Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
which has been chosen as the location for a cultural centre. In case you're wondering, the
stone plug out to sea is called
Nafun Island
.
DON'T MISS
OMAN'S ONE & ONLY FLOATING HOTEL
If you've always fancied the glamour of a cruise ship but didn't trust your sea legs to make the experience pleas-
ant, then the new floating hotel moored at Duqm may just be what you're looking for.
Veronica
(Floating Hotel;
25 212300;
www.veronicaduqm.com
; s/d OR45.600/59.700) is a retired cruise ship built on the Clyde in the
UK in 1965 for a Swedish American line - hence the Nordic mural located midships. Towed to Duqm as an in-
ventive solution for the need to provide immediate quality accommodation to service dock crew, the ship
provided over 20,000 room nights in its first year of operation - remarkable when you consider it is sitting adja-
cent to a tiny fishing village in the middle of one of the most remote stretches of coast in Oman.
With nightly films shown in the tiered cinema at 9.30pm, free 30-minute guided tours of decks and engine
room, lavish set meals of international quality, a below-Plimsolline swimming pool on the Emerald Floor, a lib-
rary and the cosy Mariner's Bar, this old dame of a cruise liner has more by way of entertainment than offered by
the entire region of Al-Wusta. That's all soon to change as construction of a city of 200,000 people, scheduled
flights into a brand-new airport and tourist development along the Duqm coast slowly bring rival interest. For
now, however, enjoying the fading glory of
Veronica
has to be one of the most unique accommodation experien-
ces in Oman.
Major tourist resorts are planned on nearby beautiful beaches, including the newly
south of the port complex. Prices at the time of writing reflected the 'soft opening' status
of the hotel and are likely to increase. The only other places to stay in Duqm are
City Hotel
Duqm
( 25 214900;
www.cityhotelduqm.com
;
s/d OR55/70)
, a modern, low-key business hotel sign-
posted off the highway with friendly, helpful management, and
Veronica
, a retired cruise
ship resting in the dock.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Hayma
23 / POP 10,400
This is the chief town of the region and an important transit point between the interior and
the coast. Although there is little to commend the town itself, it does have basic accom-
modation and makes a good base for visiting the oryx reserve in Jaaluni.
The
Hayma Motel
(Himah Motel; fax 23 436061; Hwy 31; r OR18)
, on the highway opposite the
main road turning into town, primarily caters for Asian businesspeople and has possibly
the worst beds in the country with springs that sprung years ago. A better bet is the newer
