Why Anantara Al Baleed Resort is the best hotel in Salalah Oman...

If you are looking for hotels in Salalah Oman then look no further than Anantara Al Baleed Resort for the ultimate luxury hotel in Salalah. A stunning beach hotel with private pool villas, fine dining restaurants and breathtaking infinity pools. From the moment you enter this luxury 5 star resort you will not want to leave. Read on for all the information about why this Anantara hotel Salalah is the best…

Where is Salalah?

Salalah is on the southernmost tip of Oman, close to the Yemen border (don’t worry, it is perfectly safe!). It is the third largest city in Oman, in the region of Dhofar. Salalah is separated from the rest of Oman by hundreds of miles of desert. Salalah is on the coast and is home to some of the most beautiful beaches we have seen.

What is Salalah famous for?

Salalah is famous for its khareef season. From June to September khareef season happens in Salalah and it is the most popular time to visit this beautiful part of Oman. During khareef season it is monsoon season, this is when thick fog covers the mountains and the area becomes lush and green. It is particularly unique for this part of the world as the rest of the Middle East is hot, dry and frankly pretty insufferable. Therefore, khareef season is highly popular with families from UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia driving down to Salalah to escape the heat.

As well as this, Salalah is also famous for frankincense. It is known as the perfume capital of Arabia because it grows some of the most valuable types of frankincense trees. 40km north of Salalah is Wadi Dawkah where over 5km of the most precious frankincense trees, Boswellia Sacra, grow.

Is it only worth going to Salalah during Khareef season?

Absolutely not! Khareef season is the time of year that locals and residents of the surrounding area like to escape the heat and get a change of temperature and season without having to travel too far. However, if you like the sun, beach and pool like us then travelling outside of khareef season is ideal! The hotel is quieter, the sun is warm, the pool is cool and there is still plenty to do and see in Salalah during this time.

Check out our Instagram Reel here to see what Salalah looks like outside of khareef season.

How do I get to Salalah?

There are two main ways to get to Salalah, drive or fly. Salalah in Oman neighbours Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the UAE so driving from those countries is possible. Cross the border and you are there! If you choose to fly it only takes around 1-1.5hours. There are many airlines that fly this route – Oman Air, Fly Dubai, Wizz Air, Air Arabia amongst others so you can choose something to fit your budget. We flew with Wizz Air from Abu Dhabi and couldn’t fault it.

If you choose to fly you can always hire a car to then explore the area of Salalah when you are there. We always use RentalCars.com for the best deals when travelling.

What is the distance from Dubai to Salalah by road?

The quickest route from Dubai to Salalah in Oman is around 1220km. It takes around 12-13 hours. Initially this road takes you through mountains to Al Ain and onto Nizwa. After that, the road is long, flat and boring. This makes the drive seem longer, but it is perfectly do-able.

Where is Anantara Al Baleed Resort Salalah?

This luxury, 5 star resort is located around 20 minutes from Salalah airport on the coast. As the name suggests, it is located adjacent to the Al Baleed Archaeological Site. It is part of the land of frankincense in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Anantara Al Baleed Hotel is on the beach which runs the length of Salalah. It is a huge, open and beautiful beach. It looks like a postcard. The Salalah Anantara has its own section of beach beds near to the hotel and even some beach villas that step directly onto the sand.

What are the rooms like at Anantara Salalah?

The luxurious resort sprawls along the coast. One thing we always love about Oman is that buildings are still low rise and hidden. As soon as you enter Anantara Al Baleed Resort you feel like you are in an Arabian Thailand. It is truly special.

Hotel rooms at Anantara Oman Salalah

You can choose a deluxe room or a deluxe room with a sea or sunset view. All have big balconies and a large living space. If you’re looking for a larger space there is the option for a Junior Suite which has a huge private terrace with majlis seating.

Villas at Anantara Hotel Salalah

The villas at the Anantara Al Baleed resort are extensive with a variety of different types. From garden view villas, lagoon view villas and beach villas to even more luxurious with private pool villas. Private pool villas have a range of views also with garden view, lagoon view and beach view. The ultimate villa is the three bedroom royal beach pool villa which holds up to 9 adults. A truly special, luxurious retreat.

