jebel sifah

DOUBLE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AT JEBEL SIFAH

December 5, 2021 by Little Miss Honey

It seems like a lot of people are born on November, me included. I already know 4 people who shares my birthdate and most of my friends & family members have birthdays on November. When I got assigned in the current hospital I am working, there 3 other nurses who have birthdays on November and 2 of them near my birthday. Last year, the 3 of us celebrated our birthday together but this year, the other nurse moved to UK to join her husband. So it is just Olive and I that will do a double birthday celebration.

We were thinking where we will hold our double celebration. We toss a few ideas and my hubby suggested how about Jebel Sifah. Our family has been there twice already and we really love the place. We are thinking that my coworkers would love to check out the beautiful relaxing atmosphere of Jebel Sifah.

Half of the gang headed there earlier while our family & two nurses who rode with us in our car, followed after we fetched our two elder boys from school. We drove to Muscat and had a stopover at Jollibee Al Khuwair for lunch.

By around 2:30 PM, we were at Jebel Sifah. We took the two nurses to their Airbnb unit they rented. It is such a perfect place to relax and hold a party. It is called Nomad Tours Marina Apartment if you want to check it in booking apps. You can check this unit in Airbnb here. It is a duplex 2-bedroom apartment and 2 bathrooms. It has a wonderful views of the marina. They have a terrace with a gazebo, kitchenette, bamboo bar, large dining table and BBQ area. It is nearby the store too.

After a little tour of their rented apartment, we headed to Sifawy Boutique Hotel to check in. The check in process took longer that our previous visit. We missed the nice efficient Filipina who received us before. She was fast, accommodating and efficient upon checking us in. When we finally got into our room, we did our new family tradition: taking a family photo on the bed of the hotel we are staying, thanks to my new handy bluetooth phone camera clicker and tripod. The room we got was a King Bed Room overlooking the pool unlike the Suite that we got before. But I do prefer this room rather than the suite. The suite is too uncomfortably spacious for my liking with not so comfy furnishing. This room was more cozy with bigger bed because in the suite, we only have a queen-size bed. We also have a balcony with table and chairs. The bathroom have a nice shower head with abundant hot water.

We been to Jebel Sifah twice already and stayed in Sifawy Boutique Hotel once. We didn’t know the hotel have this kid corner amenities near the pool area: a room with a TV, a slide, a cart full of toys, playhouse and a toy ride.

After fixing our stuff, we headed to the pool to swim. The kids jumped in the pool while hubby & I chickened out from swimming because the pool was too cold. Instead my hubby got a bucket of beer to drink poolside while I lie down the pool lounge chairs wrapped in the warm fresh pool towels the hotel provided. Around 5:30PM, we headed to the beach to meet up with the gang. We hang out at The Bank Beach Club for a bit of photo op. Then we said we will clean up and meet up at the apartment for the dinner party.

We changed from wet clothes and spruce up a bit before heading to the apartment. There were a lot of foods! We have Pancit Malabon, Chopsuey, Embutido, Bake Sushi and Lumpia. There was even a sweet corner with chocolates, candies, marshmallow and 4 cakes!

We were so full from all the yummy food. We even had a hula hoop contest. Haha! By around 10 to 11 PM, the kids, my hubby and I were so sleepy already for waking up to early for kids school that we decided to call it a night and say our goodbyes. We went back to the hotel and in a few minutes, hubby & Naj were fast asleep. Then Howell, Zeke and I eventually slept too.

Next morning, we had a morning visit from the nurses in our hotel. They wanted to check out our room. After a quick photo op in our hotel balcony, they continued in exploring Jebel Sifah. When they left, we ate our takeaway food from the party for our breakfast. We, then, headed out to the beach because J promised the kids that he will help them find nice shells to take home.

The kids were so happy to find some lovely shells. We walked around for a bit more under the blazing sun. We even bumped into Olive and Delia who were taking lovely photos of each other

We were all sweaty and slight tanned from the sun after our walk. We went back to our hotel to shower and fix our stuff for check out.

