Oman
Closed to the outside world for many years, Oman retains an air of mystery and romance. The rugged beauty of the interior creates dramatic contrasts between mountains and plains, deserts and verdant valleys. Muscat is the capital and the narrow alleys of the Muttrah quarter of the city with its traditional markets selling frankincense and sandalwood is a wonderful place to explore.
Oman is a stunning contrast of deserts, mountains, beaches with all the comforts of a bustling, modern metropolis. Oman's diverse terrain of mountains, deserts and seascapes, are an outdoor enthusiast's dream come true. From diving to photography to rock climbing to ice skating. Oman offers a variety of activities to suit the taste of any traveler.
There is no doubt that Oman is lined with some stunning beaches. With over 1600 km (1000 miles) of coastline, much of it accessible, there is just about any activity the average beach goer can find from sunning, swimming, diving, snorkeling, boating, surfing and sail boarding, beach combing and shell collecting. In the Muscat area several major hotels are on beach front property. Oman has an ancient seagoing heritage - one they are proud of - don't miss spending some time out on the water.
Muscat has earned a reputation amongst travellers as a city of natural beauty and friendly smiles. An intriguing place to visit, Muscat has something to offer to every traveller. For travellers who wish to learn more about the 16 th century Portuguese occupation of Muscat, there are the magnificent Jelali, Miran and Muttrah Forts. For souvenir hunting travellers, Muscat offers shopping opportunities aplenty in the Qurum Area shopping districts and the Old Muttrah Souq (market), also renowned as the most interesting bazaar in Arabia.
For travellers eager for a slice of history, there are the excellent Sultan’s Armed Forces Museum. And for travellers who yearn for some sea, sand and sun, there is the popular Marina Bandar Al Rowdha in Central Muscat which offers water-sports, dolphin watching and countless marine-related activities.
Oman today certainly offers graceful living in an authentic atmosphere not spoilt by commercial excesses. Instead, the discerning visitor is welcomed by a hospitable, gracious people living in a beautiful and exciting country featuring most everything from sun-drenched beaches with year-round bathing to luscious oases, breathtaking deserts and amazing wildlife on land and in the sea.
Lying in the extreme south of Oman, Salalah is the capital of the Dhofar region and is a major tourist attraction. Because of the monsoon, the area is climatically different from the rest of Oman. Abundance of water and humidity give life to flora and fauna and make the area lushly green.
The town has many attractions, incluiding the gold souqs with hand crafted jewellery, and the Al Hain Souq for traditional and modern goods. b
Beyond Muscat, the north west of Oman is a harsh, rugged, mountainous country. During Oman’s winter, fierce rainstorms rush straight off the hard mountain rocks and turn country tracks into raging torrents. There are still vestiges of the winter floods in summer - huge puddles which are made full use of on "wadi bashing" jeep trips!
Oman offers the best diving in the Gulf. Visibility is variable throughout the year, ranging from 20-30m on average, although July to September generally offers the greatest visibility - the one downside to this is the searing temperatures to which Oman is subjected during the summer. However, the sea is a pleasant temperature no matter how hot the land is. During the winter months (October to March), the sea temperature drops to 20-25degC and you may require a 5mm wetsuit. During the summer months (April to September), as the sea temperature rises, a 3mm wetsuit will suffice.
There are many superb dive sites around the capital area, including Cemetery Bay, Fahal Island, Kalbuh and the Dimaaniyat Islands. The range of marine life is also astounding and one can expect to see: Lemon Sharks, Black Tip Reef Sharks, dolphins, turtles, lobsters, Sting Rays, Eagle Rays, sea cucumbers, octopi, sea slugs, various sea anenomes, varieties of coral including Brain, Stag, Teddy Bear, and Table; Honeycomb Morays, Zebra Morays, Barracuda, Picasso and Blue Triggerfish, Spotfin Lionfish, Blue Tang, Grouper, Blackfinned Melon Butterfly Fish, Cornetfish, Parrot Fish, Soldier Fish…amongst many, many other creatures.
Fahal Island dives often involve finning through an 'L-shaped' tunnel through the island. The island attracts many sharks, namely black tip reef sharks and lemon sharks, some of which are around 4m in length.
The Dimaaniyat Islands, off the coast of Al Sawadi, provide some spectacular dives: in particular, huge clusters of table coral can be found off the Fad Island. The marine life is particularly prolific around these islands, which may be due to their protected status.
Royal Oman Navy has made its contribution to Omani dive sites by sinking the 84 metre ship, "Al Munnassir” . The 3,000 tonne ship was sunk in 30 metres of water in the turquoise waters of Bandar Khairan close to the country’s capital, Muscat.
Weather:<br>
Best: Oct-April. Cool [upper 20's C] and dry in most areas.
Worst: June-Sept. Hot [30-40C] and humid with probable rains in the south e.g Salalah.
The fasting month of Ramadan can be tricky so best to avoid that too.
Getting There:
The only airline with non-stop flights between the UK and Muscat is Gulf Air (0870 777 1717; Website from London Heathrow. British Airways (0870 850 9850; Website flies from Heathrow but stops en route at Abu Dhabi. Connections are available on several airlines; Emirates (0870 243 2222; Website has the widest range of UK airports on its services via Dubai, with flights from Gatwick, Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow.
UK citizens need a visa to visit Oman; you can get a one-month visa on arrival at Muscat's Seeb airport which costs 6 rials (£8.20), in cash. For the latest information, contact Oman's London embassy (0207-225 0001; Omani Embassy. Seeb International Airport is 37km from Mutrah, the part of Muscat where tourists tend to head. A taxi costs around 7 rials (£9.60), or you can walk across to the main road from where there are frequent buses for around 1 rial (£1.40) into the city.
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reality check
Oman is a safe friendly country that welcomes western visitors - women need have no concerns here. Dress appropriately away from the beach but no need to cover your head. Alcohol is heavily restricted in Oman and only up-market hotels tend to sell it. Kahwa (coffee flavoured with cardamom) is Oman's favoured tipple. Make sure you visit the souks - gold is a good buy. Schwarma, a delicious meat snack served in pitta bread is served everywhere - better than McDonalds!
Oman - 2003 by Steve Dudley
Musandam Magic by Neil Bedwin
Diving Musandam, Oman - 2006 by Sarah Lee and Ken Scott
Oman 2006 by Raj Mistry
Nabucco Extra Divers, Oman 2006 by Eddie Clamp
Bluzone Watersports
Global Scuba
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