Sama Wakan Heritage Homes

Beautiful view

This lodge has the most spectacular setting high up on the side of a mountain with uninterrupted views of Wadi Mistal. The altitude is around 1500m so the days and nights are nice and cool. The outdoor eatery is set out on different levels, all providing amazing views. There is a ~1km long stairway that goes up through the village and the beautiful oasis following a small water canal, terminating at a peaceful overlook – well worth doing. The drive up Wadi Mistal to the lodge is beautiful, and the last 3km adventurous as the road turns into a rough and steep 4WD road. The lodge itself is fairly rustic and basic, formerly village houses that have been renovated. Our 2-room suite was spacious and nicely renovated, however there was only one very small window, so almost no natural light. The resulting dimness made it a not very inviting place to hang out. It’s cool that it is an old Omani house, however a bit more natural light would be nice. The other problem was that the rooms had little sound-proofing - we had some noisy neighbors and we could hear all their conversions as we were trying to sleep. The steep pathway leading up to our room and up to the road was just loose cobbles and boulders, so very poor footing especially in the dark. Our AC and hot water were both great There is no Wifi connection but the 5G cell signal was quite strong and fast. The bed was nice and comfortable and the place was reasonably clean. The staff however didn’t bother to clean our room or provide fresh towels during our stay which was annoying. We had half-board and the meals were somewhat disappointing. The main problem was that the meal/portion size was extremely small, not nearly enough food for active people, but we were lucky that we had some of own food with us to supplement the meager meals. The meals were basic and tasty, but just too small! Overall we had a great stay and would definitely recommend it to other travelers. Our main complaint was the food. For the amount we paid for the room, I would’ve expected far better (and far more abundant) food.

Nice rustic place to stay one night and enjoy the beautiful Wakan Village walk. Hotel has its own parking. Manager is very friendly and helpful. Rooms are nice and clean. But food is beyond terrible!. For the night rate you'd think they can afford a decent cook, but no, it is BAD. My advice is: bring your own food.