Oman- Refurbished Al Hoota cave reopens to public
(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat-
Oman's most popular natural tourist destination, Al Hoota Cave officially reopened to public on Monday.
The opening ceremony was held under the auspices of H E Dr Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad al Saadi, Governor of Dakhliyah and in the presence of officials, guests and schoolchildren. Guests were welcomed with traditional Omani music at the reception and were taken on a tour of the all-new visitor centre. The visitors were given a lowdown on the history of the cave at the enhanced interactive geological museum which showcases over 150 items of rock, wood, corals and other unique materials. Visitors also got the opportunity to explore the cave on the electric train – the only one of its kind in Oman.
Guests enjoy a ride on the electric train
H E Dr Saadi said, 'I'm very pleased to officially reopen the Al Hoota Cave for visitors once again so that they can come and enjoy this natural wonder. Omran and the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) have done a fantastic job to make this attraction an even better place for people to come and visit.' Eng Khalid Mirza, director of projects development at Omran, said, 'We thank H E Dr Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad al Saadi for officially opening the attraction today. Omran worked exceptionally hard with MoT to enhance the Al Hoota Cave experience.' He added, 'The most striking difference tourists will discover when they visit the cave is the renovated visitor centre. It offers guests a complete family day out experience. 'We're looking forward to again giving the opportunity for both residents and tourists to come and discover one of Oman's jewels.' James Wilson, CEO of Omran said, 'We started refurbishing it about three months ago as we took it over from MoT and first thing we did was to waterproof the entire cave, we got a new train, we also refurbished the restaurant, welcome centre and new staff accommodation outside. We also have a social media and marketing team comprising Omanis. They introduced the mascots of the Al Hoota cave - laith (lion), bu naseh (blind fish) and laila (bat). We are expecting a good response during the Eid.' The schoolchildren were informed of the rich ecosystem, and shown the four fascinating lakes. Besides the opening of the cave, a new website was also launched to help interested visitors book online and pay for the tickets in advance. The website allows people to choose the experience they want. The cave is open from Saturday-Thursday (except Monday) from 9am-6pm and on Fridays from 9am-12pm and 2pm-5pm. For more information log on to www.alhootacave.com
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