Airport review: Muscat International Airport, Oman

Screening is fast, efficient and almost pleasant – Muscat's airport staff were nominated best in the Middle East in the recent Skytrax awards. Staff are positioned throughout the airport to answer questions and direct travellers.

CHECK-IN

As I'm on a long transit between flights, my bags are already checked through, but although passengers are splitting off for flights to Paris, London, the near and the far East, there's a marked absence of panic. Still operating at less than half its capacity of 20 million – compared with Dubai's 98 million capacity – the airport's so calm, it's almost surreal.

FOOD AND DRINK

Heaven is a cup of karak, the Arabian version of Indian chai: sweet, milky and spiced with pepper, cardamon, cinnamon and cloves. The airside Arabian-style café Khawaji spikes its karak with saffron – the world's most expensive spice – elevating a workers' drink to rockstar status. It's not cheap, though: a cup costs around $9. Savour it. Otherwise, try a Turkish coffee in the arrivals hall at Selamlique Istanbul. The usual US fast-food chains are also here.

RETAIL THERAPY

Oman's calling card is the heavy, luxurious scent of Amouage, at one point the most expensive perfume in the world, so take a run through the testers for a quick masterclass in Arabian fragrance. Fun buys include the distinctive Omani kumar (cap), floaty kaftans, soap with myrrh, rose-infused cosmetics from the fields on Jabal Al Akhdar and frankincense, which is wrought into body oils and face creams, and even a breath-freshening chew. Snap it all up in the Souq of Oman gift shops.

PASSING TIME

To use the free WI-FI, you must obtain a code from one of the machines around the airport, which scans your passport before issuing the code. Painful if there's a queue. For long transits, you could bunk down at the Aerotel, on the top floor of the terminal. However, the rates skyrocket during local holidays, so it may be cheaper to take a taxi to one of the nearby hotels. I booked a six-hour day stay at the nearby Novotel Muscat Airport, which has a pool and reasonable day rates. Smokers are accommodated in pungent, air-conditioned glass rooms sponsored by cigarette companies, avoiding the 42 degree temperatures outside at 11am. A bright children's playcentre and day spa round out the offerings.

THE VERDICT

Positioning itself as an alternative to the Middle Eastern hubs of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, luxurious little Muscat has all the swish and convenience, without the schlep of its much larger counterparts – bring on the direct flights from Australia.

OUR RATING OUT OF FIVE

★★★★½

Belinda Jackson travelled at her own expense.