The Sultanate of Oman is truly the jewel of the Middle East. Its natural beauty goes beyond its breath-taking wadis, white-sand beaches and desolate bays hidden amid soaring cliffs, to the lush green belt of Salalah, where the endless rolling hills will leave you wondering if you're still in a desert.
It is best to plan your agenda, in order to avoid going back on yourself and wasting precious time, as distances can be quite long. The roads are excellent and the people very peaceful, and can be approached for help if lost.
Beaches galore
Whether you're planning a day trip or an extended weekend away, there are several places to visit within 200 kilometres of the capital city, Muscat. It is best to take a 4x4 as the terrain differs from place to place. If you're a beach-bum then you're in luck, because if you throw a stone anywhere in Muscat, you'll likely hit a beach.
However, if you're looking for something more specific to do, such as diving, then you must stop at the Oman Diving Centre (ODC) in Bandar Jissah, but watch your budget. It is a quiet beach-cove and is absolutely stunning when the tide pulls out, as almost half the cove turns into a soft sandy beach with exposed gorges of corals in the making. It also has little beach huts, a bar and restaurant and camping ground. The beach huts are quite basic and can be rented out for OMR90 (about Dh859) per night, which, to be honest, is not really worth it, when you can put that towards a night at the lovely Shangri-La, a stone's throw away in Barr Al Jissah. Diving trips at ODC start from OMR6 with diving equipment rentals from OMR3. If you're not a diver, don't worry, diving courses for beginners are also available in a diving pool. There is a basic entry fee to the diving centre of OMR4 per person. If diving is not on your agenda, the ODC beach is still worth a visit.
Even though ODC is recommended by most divers for convenience, not all are happy with the price. Ahmed Morsi, an advertising professional from Egypt and an avid diver, feels that the pricing lets the club down.
"ODC is the most convenient place to dive in Oman as it's an official diving centre but it's too expensive," he says. "I spent OMR30 in all for a two-hour dive. It's a nice dive, but not worth the money. They have good instructors, the underwater experience is good, but I don't think I'd go back there to dive again. I've also dived at Bandar Khayran and that is way better and reasonable," he adds.
Nizwa and Misfah
Once you get your fill of the sun and sand, you might want to head out to the mountainous terrain of Oman's former capital, Nizwa. The old fort is a must-see and is probably the best example of old Arabian architecture anywhere in the Gulf. The best time to visit Nizwa is on Friday morning at about 8am, when you can witness animal auctions taking place in true Bedouin style. Just next door is the ancient village of Misfah, which will give you a glimpse into the Arabian culture and style of living. Some houses here are almost 400 years old.
Travel enthusiast Juan Poveda from Madrid in Spain, who visited Nizwa and Misfah says it was fascinating to see people still living such a natural life in the mountains.
"The Nizwa fort is worth seeing and the people in the stores of the souq are incredibly friendly," he says. "Imagine, at the perfume store, they gave us four free samples to go along with our purchases. [A friend] broke a crystal lamp by mistake and [the owner] was totally cool about it.
"We also went to the village of Misfah, an amazing little town up the mountains. It took me back to the old towns of Andalusia and Extremadura in Spain. There was a system of water canals and irrigation that was very nice. The scenery is also just amazing. There were these huge mountains of rock and wadis, inside which, people are having picnics. It was such an enriching experience," adds Poveda.
Another excursion is to the Yeti beach and beyond, to Bandar Khayran. Both places offer an insight into what traditional Omani fishing villages are like. The beaches here are pristine and virginal. The route to both places offer stunning landscapes of turquoise coves alongside the road as you drive through mountains and valleys. Once you get off the main road, keep an eye out for signposts as some of them are not very obvious and you could easily lose your way.
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‘Not to do' checklist
If it rains, avoid wadis and low-lying areas. Oman is notorious for flash floods.
If you're driving, be careful of reckless drivers.
Petrol pumps are scarce once you exit the city limits, so fill up your tank before you head out.
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When in Oman...
Jet ski. Even though there is plenty more to do in the country, taking an hour out of your day to get out onto that azure sea is pardonable. Shatti Qurum beach, near Jawharat Al Shatti has jet skis that you can rent out for around OMR10 (about Dh95) per hour.
The Al Alam Palace, which looks like it was plucked straight out of a story book, is a sight for sore eyes. It was built in the 1970s and overlooks the Muscat harbour, another sight worth seeing. The palace is not open to visitors. You can just about walk up to its gates, which is close enough.
Wadi-bashing is a very Middle Eastern sport. It involves you inside a 4x4 driving up or down a dry river bed that due to its winding nature and bed-rock adds enough of a thrill to make it a sport.