It is always wonderful visiting Jebel Sifah. Until next time! I am sure we will visit again soon….

GOODBYE 2020, HELLO 2021

January 7, 2021 by Little Miss Honey

Wow, what can I say about year 2020. It surprised every single person inhabiting this earth in unimaginable magnitude that I have no words. It shook all of us at our very core and so many changes were happening, we couldn’t barely keep up. The year started with bad news after bad news. There was volcano eruption. There were bushfires in Australia. There were talks of impending war. Then of course, Covid 19 came in and nothing became the same again.

It was hard year for everyone. It tested us. It challenged us. I gave us some serious thinking of what truly matters in our lives. It also allowed us a pause button in our crazy hectic lives. It was coincidental that my word for 2020 was Zen and the year definitely gave me that – a zen-like state to dig deeper inwardly. I feel guilty that I didn’t suffer much of the repercussions of what pandemic caused everyone. I feel very grateful yet feeling undeserving that I still have work amidst the increasing unemployment due to the pandemic and have my family beside me & not separated from them while some are far from their loved-ones without knowing when they will see each other again. My heart aches for those who are losing jobs & businesses and friends who are suffering from homesickness being away from their families. Mental health are crashing down and on & then, we feel the wave of homelessness, anxiety, fear, loneliness and sadness. Yet, I felt somehow we showed our resiliency that we can survived all that and we can look forward for a better new year.

I always do a gratefulness list for the year that past as I look back at the things that happened for the last year. In spite of the pandemic, it is best to look at the silver lining and create a heart of gratitude for all the things that we have been blessed.

Gratefulness List of 2020:

New hospital with good work system with an amazingly efficient & wonderful leader & boss

I mentioned in my last year’s gratefulness lists that a month before the 2019 ended, I was informed I will be transferred to a new hospital. I had my apprehensions in transferring to a new work environment because my previous one was a wonderful health center with great workmates & nice patients. But I was glad I was transferred to a slightly bigger healthcare institution with more doctors whom I learned from with a great work system in place and an amazing boss who kept the place in tiptop shape in spite the demanding patients and workload. It challenged my skills as doctors and I am happy to be learning everyday.

2. Having a renewed purpose

There were few things that I have let go before the year ended in 2019. But in early January of 2020, my family and I had several discussions about life plans. We seriously considered it so we decided to make plans. I felt a new sense of excitement of what is to come as long as it coincide with God’s plan for us.

3. J passing the driving test and getting our family vehicle

Passing the driver license here in Oman is not a joke. Even experienced drivers fail several times in the driver license test here in Oman. They need to pass the Drum Test and Road Test before they can get their driver license. J passed the Drum Test in 2 tries and the Road Test after 5 tries. We were so happy because having a vehicle of your own here in Oman is a necessity due to the lack of public transport especially in the interior areas.

On the very day J passed his driving license test, we automatically called the car dealer that we will be getting the car we are interested in. We got our beloved Ushr, our grey Toyota Rush after a few days. Our life in Oman got really easy and more comfortable once we got Ushr.

4. Daycation at Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort for Howell’s Birthday

Covid 19 has not ruled it doom & gloom over Oman yet at that time so we were able to have this nice relaxing celebration for Howell’s 4th birthday by getting Day Passes at Shangri-La. ( Read about it here.) It was lovely day. We may one of these day try to do staycation there too.

5. Still earning in spite of Covid and not separated from my family during pandemic

I lumped these two points together because both are related to Covid 19. Like I mentioned earlier, I am so grateful that I still get to keep my job, even with all its risks while others are losing theirs and I have met family beside me while others are indefinitely separated from theirs. I thank God so much for these and I pray for those who has lost their jobs & businesses and those who are aching to be with their loved-ones that the pandemic will end soon so they can be reunited with them.

