Oman has the image of the last authentic place left in Arabia so we booked a week in Muscat to experience Arabian hospitality. We were hoping to see a blend of the traditional lifestyle and culture carefully balanced with a modern infrastructure.
- Recommended days 7
- Budget £££
- Difficulty Easy
Why Oman?
Oman has always occupied a strategic position on the east-west trade routes between Europe and India/Africa. With ports on the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean Oman was well placed to take advantage of trade in both Frankincense and slaves and in the 19th century moved its capital to Zanzibar to improve access to slave markets until trading in slaves was banned by a treaty with the UK in 1873. Slavery was finally abolished in Oman in 1970.
The country has always cultivated an image of maintaining the traditional Arabian culture and Sultan Qaboos, during his 50 year reign, transformed the country from a backwater to a thriving modern economy with schools, hospitals and infrastructure to match. We were hoping a week in Oman would give us a glimpse of this noble culture.
We booked Oman because Jack’s Flight Club was advertising bargain flights at less than half price. A sensible person would have looked into the why of that but we steamed ahead and booked them before finding out that our flight arrived at 3AM and left at 2AM so that was 2 awkward days and also we arrived in Ramadam. That meant no cafes, no lunches out, no sitting sipping coffee and watching life go by, just a few sneaky gulps of water in a taxi or stay in the hotel all day. The flight wasn’t direct and had an hour stopover in Istanbul, with all the associated hassle of disembarking, another security check and then re-embarking. We left home at 7.30AM to arrive at the hotel at 4AM the next day.
Our Accomodation
Again, I did far less research than I should have. I opted to stay at the Hilton Doubletree in Qurum. This was about 10 minutes drive from the old city of Muscat and 20 minutes from the airport. The downsides were there was almost nothing within walking distance and it was not in sight of the sea. The upside was we had a fabulous suite, complete with a kitchen and laundry facilities, for a bargain price and service at the hotel was even better than expected.
Muscat City Tour
By the time we’d dumped our stuff and sorted out the room it was 4:30 and we collapsed in to bed to be woken by the call to prayer 30 minutes later. It was then a fitful sleep for a couple of hours until the alarm went off at 7. The shower didn’t do much to wake me up and I was hanging when we went down for breakfast with bloodshot eyes and a brain even tardier than normal. Due to Ramadam the breakfast buffet wasn’t operating so we had a limited selection to order from a menu which was a bit surprising but we were there 45 mins and there were a total of 3 guests, including us, so maybe makes sense!
I’d booked a City tour through Viator and at 8:30 Naseeb picked us up. The tours were very expensive in Oman – I’d say double the price of most European cities so this first tour was a group tour just to save some cash. Naseeb picked us up right on time and it was only 4 of us in the group so that made things easier. Although he spoke English the tour was actually an audio commentary and he dropped us at various points to go and see the attractions.
Sultan Qaboos Mosque
First stop was the Sultan Qaboos Mosque which we’d driven past last night and it looked very impressive lit up. It is the only mosque non Muslims can visit in the country and is, naturally, magnificent. The Sultan ruled from 1970 until 2020 and transformed Oman into a modern country that still adheres to its traditional values. There is a lot of pride about customs, dress and behaviour and it seems that the country is successfully juggling western influences with Islamic ones. The country is a rigid monarchy but, with the right people in charge, it seems to work well here.
The mosque was amazing but looked like a newer version of the ones we’d seen in Uzbekistan a few months before that were 600 years old. There is certainly a universality to Islamic architecture that Christianity lacks but there also seems to be a stagnation with no obvious developments in the last 500 years. If I’m wrong about that, feel free to educate me with examples of modern mosque architecture. Anyway, it was wonderfully peaceful to walk around and had lovely gardens too and the 30 minutes we had there went far to quickly.