Garden Pool Villa at Anantara Al Baleed Resort Salalah

During our 3 night stay at this incredible resort we were in a 1 bedroom garden pool villa as 2 adults and 2 kids. What a villa! A huge villa with a kitchenette area and a large living space where 2 sofa areas were converted into beds for the kids. A massive bedroom with seating area, dressing room and ensuite bathroom with the most gorgeous bath overlooking the pool. The bathroom opens up onto the pool so it is easy to come in and out without getting the whole villa wet.

The outside area provided the perfect space for us to hang out privately as a family. Our boys had so many great times jumping in and out of the pool and playing with the large golden swan floatie. There is an outside seating area as well as a cabana with shade and extra beds. It is was difficult to leave this space , and go and join the main pool at the hotel. But, of course, the resort infinity pool drew us over – how could it not!

What are the facilities like at Anantara Hotel Salalah?

The facilities at Anantara Al Baleed Al Salalah Resort are everything you would expect and more from a luxury 5 star resort like this.

Swimming Pool at Anantara Al Baleed Al Salalah

Aside from being on a beautiful, huge beach with the most comfy sun loungers and cabanas around. The hotel boasts a gorgeous 44 metre infinity pool which is the centrepiece of the hotel. Twinkling in the sun, this pool is perfect for kids and adults alike. Steps leading down to the pool for the kids with the deep end at the infinity edge overlooking the powdery white sand onto the ocean. Romanticised? I don’t think so, you really do need to check it out for yourself…

Spa at Anantara Al Baleed Al Salalah

A true sanctuary of calm at the resort. Every Anantara Hotel we have been to, the spa always transports us to Thailand. The smells, music, decor and service make you feel like you have just stepped off the beach in Koh Samui and this spa is no different. It also incorporates traditional Omani heritage with hammam room and treatments as well as separate spa facilities for males and females. We met with Khun Dome who was a visiting practitioner to the resort having worked at many top spas around the world. He entertained our boys with tales of footballers he has met and given massages to, a lovely man.

Even if you don’t have time to treat yourself to a full treatment at the spa, make sure to pop in and use the relaxation areas, sauna and steam room. A perfect break from the beach! There are also kids treatments available from the spa too if you fancy a little spa date with your mini-me.

Kids Club at Anantara Salalah Hotel

The kids club at this beach resort in Salalah is one of the best we have seen. As usual for Anantara Hotels, there is a separate kids and teens room. The kids room aimed at younger children with plenty of toys and soft play equipment. The teens room has a games for older children (they don’t have to be teens!) like air hockey, pool, table tennis and Play Station. There is a large outdoor area for volleyball or badminton, tennis, outside park with splash park, a garden and pond and even Thai boxing lessons.

Organised activities are on all day from arts and crafts to cooking classes, sandcastle making, treasure hunts and karaoke. There is no chance that the kids will get bored at this resort in Oman. I particularly love how the kids club is located near to the spa and gym. Helpful if you have reluctant kids to drop off before some time on your own and they know that you are just close by.

What restaurants are at Anantara Al Baleed Al Salalah?

There are 3 main restaurants to choose from at Anantara hotel Salalah, you would be spoiled for choice. Sakalan is the main international buffet restaurant where breakfast is served daily, expect different theme nights for dinner. Al Mina is the Mediterranean restaurant open from 12pm and perfect for lunch or dinner. Finally, Mekong a speciality Asian restaurant (sister to Anantara Dubai the Palm), is open in the evenings only for dinner.

Sakalan at Anantara Al Baleed Al Salalah

A stunning indoor outdoor poolside venue which looks out onto the infinity pool and the sea. Eating breakfast and dinner whilst hearing the waves crashing was a highlight of our stay here. You can check the Trip Advisor reviews for each restaurant below so you can see the high opinions of others too.

Breakfast at Sakalan

What a breakfast! Anantara hotels don’t do breakfast by halves, everything imaginable is available. Hot breakfast stations with English, Asian and Middle Eastern food. An egg station with table service menu, eggs however you like them. Crepes, pancakes, french toast and waffles cooked fresh – my boys particularly enjoyed their daily Nutella crepes. As well as this, there is a range of healthy options – fruit, nuts, cereal, cold cuts and salad. Make sure you don’t miss the huge bakery section too!