6. Transferred to a nice villa walking distance to work

Living 30 minutes away from my workplace can be taxing for the whole family. Having no helper, we have to take the kids whenever I go to work and they would fetch me again when I get off work. Sometimes if I am on morning shift, they have to wake up at the break of dawn to tag along with their sleepy eyes to bring me to work and if I have evening duty, they have to fetch me late at night. It disrupts their nap time, sleeping time and even meal times. I was apprehensive to try for driver license and been postponing try to get one. I hate driving and I am too scaredy-cat to drive.

On May, we were happy we were informed that a nice villa was available for rent near my workplace. We liked it and decided to transfer. We were happy with the decision. I don’t need to get a driver license. I can just walk to work and I don’t need to disturb my family.

We are also happy that we got a wonderful Filipino community in the area and the kids are happy to have Titas in the neighborhood that they can visit and spoils them with sweet treats & presents on special occasions. We didn’t feel as isolated as we were in our previous place which was very far from everyone.

7. Online courses, classes and workshops

Due to the pandemic, there was a surge of online classes and courses offered. I was happy to learn about Coursera and EdX that offer great courses and classes online for free. (You will only pay if you want to get a certificate for the course you took.)

I also was happy to do Leslie Ludy’s online workshop. Leslie Ludy is a Christian author and speaker who inspired women of all walks of life to become closer to God. She has helped strengthen my faith with God during the trying times of the pandemic.

8. My sweet boys

My boys are growing up so fast. They are the sweetest little boys. I am amazed at how caring and loving they are growing up to be. They are so funny too. I enjoy their amusing conversations they have with each other & with me and their incredible imagination & innovative ideas. They come up so many wonderful block creations, ideas for new games to keep them busy & entertained and interesting hypothesis on certain thing, it make me laugh so hard until my belly ache. I am blessed to be a mommy to these adorable little men.

9. New friendships

New places always means new friendships. I am grateful to have gained new friends who will accompany me in this adventure here in Oman. I am beyond blessed that I have people who are willing to help me & my family as we navigate this new life in Oman.

10. Visit to Ras Al Hadd Beach

When the lockdown ease up, establishments were slowly opening and public beaches were opened. We drove to Sur and had fun day at Ras Al Hadd Kite Beach. It was a nice change from being always coop inside the house. It was wonderful to enjoy the nature and explore some parts of Oman that we haven’t been to yet.

11. Birthday staycation at Jebel Sifah

For my birthday, we got lucky to have found a lovely unit to rent at Jebel Sifah at a very good affordable price. It was lovely way to celebrate my birthday with a relaxing staycation at a luxurious apartment unit with nearby pools, beaches, playground for kids, a bar/restaurant and a wonderful marina view.

My kids loved our stay there so much they said, “Mommy, let us go back to this hotel house again, okay?”

12. Christmas in Muscat

This is our 2nd time celebrating Christmas in Muscat at our go-to accommodation in Somerset Panorama Serviced Apartment. The kids hanged their Christmas socks in the unit’s tall lighting stand and found it full of Santa’s sweet treats with a wrapped gifts beside it in the morning of Christmas. We went around Muscat and was happy to discover new places to go to during our stay.

I am looking forward to what 2021 will bring. I am optimistic that it is going to a good one. It will make up for the shortcomings of 2020. I know that we came out of 2020, strong, resilient, more centred and with more purpose. 2021 will be a great year. We owe it to ourselves to make it a great year. Let us do this!

A LOVELY STAYCATION AT A LUXURIOUS STUDIO UNIT IN JEBEL SIFAH

December 2, 2020 by Little Miss Honey

When my birthday was coming up last month, my family & I were thinking of how would celebrate my day. I thought of trying something different as the the usual staycations at hotels in Muscat. I have heard of Jebel Sifah from an Omani colleague in my previous workplace. I overheard she said it is a nice place around 45 minutes away from Muscat. I heard it got a beach, swimming pool, hotel and bar in the place. I researched and found the information of the hotel, the Sifawy Boutique Hotel. I was set to call the hotel the next day when a friend of mine sent me a message if I would be interested to rent out a unit for staycation at Jebel Sifah! Talk about coincidence! I saw the rental fee was very affordable and almost half the price of one-day stay in the hotel. I saw also the photos and I loved it. However, I told her that I will call the hotel tomorrow and check out if there are any good hotel discounts & promotions before I decide if we will choose to stay in the hotel or the studio unit.