The next stop was the fish market but we really should have got there around sunrise as it was quiet by the time we arrived. It’s not everyone’s type of thing but the fish they had were impressive and were obviously freshly caught. I left Deb to wander round and crossed to the harbour to look across to Al Jalali Fort, one of the two originally built by the Portuguese to defend the harbour. The city itself occupies a narrow stretch of land between the mountains and the sea and the mountains are incredibly jagged and rugged.
Bait al Zubair Museum
We then got back on the minibus and drove to the Bait al Zubair Museum. This was a twentieth century Omani house, owned by a long standing government minister that was then converted to a museum to showcase Omani culture – clothes, weapons, architecture, trade and music and the differences between the regions that make up the country. Again, the 45 minutes we had here weren’t enough but we did get an overview of the country and its people and left with a greater understanding than we had before we went inside.
Next we had two photo stops, one either side of the Al Alam Palace, the old palace of the Sultan that he has recently vacated for a larger one. The gardens were beautifully manicured although we couldn’t go inside to see the interior we did see more of the harbour, the two Portuguese forts and the mountains that both protect and stifle the city. It was actually rather warm by now and even 5 minutes outside resulted in a sweaty head!
Our final stop was the Mutrah Souk, apparently the oldest in Arabia but not really our sort of thing so were back in the minibus early for a change! Probably of interest if you actually wanted to buy anything but we either didn’t need it or already had it and we’d seen plenty of souks before, from Morocco to Syria to Bukhara. Oh to be such jaded travellers!
Back at the hotel we did both try and snooze but only Deb managed it and I got up to sort photos so an early night for me I think! I went to the top floor terrace to check out the swimming pools and watch the sunset but there was nothing particularly photogenic to see other than the sun itself.
We went for lunch at the hotel, mostly due to apathy and both opted for pasta and then we shared a cheesecake and baklava selection for dessert. I think I need to drink more here as we haven’t been able to go to cafes in the day and the tea/coffee we have had in the mornings and evenings have been such small cups I have probably drunk a quarter of what I’d have in the UK.
We were both in bed before 10 and I immediately fell into a deep sleep, only to be woken by the alarm a bit later. I say alarm because there was a loud blaring, I assumed, in my semi comatose state I’d set the alarm on the bedside cabinet so frantically pressed things and pulled out leads until it stopped. Laid back down and a few minutes it started again, Deb realised it was a fire alarm but in my sleep befuddled state I had no clue. It then stopped again before going off a third time so we got dressed and went into the corridor but no one else was there so we just waited for a bit and then went back to bed. Most frustrating but I then slept soundly until our actual alarm went off at 7 in the morning.
Nizwa, Bahla and Jabreen Forts
Breakfast on Friday was a bit more relaxed as we knew the routine now and we also ate a bit more as we knew it’d be another 12 hours before we ate again. The trip today, again booked with Oman Golden Tours through Viator, was a private tour of Nizwa, Bahla and Jabreen forts. Our guide, Juma, picked us up on time and we set off for the 90 minute drive to Nizwa. I’d like to regale you with tales of the magnificent scenery but I fell asleep almost straight away and woke up as we were parking the car!
Nizwa Souk
We started with a walk through the souk which was actually lovely, more European in that there was no haggling or pressure to by or even look, just stalls with goods for sale. Probably not an authentic experience but we actually bought a few things because there was no pressure, unlike yesterdays visit to Mutrah Souk in Muscat. We walked the short distance to the fort and Juma bought our tickets and then very kindly took Deb’s shopping to put in the car to save her carrying it around. The fort was built when Nizwa was the capital of Oman and is apparently the most visited attraction in the country.
Nizwa Fort
The fort was constructed in the 1650’s and is over an underground stream to ensure it could survive sieges. The castle and associated administrative buildings huddle around it with the fort and its 30m high walls acting as a keep, the final line of defence. The castle was a real warren of buildings and of course we hadn’t looked at a map or plan so we wandered up and down stairs, through corridors and in and out of various rooms. Most were empty but some had carpets and cushions in to show how they’d have looked as meeting rooms or study rooms.
