The smell of frankincense – a hard-to-pin-down, piquant-woody aroma – wafts around the maze-like lanes of the centuries-old Muttrah Souk in Muscat. In every other store, terracotta pots are piled high with variations of the resin – from white pebble-like pieces to lilac and pink stones. Sellers, dressed in dishdashas, the long white robes worn by men, and colourful muzza turbans, call out as you pass, their hands running through the pieces, as if enticing you with gemstones.
Mohammed is 69-years-old and his family have been selling incense in the cobbled alleys for generations. “If you are looking for a true Omani delicacy, this is it,” he says. “Frankincense is something that is deeply tooted in our culture – we cook with it, we use it for remedies, we scent our homes with it – just like we have done for hundreds of years.”
A short, 30-minute drive south, out of Oman’s capital city, is the stately Shangri-La Al Husn resort. The rambling coastal property, sat on dramatic cliffs overlooking the azure waters of the Gulf of Oman, is perhaps an unlikely place to find out more about the aromatic resin, but it is home to one of the only frankincense sommeliers in the world. Khalid Al Amri is Oman’s first accredited expert and studied for two years with Canadian scholar Dr Patricia Groves – who has spent over 20 years researching and writing books about Oman’s heritage and culture.
Khalid is one of the first people you meet when you arrive at Shangri-La Al Husn. As you enter through the resort’s fort-like wooden doors, you are greeted with the heady smell of frankincense – often referred to as luban in Oman. As the scented plumes rise from a brass chalice, Khalid is on hand to offer you a plate of sweet dates and a cup of Arabic coffee. It immediately roots you in the destination. “It is a traditional welcome,” says Khalid, “just like you would receive in every local Omani home – an age-old symbol of hospitality.”
Frankincense is grown in the Dhofar region of southern Oman, on the eastern border of Yemen. As part of Khalid’s training to be the hotel’s Culture and Heritage Ambassador, he spent time in the quarter, driving ten hours south from the fishing village of Seeb, where he grew up. He wanted to immerse himself in the world of frankincense, known by the ancient Egyptians as the ‘sweat of the gods’, to meet local farmers and learn more about its origins and significance.
Luban is harvested from the gnarled Boswellia Sacra tree, which grows in abundance in the sheltered Dhofar area. Using a special technique, with a knife called a Manqaf, a cut is made in the trunk, after which the sap slowly oozes out in tear-shaped droplets. Once it hardens, it is cut from the tree bark. At the height of the Frankincense Trail in the 4th century BC, it was one of the most precious commodities in the world – made immortal, of course, in the biblical story of the three wise men gifting it to baby Jesus. At the time, Dhofar’s ancient city of Sumhuram was a hub of activity with ships setting sail across the Arabian Sea, to trade the resin in the east, in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, and in the west, in Greece and Rome.
“In this ancient world, Frankincense was more valuable than gold, and southern Oman just happened to be rich in Frankincense,” Khalid elaborates. “The Frankincense Trail was considered the most important commercial route throughout southern Arabia. As well as carrying it by sea, frankincense was also transported by camel along the spice trails to other empires across the globe.”
With its polished floors, sumptuous bedrooms with sea views and lavish bathrooms, Shangri-La Al Husn offers the very best in Middle Eastern luxury. Yet, it has also been inspired by traditional Omani design, with its pink sandstone walls, breezy outdoor courtyards and scalloped archways. Guests can find out more about its architecture in a special heritage tour, led by Khalid, as well as visit the hotel’s peaceful frankincense garden, with its 21 trees, that Khalid refers to as his “babies.”
“There are many ways in which we use frankincense in Oman – every family will have their own traditions. My mum used to burn half a kilogram each day and it was one of the first smells I remember as a child.,” he says, standing under the branches of one of the trees. “It is commonly burnt to welcome people into the house; and also at sunrise and sunset to ward off bad energy. We also use it after a woman has given birth, to protect the new-born and create a pure atmosphere. You can also warm it in special terracotta burners, to scent clothes or fragrance the home. The highest grade of frankincense is Al Hojari, and that is boiled in water to help with sore throats or if you are feeling poorly. Every Omani household will have a bottle of this on standby.”
Eventually, the hotel hopes to be able to harvest frankincense from their own trees as they mature. In the meantime, Khalid advises guests on what type of frankincense to buy in the souk – the whiter the colour, the higher the grade — as well as overseeing the newly-launched cookery classes. Taking place in one of kitchens, guests can cook alongside one of the resort’s chefs, and learn how to whip up one of the specially-devised dishes that are subtly enhanced with luban – from frankincense- flavoured Paplou Soup (a traditional Omani fish soup) to a pistachio and cream tartlet that is filled with a frankincense ganache.
For another first-hand experience, the hotel is home to a unique Luban Spa, where every treatment is laced with frankincense. During the healing Jebel Ahkdar Rose Wrap treatment, you are covered in a pink clay infused with rose and frankincense essential oils, leaving your skin dewy soft and fragrant. It is named after Jebel Akhdar, the highest mountain range in the Gulf, where the rare Damascus Rose grows, known for its calming properties.
The Wahiba Golden Sand signature massage, meanwhile, uses the therapeutic qualities of Frankincense oil combined with traditional Arabian massage techniques. The treatment is named after the Wahiba Sands desert, a remote spot found 350km from the hotel, where guests can also visit for an overnight stay.
Taking you back to a time when Bedouin tribes would traverse these lands, you travel the latter part of your journey to the Canvas Club camp by camel. As you rise over the undulating sand dunes, you’ll arrive just in time to watch the sun set, its rays turning the endless sandy landscape burnished shades of pink and amber.
As well as three outdoor bathroom tents, there are also five tents equipped with beds and made cosy with woven rugs, handcrafted linens and carved chests. Acting as a communal living room, the majlis tent is where you are served traditional Omani food, such as aubergine mutabal dip with flatbreads, chicken Biriyani and Majboos rice flavoured with nuts, raisins and saffron. Afterwards, the remoteness of the desert strikes home as you watch the galaxy put on its light show in the dark skies.
Back at the hotel, you might also spot special additions to the hotel’s restaurant menus. At Sultanah, a chic eating spot inspired by an Omani ship, there is the ‘Phoenix from the Flames’ frankincense-infused limoncello cocktail; while at Al Muheet, with its epic views over the ocean, you might find a frankincense-spiked cheesecake. It’s unmistakeably the flavour of Oman.
Shangri-La Al Husn costs from £246 for two people, including breakfast, complimentary mini bar, afternoon tea and pre-dinner cocktails: shangri-la.com/muscat/alhusnresortandspa
The overnight, all-inclusive glamping experience costs from £1,617 for two people sharing a tent: canvascluboman.com