Dinner at Sakalan

Dinner at Sakalan is different each night with a variety of themes from Omani Night, Seafood Night and Arabian Night to name a few. As we were there during Ramadan, a nightly iftar was held and we wanted to experience traditional food so we lucky enough to be there for the Arabian Night. The beautiful decor, traditional oud music and local food was delicious. We particularly enjoyed the grilled BBQ section where we could choose items to be cooked on the BBQ for us. A highlight for us was also the shawarma station, if you haven’t tried a local shawarma make sure to get yourself one. There was a huge variety of wonderful food of a very high quality. Make sure you save enough room for dessert!

Check trip advisor reviews here for Sakalan at Anantara Al Baleed Salalah Hotel.

Al Mina Restaurant At Anantara Oman Salalah

Al Mina Restaurant is conveniently located next to the pool and beach and is open all day to get lunch, small bites and drinks. Mediterranean cuisine with a variety of salads, fish, seafood and grilled meat delights. As we were on the Full Board Package we ate lunch here daily and what a treat! Our boys loved the kids menu, particularly the freshly cooked pasta with tomato sauce and the wood fire pizzas. Personal favourites for us were the coconut prawns, prawn tacos, local hamour fish, burrata and chicken caesar salad. We could have easily worked our way through the entire menu happily. The food was cooked beautifully, the views perfect and staff and service brilliant as well as being friendly and welcoming.

Check out the Trip Advisor reviews for Al Mina Restaurant here.

Prawn caesar salad at Al Mina Restaurant

Mekong Restaurant at Anantara Al Baleed Al Salalah

The pinnacle meal of our stay at this luxury resort in Salalah was at Mekong Restaurant. At the Anantara Dubai The Palm you will also find Mekong Restaurant so it is a restaurant that we are familiar with. It is one of our favourite Asian restaurants in Dubai so we knew we had to try out Mekong Anantara Salalah.

Mekong is a speciality Asian restaurant with food from all countries along the Mekong river. So expect to find dishes from Thailand, Vietnam and China. The setting and decor of this restaurant is traditional Asian with dim, lantern lit areas. We loved the outside seating overlooking the lagoon and appreciated the mosquito spray and candles to warn off the insects.

Would highly recommend the Thai curries, the green curry in particular was amazing. As are the spicy crispy Beijing prawns and the pad thai. If you have children, the kids menu is great also. Our boys both went for the chicken noodles and it was huge, as big as an adults size pad Thai so think about sharing food for them or ordering different items to share. They loved the kids desserts too especially the brownie.

Check out the Trip Advisor Reviews for Mekong Restaurant at Anantara Salalah here.

Sunset at Mekong Restaurant Anantara Salalah

What else can you do at Anantara Al Baleed Al Salalah?

Aside from the ultimate relaxation, during your time at Anantara hotel Salalah there are many other things you can do in the area. Al Baleed Archaeological Park is adjacent to the hotel and is worth a few hours exploration around the ruins and the museum. If you ask in the hotel they can organise a boat for you to take directly from the Anantara lagoon to Al Baleed Archaeological Park and the Frankincense Museum.

The boat was an experience in itself, we loved watching all the birds flying over and enjoying the calm scenery around us.

The hotel can also help to organise excursions around Salalah like a driver to the East Coast and the famous Wadi Darbat waterfalls, Taqah Castle, the West Coast Beaches or a visit to the desert at the Empty Quarter. Also dolphin boat trips, fishing trips, diving, snorkelling and sunset cruises can be arranged. Just check directly with the hotel for all the information.

Why should I book a stay at Anantara Al Baleed Al Salalah?

To summarise everything, Anantara hotel Salalah is one of the most relaxing beach resorts we have stayed in. The resort is calm and peaceful surrounded by coconut trees and splashing waves. The staff cannot do enough for you. The rooms are spacious, totally private and luxurious. The food in the restaurants is top quality and will have you coming back for more. We have stayed in many hotels in Oman and this is truly a luxurious 5 star resort. You will not be disappointed! We will be back soon, inshallah.

Make sure to check on their website for GCC rates and deals.

Sunset at lagoon Anantara Al Baleed Al Salalah

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Disclaimer: This post Why Anantara Al Baleed Resort is the best hotel in Salalah Oman…, has affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward me a small commission – at no extra cost for you.

We were kindly invited by Anantara Al Baleed Salalah Hotel to stay at their hotel and give a review. All opinions are our own.

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Why Anantara Al Baleed Resort is the best hotel in Salalah Oman…