The exhibition on the restoration of the fort was very well done with before and after pictures of each section as well as information on how it was built. The section on the history of Oman was also very good, placing it in a world context through the ages. There were also women demonstrating traditional handicrafts which was lovely to watch.
We may well have missed something amazing but we spent well over an hour before we even got to the fort itself. The design was quite clever with the entry route being blocked by doors with murder holes above the could be used to either pour boiling date juice on the attackers or to pour water on the doors if they were set alight.
The fort itself was a shell keep and firing platform with plenty of space inside for locals to shelter with their livestock and stores for food and ammunition as well as 4 wells. The views from the walls over the oasis were quite awesome, with the obligatory mountains all around.
Before leaving Nizwa we visited the small animal preserve in the castle garden. This was a bit mixed, we bought some food for Deb to feed the animals but I got the impression that a lot of them didn’t want to be there. There were plenty of rabbits and goats and they seemed to have a great time but the solitary donkey, solitary camel and two oryx seemed sad and lonely. It was nice to see them though but I’d suggest this is the next area to develop, to improve the environment and allow more social grouping for the exhibits so there’s a balance between their welfare and our education.
It was now lunchtime but there was no lunch available due to Ramadam and despite Juma’s best efforts, stopping at 4 supermarkets, none were open at all. We drove along more of the excellent Omani roads to our next stop, Bahla Castle. I did actually stay awake for this part and we drove past more rocky desert and mountains, which seemed to comprises of a series of sharp ridges which must be a nightmare to traverse or fight over as there was almost no obvious cover or shade and a lot of the rock looked more like shale than anything solid. Based on today’s experience of good roads, lots of signposts for all the attractions and drivers that obey traffic lights, I wish we’d looked into hiring a car.
Bahla Fort
Bahla’s Fort is just across the road from the mosque so being both Friday and the start of Ramadam. the area was busy! The fort was huge and older than Nizwa with a solid stone base level and various towers properly organised for defence. The fort was built of mud brick to guard frankincense trade routes, probably in the 12th century and is the largest in Oman. Construction was certainly cruder than Nizwa, or at least the finish of the buildings, with no smoothed walls or decoration.
The heat was pretty oppressive by now so Deb went to sit in the shade whilst I clambered up stairs, along walls and in and out of rooms, vaguely following the perimeter of the wall. There were a few other tourists around but most seemed to be following Deb’s example so I had the place almost to myself as Juma had gone to perform his prayers in the Friday Mosque. The rooms outside the kasbah, fortified citadel, were all bare of both decoration and furnishing but the walls were thick enough to allow niches to be built in to them.
I couldn’t go to the top of the tower as that was ladder access only and blocked off but there were nice views over the oasis from the walls and several other mud brick buildings in various states of decay. The town is apparently surrounded by the original city wall, or as original as it can get being patched up after each rainy season.
The kasbah had massively high rooms on the ground floor and some beautiful wooden doors as well as Islamic inscriptions in the entrance hall. I spent some more time exploring here before returning to Deb for us both to walk around the handicraft section next to the (closed) cafe where she was sat. This was very pretty with some lovely modern design touches to show off the pottery workshop’s output. We didn’t spend as long here as at Nizwa as there was no exhibition and most of the rooms were empty. The place was far more of a military building than one with any unnecessary decoration or luxury.
Jabreen Castle
We tried a few more supermarkets after leaving and eventually got lucky and found one open, Juma very kindly buying us orange juice and water as I was suffering a bit in the heat although he had another 4 hours to go before he could eat or drink! It was a short drive to our final stop, Jabreen Castle. After visiting we decided that calling it a castle was really a misnomer, in the UK it would have been a fortified manor house. The outer wall was quite low and more for show than defence while the interior was beautifully decorated and a palace type residence.