The day after, I called the hotel. If we booked a hotel room, the total people staying in the hotel room would be 2 adults and 3 kids with one kid above age of 5 so it means we have to pay extra. Since we are being more mindful with our budget, we know we can still enjoy without spending too much. We decided to opt to rent the studio unit instead. Plus it was a recommendation of a trusted friend so I know that I have nothing to worry about. I messaged the owner of the unit through WhatsApp. The transaction was smooth-sailing. The owner was very accommodating and professional. A well-detailed information were provided and I received an agreement form sent to me via email. I sent a downpayment through bank transfer and the rest was to be paid when we got there on the same day.

MY BIRTHDAY

Before 12 midnight, my husband and our 3 kids surprised me with flowers and a handmade card. I was so touched. Nothing melts my heart more than flowers and written notes. I have to hold back my tears with the overflowing gratitude I have been blessed to have these special people in my life.

We, then, went to sleep to prepare for the drive the next day. By 8:30 AM, we left our place with our bags and headed to Muscat. I have previously thought that Jebel Sifah was 40 minutes before Muscat. Boy, I was wrong. My husband researched beforehand, studied the route going to the place and he saw that Jebel Sifah is 40-45 minutes after Muscat. Once we were in Muscat by 11 AM, we had a quick stop to find a cake shop and buy take-out lunch at Filipino fast-food chains, Jollibee & Chowking. We planned to buy cake at the Cake Gallery in Al Khuwair but it was closed. Good thing we found a cake shop nearby, Isfahan Sweets. J chose a cake called the Honey Cake!

We were all set to head over to Jebel Sifah after getting the cake and our lunch.

THE DRIVE

We didn’t realised how far Jebel Sifah is. If we thought Shangri-la Resort was already far, we are in for a really long drive. We already passed Shangri-la Resort and we were still half way there. There were parts of the way where the roads are very narrow and zigzagged. It felt like we passed by several mountains already. J asked me, “Is this place we are going to really nice?” I replied, “I don’t know actually. I just overheard it mentioned by a colleague. I really have no idea.” We are both silently hoping that Jebel Sifah is really worth the drive. Zeke even vomited a bit during the drive, we have to stop to clean him up. I guess he feel nauseous from the zigzag roads. We have reached a small town with lots of hairy goats on the road and thought we maybe really near. There was also a gas station in the town. Our GPS navigation app informed us that we are 15 minutes away from our destination. And finally we arrived in Jebel Sifah.

THE ACCOMMODATION

We entered the Jebel Sifah compound by informing the security of the unit we are going to. The area have blocks of low rise modern architectural apartment buildings with different facade but all with a similar beige and off white clean lines exteriors. There were several villas as well as we drive through. We saw playgrounds and the golf course while the blue green hue of beach can be seen from a far distance. We admired the manicured lawn of the area while seeing a few people walking about with some riding their bikes & scooters. The place was reminiscent of memories as a teenage Third Culture Kid enjoying the amenities in Saudi Aramco compound, a residential and recreational place reserved for employees of the company. It has the very same feel.

Finding the studio apartment was very easy to find with the specific instructions given by the owner. We were greeted by the caretaker of the unit who cleaned and prepared the place before we reached. We gave him the balance of the rent and he handed us the keys. We were instructed that check-out time tomorrow would be 10:30 AM.

