, the bathroom large with a tub. After we came back from Wadi Bani Khalid, we enjoyed a good soak time in the tub :) The food was delicious for all our meals. We were free to choose from the fruits Gopal ji generously offered. He also made awesome espresso and cold coffee for us. We weren't given an itemised bill though, it was a blanket charge of 7 OMR for 2 people. We wish we had a longer stay here. If you are planning to visit Al Asharqiyah Sands and Wadi Bani Khalid like us, this is your place to sleep the night off. For directions - go off the exit 159 on Muscat-Sur highway. We came via Mwasalat Bus and our driver already knew the hotel, so he dropped us precisely there. Another landmark to confirm the location is the Maha Petrol Pump located at exit 159. The hotel is a 2-minute walk from the petrol pump complex.