The ceilings in some of the rooms were ornately painted and others had delicate plasterwork or stone inscriptions. Some rooms were furnished with carpets, travelling chests and books and there was also a small armoury to visit. The exhibition in one of the rooms told about the castle’s founder, Imam Bil’arab-bin Sultan al-Yarubi in the seventeenth century. He is actually buried in the castle and he helped expand Oman as far as the coast of Mozambique, building the countries wealth through trading in slaves. He defeated the Portuguese and even raided as far as India as well as expanding trade and education.
The rooms in Jabreen Castle were brighter than either of the previous forts, with tall windows in most rooms and the place had a lovely feel to it, despite being another warren. Interestingly, none of the places we visited today had a hamman, just bathrooms for sluicing yourself clean with water. My favourite feature and perhaps the one that made it most homely, was the open central courtyard. This was a beautiful and tranquil area in the middle of the fort that was immersed in shade but still plenty bright enough, just without some of the heat.
That was it for today, 3 forts that were all impressive and each showed a different aspect of Omani heritage. I think we were very lucky with Juma who exemplified Omani traditions of looking after guests and being calm and polite. All in all a fabulous, if tiring day! We had room service at the hotel as the photos and write up took me over 5 hours to do so we didn’t have time to go out!
Wadi Bani Khalid and the Wahiba Desert
After an abysmal nights sleep for both of us, the alarm woke us at 6:30AM for Saturday’s trip to Wadi Bani Khalid and the Wahiba Desert. We met Fahar at 8 having booked again through Viator with this tour arranged by GidOman. We drove to pick up another couple and started the two hour drive to the south east. Fahar was another steady driver and gave us plenty of information about the country although I did nod off for part of the drive!
The roads are quite amazing here, sheared through the rock and excellent quality. The signs and directions are all in English and Arabic and driving seems very chilled, no beeping, people obeying lights and even using indicators! I can imagine that the roads have really opened up access to the country and encouraged both industry and development outside the capital. There were also lots of housing developments along the road, they all seemed to be private walled villas rather than anything smaller so I don’t know where the poor people live, if there are any here.
First stop was the wadi at Bani Khalid. Fahar was telling us about the flooding last month with a French honeymoon couple killed in a flash flood and 1m of rain falling in an hour! We drove through some minor fords before parking up and walking along the aflaj (irrigation system) to the wadi proper. We were very unsure about this trip but luckily the other couple were like us so we skipped the camel ride and none of us went for a swim either! It was quite lucky we hadn’t planned to in fact as both men and women had to wear tshirt and shorts in the pools which we wouldn’t have been prepared for and my mankini may have stood out a bit.
I walked as far up the wadi as you could and it was a beautiful hike although the rock was quite treacherous in places and there was certainly nowhere to go if there was a flash flood. Deb stopped at one of the pools and dipped her feet in and lots of fish swam up to clean them for her, a mini pedicure. The frogs here were incredibly vocal but I only saw one of them and it was about the size of a doormouse and there were lots of large dragonflies.
We then wandered back to the more open area where there was a cafe and were actually able to get an ice cream, kindly paid for by Fahar. A few people were paddling and one actually swimming but most seemed to just be enjoying the peace and the view.
Wahiba Desert
We returned to the car and drove a short distance to Bidiyah to get the tyres deflated ready for the desert. There then followed some driving to show us what angles the 4*4 could drive out and how to take the steep ridges without launching over the top. We passed several small camp sites, some hobbled camels and a few other 4*4s before stopping so we could get out and have a wander.
The sand was amazingly fine but a lot easier to walk on than expected and it was beautiful to see actual sand dunes. It was also rather hot! We spent maybe 15 minutes walking up and down dunes and taking photos before returning to the car.
After reinflating the tires we drove back to Muscat and stopped at a date shop to get some fardh dates – apparently low sugar and high fibre so if that works we’ll get those regularly. A lot of driving for being outside the car less than 2 hours but two very different experiences and well worth the time. Especially as we were dozing rather than driving!
