A Friday Morning at Shatti Al Qurum Beach

It’s a cool February Friday morning at Muscat. After a daylong unusually heavy rainfall on Thursday, the Sun has come out with all its grandeur and brightness. And we are at our typical weekend spot - Shatti Al Qurum Beach. Nothing unusual about this. But today, the sea appeared bluer, the lawn appeared greener, the sands appeared cleaner & clearer and the atmosphere appeared more vibrant. Is it because of the allure of the Sunshine or the magic of Friday the 14th February?

 For me, it’s a great opportunity to snap some photographs. Grateful to nature for the lighting, backdrop and the special effects on my photographs. Wish I could spend a whole day at this place, but bad luck – there’s no toilet here! There are however, several water showers to clean off the sands after a plunge at the sea.

 It’s also a top barbeque destination of Oman. People flock here for kite flying too.

 I have found some amazing trees that are creating a perfect canvas with the sea at the background. Click, Click, Click.

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Gardens of Oman: Qurum Natural Park

Qurum Natural Park

Right at the heart of Oman’s stony capital Muscat, there lies an oasis of green trees, endless manicured beds of flowers, water fountains, artificial water falls and large play area – suitable for the people of all age groups for relaxation. Leaving aside the hot months of the year (April to October), the rest of the year has a special package for this park – view of blooming flowers, gentle winds carrying the fragrance of flowers, sounds of chirping birds – all put together, a great treat for your senses!

Spreading over 400 acres of land at Al Qurum area of Muscat, this garden attracts a large number of visitors during winter months. Children love playing, some love jogging, some others love sitting leisurely on the soft grass. On the farthest corner of the garden, there is an artificial waterfall, the ceaseless waters of which have given rise to a small ecosystem full of green grass and wetland in the midst of desert.
This largest garden of Muscat also has a replica of an ancient Omani village showcasing the Omani lifestyle of bygone era.

Traditional Omani Village - Inside Qurum Natural Park

After a long walk encircling the garden, we got exhausted and set on a bench. I tried for Wi-Fi; it didn’t work. It works only near the entrance. We ordered tea from a café and relaxed for some time enjoying the fabulous surroundings.

When it was time for supper, we came out of the park. As of food is considered, the park has two restaurants- one is Al Maida that serves authentic Arabic food and the other is a theme restaurant called Jungle. However, we headed for City Centre mall instead which is just half a kilometre away from the park. It’s got a small food joint and some food shops. We chose one called Chowking. I could not resist mentioning two of the delicacies we had that evening – one is Chicken with Indonesian Rice and the other one - grilled vegetables with Tofu Rice. It was delectably good!

Indonesian rice with chicken

Tofu rice with vegetables

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