Oman travel: Stay at Millennium Resort Mussanah

Residents of Muscat have been so spoiled with the options and comforts of having everything at an arms distance that any place out of Muscat seems like continents away to us. This may be the reason why many people like me fail to venture out into the wild (well, not really) and explore some hidden gems of Oman. But this time, it was a different story.

Millennium Resort Mussanah isn’t really a hidden gem. You see the board every time you’re driving towards Sohar or Dubai and in spite of being very interested to know what it actually looks like I never actually had the time for a little detour. But last weekend, I finally decided to spend a whole day in Millennium Resort. 

I left home at 10am as against 8am, as was planned, because fashionably late. The road was beautiful and I enjoyed driving along the route but was surprised to reach in less than an hour-and-a-half. Millennium Resort isn’t far at all and for someone who is geographically challenged like I am, I managed to find my way easily.

The resort is a beautiful huge property with 234 rooms, a gym, five swimming pools, a huge children’s area, the recreation tower, the best spa I’ve seen in a while, and three restaurants. While it looks gorgeous right from the entrance, what the rear end holds will take your breath away. All rooms overlook the huge marina that is beautified by huge trees in a semi-circular pattern that brings the soft breeze to the hotel. The first thing that I noticed as I stepped into the lobby was the faint aroma, which was subtle and not intrusive but strong enough that one couldn’t miss it. The fragrance was welcoming enough and we didn’t really need a big board that said ‘Welcome’ or even people rushing to us to welcome us in. It was powerful enough. I obviously couldn’t stop myself on seeing the hints of blue and green and kept walking ahead out of the back doors from where I could see the Marina. I was enjoying the view but the afternoon sun was a little too harsh to bear so I decided to go to my room and freshen before I could explore the resort again.

My spacious suite room was cosy and exactly the way I wanted it to be. With the kitchen that I never used, a huge hall where I worked with the work desk and a sofa facing towards the TV, as comfy-as-a-teddy bed, a decent bathroom with a bath tub and other essentials and finally a balcony overlooking the view I had been craving for. After having a long hot bath, reading a chapter from Palace of Illusions sitting on the balcony while sipping on my horribly made coffee, and finishing some office work, I decided it was time to go around to know the resort well. On hearing that the jacuzzi is complimentary for all those who are staying at the resort, that is where I headed first. But it wasn’t just the awesome mystical-feeling jacuzzi that I discovered there. That was the spa section of the resort that homed an array of massage and spa treatment options for the guests ranging from the simple body massages to the more complex ayurvedic massages that worked on a completely different mechanism with a wooden bed instead of a mattress and oil dripping directly on to the forehead from the little earthen pot hanging above the sleeping head. But what I loved most about this area was the mysterious feel it had. The corridor was like that of a maze and each door was like a secret room found.




It was now time for me to meet the General Manager Christoph Schleissing, a vibrant experienced man who had a vision for not just the resort but also for bringing adventure sports and sport tourism to the country. He realises the potential of this beautiful country and is determined to make use of his resource, which is the resort, to introduce as many adventure sport activities as possible. But quality and safety would be given paramount importance. The tall recreation tower that already held the zipline cables would be home to more activities and the vast marina would be busy with water sports ranging from parasailing, kayaking, and many other sailing activities.

I then walked on to the lawn past one of the swimming pools in the resort to the kids area adorned with swings, slides, wall climbers, small hammocks, and a mini golf course. After trying my hand at golf and playing some table tennis, my stomach started growling and I headed to Mydan, one of the restaurants that served stupendous continental dishes. Soon I went back to my suite, which felt like home, had a quick shower and curled up on my bed with curtains open and TV switched on and dozed off peacefully. — [email protected]

Activities not to miss:

Millennium Resort Mussanah is also special because you don’t really have to treat it like a resort always. Instead of spending a night there you can even opt to just spend a whole day and use the other day board facilities which includes some very interesting activities available at the resort. Here are some of the must try activties.

Zipline: This is, perhaps, the only place in Oman where you can try this adventure sport in the safest and most thrilling way. Feel the adrenaline.

Zayna Spa: Make sure you pay a visit to this mystical maze space that houses the different spa options, even if you are not in a mood for a massage. You will not be able to resist yourself from trying one of the expert massages after the tour.

Jacuzzi: This comes complimentary with the room. This is the perfect place to de-stress and put all your tension behind and just get lost in the gushing warm water in this cosily dark space.

Lawn: Just because it may seem like the children’s play area, doesn’t mean it is just for children. Enjoy the swings, hammocks, mini-golf course, table-tennis, and even jump into the pool if you feel too dehydrated after all the activities.

Millennium Resort Mussanah