Once back at the hotel I had a very welcome shower and Deb did a washing load, a definite advantage to having the suite! It was then the usual routine of notes and photos although we’d done a lot less than yesterday so that saved time. Dinner was room service again, more hummus, salad and this time a chocolate fondant for dessert. We did have a trip booked for Weds but looking in to it you had to swim to get to the final stage so I cancelled that and booked a sunset cruise instead, much more civilised!
Sunset Cruise
Sunday was a day of relaxation, I slept 10 hours and didn’t wake up until 9AM! We had a relaxed breakfast, ably served by Chin and then went back up to our rooms. Deb went onto the top floor terrace and sunbathed whilst I caught up on photos and then looked at options for the next few days. Tech here is a bit frustrating – the internet works quickly but takes a while to start any app or web search. I tried to download the Omantaxi app but it seemed to have a problem sending an SMS to a UK mobile – I’d much prefer to have an easy option to book a taxi when we’re out rather than having to wave one down.
We got a taxi from the hotel and just arrived at the marina in time for our sunset cruise. We got on the dhow style boat and were lucky as it was only about 25% capacity so we could swap sides as the views changed. The water was so smooth it was amazing (and lucky as I get sea sick on a pedalo!) and the captain expertly drove us between viewpoints and then cut the engine so we could take in the view and get our photos without pressure.
We had dates, water and soft drinks on board which was very pleasant as we cruised past various forts, watchtowers and palaces before turning back at the main port and cruise terminal. The sun by now was a dim yellow glow just above the ridge line and after it disappeared we headed back to the Al Rowdha Marina. The narrative doesn’t really explain how pleasant and relaxing this trip was, the early evening being warm rather than oppressive combined with the fantastic views and calm seas made it a memorable experience. The crew were all extremely polite and decent and the boat clean and comfortable, with either a cushioned floor area or seats to sit on.
Bait Alyasmine Restaurant
We met our arranged taxi and headed back to the hotel to quickly change and go out for dinner. There was a Syrian restaurant near the hotel, Bait Alyasmine, so we popped in there. It was definitely different to the Doubletree with live Arabic music playing, lots of glitzy light fittings and a non Western clientele. We had a fantastic meal – two different salads, kebbeh, a warm yoghurt, aubergine, cashew and honey dish and a date cocktail, all beautifully presented and delicious. It was a wonderful evening with everyone breaking their Ramadam fasts, engaging staff and superb food.
National Museum of Oman
On Monday Deb woke me at 8, which was a first! We had breakfast and then really had a chilled morning in the rooms, just sorting photos, research etc. Due to Ramadam so many places on my list are closed or have different opening hours that we will certainly not see everything in this area during this week. We arranged with Ali, our taxi driver, to collect us at 13:00 to go to the National Museum of Oman.
Entry was 10 OMR for the 2 of us and the museum was superb. There were few other visitors and the museum was well laid out with all explanation panels in English, Arabic and braille. There was a multitude of different galleries covering weapons, seafaring, Islam, agriculture, trade, clothing, architecture and probably more. I really can’t fault a single aspect of the museum, there were clear explanations for every exhibit, there were interactive displays to show how the old wooden boats were made and plenty of maps to show which region was being spoken about.
Each gallery had portable stools that you could use if you wanted a breather and the whole prehistory and history of the region was covered. We discovered some awesome looking sites that I wasn’t aware of that have now been added to my travel list! We spent 2 hours in the museum and only left because they were closing at 3PM (which we didn’t know or we’d have got there earlier).
Muscat Old City Gate
It was actually nice to get outside as the AC in the museum was rather chilly and we started to walk towards Muscat Old City Gate, where we were due to meet Ali. Pedestrians must be a novelty here as pretty much every taxi stopped and told us to get inside although it was only a 10 – 15 minute walk. It was a bit warm but it was nice to be doing something and the pavement was shaded with palm trees and wide and clean.