We were very impressed with how the place looks like. It is exactly how it looks like in the photos and even better. There is a big 4-poster that gives you a relaxing Bali ambiance kind-of feel. There were towels and toiletries provided, set beautifully on top of the bed. There is wide wooden sofa that can be used as an extra bed. Naj and Howell already claimed that spot for their bed for their night. The aesthetics of the place can easily compete with hotels we have visited. There is a wide screen TV on the wall with a Netflix account for us to enjoy. The wifi is provided for as well. There is bar counter for us to eat our meals indoors.

The unit is fully furnished and almost everything was provided for. The kitchen was equipped with a microwave, refrigerator, water heater, rice cooker, washing machine and dishwashing machine. Plates, glasses, cutleries and mugs are all available in the cupboard. 3-in-1 coffee sachets and bottles of water were also provided.

There is a cabinet with safety deposit box and iron. The bathroom was clean with a good working water heater and a nice wide rain-shower head system.

There is an outdoor patio with a grill if we wanted to do some grilling. It is nice to sit outdoors and just enjoy the beautiful scenery.

We ate our takeout lunch, an array of Filipino fast-foods of burger, fries, sweet & sour chicken, chicken barbecue and rice, in the studio which we enjoyed heartily before we headed out to explore the place.

JEBEL SIFAH

The place can be explored by foot but it is still more convenient if you drive around the car. We found the Sifawy Boutique Hotel and the saw the entrance of the Jebel Sifah Golf Course.

We were told that we can use the pool in the hotel, in the Bank Beach Club and at the pools located near one of the apartment buildings. The kids were excited to have an afternoon swim. They were prepared with their swim clothes and googles. My hubby and I were just happily wading our toes in the pool as we watch our kids enjoying their swim.

After the kids finishing swimming and had a quick change, we explored Jebel Sifah a little bit more. There is a mini mart near the marina which has all of the basic things available like milk, softdrinks, chips, canned goods, frozen products for cooking & grilling, toiletries, toys and many more. We spent some time strolling along the marina. It was a nice atmosphere that felt just so relaxing. The kids saw a few playgrounds that they were eyeing on to explore.

We headed back to the studio apartment for me to blow my birthday cake before the sun will set and ate the cake for our afternoon snack. The cake was very yummy. J chose the perfect cake.

After resting for a bit and digesting that indulgent yummy Honey cake, we headed back near the beach area for our dinner at The Bank Beach Club. We have to park our car in the sandy part of the beach before we walked to the beach club with loud disco music (because it was Friday DJ night) and dim colourful light. There was pool there for people to swim and even it was extremely cold that night, there were 1-2 people swimming under the moonlight. People were in a merry mood with a frenzy vibe in the air.

We ordered a light dinner of a mix of Japanese, Thai and American cuisine. J was happy that he was able to drink some bottles of beer after 8 long months. We hang out there for a couple of hours, just enjoying the music and the cool breeze. We made the kids play at the big wooden playground nearby before calling it a night. It was wonderful way to celebrate my birthday: being with my family, enjoying the nice ambiance of Jebel Sifah and staying in a beautiful studio apartment. I was a great way to start being a year older to take on the world, wiser and stronger

We had a nice comfortable sleep and woke up feeling refreshed for the next day. We had a breakfast of leftover birthday cake with coffee for us adults and milk for the kids. We showered and packed up our stuff. We wrote a note for the owner of the unit. There was a thick blue green notebook left for guests in the table to write in their feedbacks of their stay. We messaged the owner that we are checking out and thank them for the lovely accomodation.

Before heading back to Muscat, we had a quick stop at the playground for the kids to play a while I got some photos of the The Bank Beach Club in daylight.

We said our goodbye to Jebel Sifah but the kids made us promise first that we will definitely return there again. So was it worth the drive? My hubby and I would definitely agree that it was and the place was beyond what we expected it to be.

For those interested in renting the lovely luxurious studio apartment at Jebel Sifah, head over to their Facebook Page or contact Mr. Thusitha Naminda Perara through WhatsApp +968 9359 2539 or email him jebelsifah@yahoo.com.

Disclaimer: Some photos in the article are not mine and were provided by the owner of the studio apartment.