Arab country on the Southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. While Oman is a large country, we visited a small secluded bay on Oman's Musandam Peninsula, which is an exclave region of Oman that is separated from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates.
The resort we stayed at was so beautiful. It was set behind a rage of dramatic mountains that rise up to 2,100 meters and sit on a splendid stretch of sandy beach along Zighy Bay.
The resort resembled in many ways a traditional Omani village, with narrow passages between the individual villas and palm shaded, sandy roads. Our villa was set on the beach, which afforded the kids the opportunity to roll out of bed and relax in the sand or go for a swim.
This was the view from our bedroom.
The kids loved playing in the Water and catching the waves!
One afternoon we went paragliding on the top of Zighy Mountain - a real highlight of the trip. We glided around the edge of the mountain range and explored the bay from 293 meters high. The view from that height is unbelievable.
This was the launching point.
Priya went first...
And she's up!
Next were Shailen and Akash
Another successful launch.
And the landing!
We had such a ball in Oman...we didn't want to leave. But after five days of pure relaxation we made our way to Dubai.
Dubai is a two hour car ride from Oman's Musandam Peninsula, mostly through dessert. In Dubai we stayed at a hotel that was made to resemble Arabian summer homes on a beautiful canal.
As we rode in the gondola to the main market ("Souk") we could see the Burj al Arab, considered the world's most luxurious hotel.
The kids loved Dubai because it is a man-made wonderland, equipped with an indoor ski resort, and a water park with the largest water slide outside North America.
I loved Dubai because it is a shopper's paradise. Living in India, I especially miss the shopping back home. Well the Dubai Mall was the perfect fix! The Mall, with it's 1,200 retail stores, is considered the largest in the world. One can find the finest shops from all over the globe. I was in Heaven!!
Outside the mall was a sports car enthusiast's dream. The sports cars lined up at the mall's valet were amazing!
Of course we did make time for some sightseeing during our time in Dubai. Our first stop was the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building at 2,722 feet high.
This is the entrance to the estate of the ruler of Dubai, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum. He is credited with the strategy of pursuing development as a way to eliminate the emirate's reliance on dwindling oil supplies.
This is the Grand Mosque, Dubai's oldest mosque, built around the turn of the century, way before the country's development-on-steroids days.
This is Dubai Marina, an artificial canal city, carved along a two mile stretch of Persian Gulf shoreline.
This is the Dubai skyline. It is really beautiful to stare at as each building is a marvel all its own. The individual buildings in Dubai are by far the greatest examples of modern architecture.
This is the Palm Islands, Dubai's largest artificial island, constructed from sand dredged from the bottom of the Persian Gulf. Why is it in the shape of a Palm? Sheik Mohammed sketched the palm design as a way to maximize beachfront property. Pretty smart!
