Oman’s Al Baleed Resort Salalah launches Wellness by Anantara

Nestled between a spectacular private beach and freshwater lagoon, the award-winning luxury private pool villa resort Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara allows guests to pursue their wellbeing goals in a serene, idyllic environment.

Lead by the resort’s Wellness Guru, Ratheesh Krishnan, Balance Wellness by Anantara is designed to offer a transformative travel experience in the heart of one of Oman’s most stunning destinations.

Delivering wellness packages tailored to each guest, the programme starts with a consultation to ascertain the needs and goals of the individual.

Available in three, five or seven-day packages, the retreats include rejuvenating spa treatments, purification therapy and nutritious cuisine along with individual activity sessions such as yoga and hiking the beautiful mountainous coast of Salalah.

Full board dining centred on nutrition is designed specially to encourage good health and fuel the body efficiently.

Hoping to dispel the myth that health retreats mean boring meal times, the Balance Wellness by Anantara menu has been created by renowned Italian vegan chef Valeria Agnelutto.

Designed to detoxify and energise the system while delivering maximum flavour, dishes include Italian pasta e fagioli and chickpea burgers with rosemary and parsley and veggie mayo. The three-course meals also include delicious starters such as avocado tartare with cucumber and dates and raw tiramisu for dessert. Each dish comes with a detailed nutritional breakdown and is accompanied by vitamin-packed raw juice.

One highlight of the wellness programme is experiencing Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara’s luxury Hammam, the only one in the region.

Drawing on centuries of Arabian wellness – the ancient ritual starts with a muscle-relaxing steam bath in preparation for a black soap cleansing and kessa mitt exfoliation to sweep impurities. Once steamed and scrubbed, a Moroccan Rhassoul treatment richly nourishes and rehydrates, leaving the skin silky soft. Other healing therapies include Kundalini massage and Shirodhara – a unique Ayurvedic therapy focusing on the head, to harmonize the entire body.

OMAN

Oman is otherworldly terrain.In Muscat’s Grand Mosque, there is a beautiful hand-loomed carpet; it was once the world’s largest rug until Abu Dhabi’s Grand Mosque, in the United Arab Emirates, pinched the record. This is poignant because Oman doesn’t boast many “firsts” or “biggest” in a region bent on grandstanding. What it does boast, with its rich heritage and embracing society, is a strong sense of identity, a pride in an ancient, frankincense-trading past and confidence in a highly educated future.

For visitors, this offers a rare chance to engage with the Arab world without the distorting lens of excessive wealth. Oman’s low-rise towns retain their traditional charms, and Bedouin values remain at the heart of an Omani welcome. With an abundance of natural beauty, from spectacular mountains, wind-blown deserts and a pristine coastline, Oman is the obvious choice for those seeking out the modern face of Arabia while wanting still to sense its ancient soul.