Jebal
Al Akhdar are the highest mountains in Oman standing more than 3075 metres above
sea level. Mild temperatures and unique people are to be found
there. One of the finest parts of the Jebal Al Akhdar mountain range is
the Saiq Plateau. Previously access to this area was highly restricted until permission was granted for the construction of the Jebal Al
Akhdar Hotel, through which travellers can organise the relevant paperwork to
gain access to the area and it's not at all difficult.
It's
160 kilometres from Muscat and you can drive up to 7000 feet. Temperatures
go down to minus five degrees celsius in winter and remain below 30 degrees
celsius for most of
the summer. The average rainfall is 303 mm a year. At around 17
kilometres up the mountain the landscape begins to change and becomes quite
green. The hotel is located at about 7000 feet and along the way to the top one
will see villages such as Sharaija, Wadi Bani Habib, Al Ayn, and Hayl Al Yaman.
There
are lots of bushes and trees which bare nuts and fruits such as apricots,
peaches, figs, apples, pears, plums, walnuts, almonds, pomegranates and even
grapes grow here. Faming, weaving, grazing and agriculture are the main
occupations.
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