The discount card can be used on both, a la carte and buffet meal options and beverages but is not valid in conjunction with any other on-going promotion at the hotel. Cards can be picked up personally from the food and beverage outlets at the hotel and will be issued on a first come first serve basis.

M&S goes back to school

The venerable UK brand, Marks & Spencer is offering a 2010 Back to School collection that will be loved by children and parents alike. For parents the range has a lot of innovative, time-saving features. These include permanent creases and pleats, sealed hems, scuff-resistant shoes, adjustable waists for that perfect fit, elasti-cuffs to take away the bother of buttons, wash and wear, and more. For kids, well the clothes are comfortable and cool for school. The range is available at the Marks & Spencer outlet at Markaz al Bahja.

The centre provides invaluable information about the wealth and diversity of the island’s birdlife, coral reef ecosystem and its other wildlife. It also highlights the fact that Masirah is home to the world’s largest population of nesting turtles and hosts all four of Oman\\'s nesting species - Loggerhead, Green, Olive Ridley and Hawksbill. 

Eng Wael bin Ahmed al Lawati, CEO, Omran, said, “The Natural History Museum at Swiss-Belhotel Resort, Masirah Island will play an important role in educating the local community about the unique and precious habitat around the island and will help in the preservation of one of Oman’s most diverse ecosystems.”

After a very long drive from Dubai, Ceross reached the gate after the sun had set. Accosted by two guards with rifles slung over their shoulders, he was asked where he was going. When he told them he was Muscat-bound, he was politely told that he would have to wait till the sun came up the next morning. This was a rule and no amount of coaxing and cajoling would persuade them to allow him through so he slept the night in his vehicle.

The next morning as soon as the sun came up he was waved through with good wishes. For more on those distant times read the story in Reminiscing.

“Our aim is to get the future consumers, the youth of Oman, on our side to save energy and our environment,” said Samira Salim al Mughairi of Muscat Electricity Distribution Company. “If we can educate our children in their classrooms, they will, in turn, educate their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles back at home. Our campaign is done in a fun and educational way, to give children the opportunity to learn about the environment in which they live, as well as how to preserve it.”

The contest was divided into three age categories between six and 15, and students were able to use any drawing materials.

Passengers flying Oman Air between London Heathrow and Muscat can look forward to new à la carte menus which include caviar, poached fillet of beef, Loch Fyne gravadlax and a wide range of mouthwatering desserts.

The new menus use the finest seasonal ingredients, draw on both Arabic and European influences and combine contemporary and traditional elements.

As the flights leave London in the evening, the airline serves dinner, and also invites customers to start the following day with a choice of dishes, including a full cooked breakfast. While the caviar is reserved for First Class, in Economy the airline offers a three-course meal: a light appetiser, followed by a choice of three main courses, including one dish with an Arabic twist and a vegetarian option, with a dessert to finish.

It has been just a month since Muna al Shanfari became the first Omani woman to scale Mt Kilimanjaro. Travelling with an old friend, Catherine Lonie on a Nawras-sponsored trip Muna did the trek in seven days and stood 5,895m above sea level on Uhuru peak waving the Omani flag.

Muna, a successful bank executive and mother of three living in Muscat, is a keen mountain walker and active health enthusiast, regularly travelling to locations like the Hajar Mountains in search of a new adventure. She said, “This truly was a mental, physical and spiritual journey; one I will never forget.”

Mawasem Muscat, an ambitious venture with plans to open up several F&B outlets in Muscat have announced that they will be opening Al Hamra, a 188-seat authentic Lebanese restaurant in Al Khuwayr in a few weeks.

Located on a 400sq m plot behind the Zawawi mosque, the restaurant aims to be one of the largest and most elegant dining-spaces of its kind in the city. Mawasem plans to open  five to six restaurants over the next five or six years, before expanding into the GCC.