When we got to the gate Deb stayed in the shade and I walked up the steps, crossed the top of the gate and then took some photos from each side. The Gate Museum was closed but we kinda expected that so I walked back to Deb and then Ali turned up so we went back to the hotel, a rather brief little excursion. It gave us a chance to relax again, before a nice sunset swim in the rooftop pool.
After a quick shower we dressed and left to go out into the deliciously warm air for a quick walk to Al Mayssam Lebanese restaurant. This had been recommended to Deb by some bloke she was chatting to and for some reason we chose to sit inside under the AC, rather than enjoying outdoor dining. The menu was in English, with pictures too which always helps! The portions were certainly generous and we couldn’t actually eat all of it, actually we managed just over half! The guys working there were very helpful with excellent English and prices were a bargain. We waddled back to the hotel very full indeed.
I have finally admitted defeat and think I need to put the AC on overnight. Monday night was very restless and I got up at 6 as it was just too hot in the room. I drank a whole bottle of water before Deb got up and I think the Ramadam-not-drinking-in-the-day thing doesn’t help!
Qurum Beach
Ali’s brother picked us up at 7.30 and dropped us at Qurum Beach. It was already warm (27 degrees C) and we popped into Starbucks, expecting it to be closed for Ramadam but apparently not. We ordered our drinks, went to sit down and was told they were takeaway only, to drink in the car. As we didn’t have a car we compromised, crossed the road, went down the steps to the beach and huddled out of view to drink our iced lattes.
The beach at Qurum was beautiful, a long stretch of sand and ridiculously shallow. There was a guy maybe 20m out from the shoreline and he wasn’t even up to his waist. The whole beach had nothing at all on it though – no benches, no stacks of loungers or umbrellas, no vendors of any kind so I’m guessing that it is just too hot to be a practical activity here. A lot of the steps we passed were eroded and battered so the bottom step or two were missing leaving quite a jump to the sand.
We returned to the road and crossed over to walk past the mangrove swamp the forms the edge of the park we were intending to visit. Deb was getting stroppy now as it was my fault it was hot and that we were walking but she did manage the 20 minutes to get to the park entrance. The park was closed but the signs on the door and website both said it opened at 9 so we waited and waited and waited until we gave up at 9:30 and flagged a taxi down.
The guy spoke some English but couldn’t read it so I couldn’t show him the map of where we wanted to go. He seemed to know Hilton though so headed off, in the wrong direction, we eventually got there with me directing him from the back seat. He was a lovely guy though and very apologetic for something that was hardly his fault.
We went straight into the breakfast lounge in the hotel and were the only guests, rather lucky considering our sweaty state! After our normal breakfast we got to our room to chill for a bit before going for a swim and then drying off on the lounger. Deb stayed there for a while longer but I came back to the room and did some future holiday research while I had some ideas in my head! I had a doze in the afternoon before meeting Ali at 4:30 to go to Mutrah Fort.
Mutrah Fort
Mutrah is the third fort on the Muscat coastline and guarded the bay just north of the main harbour. Another fort built by the Portuguese, on the site of an earlier structure, in the 16th century, it is now actually open to the public. It’s quite a climb to get to and there isn’t much there, some eighteenth century canons and a 1930’s French Hotchkiss gun, all set up on battlements and turrets. I couldn’t see how to get in to the main tower at the east end of the fort but the views from the places we did get to were impressive.
The fort is small and probably didn’t have many troops stationed there but it could mount a decent amount of artillery to deter any attackers. We were able to look down on a docked Russian ship, flying a flotilla commander’s flag so that was surprising. With a bit of research I found it is the Russian frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov (543), in the area after exercises in Qatar but I was surprised it was in Oman, considering Western/Russian relations at the moment.
Mutrah Souk
After the fort, we walked the short distance to Mutrah souk to give that another go. A cruise ship had docked earlier in the day so there were plenty of other victims and this trip was a bit more mellow. Deb bought a few bits and then we found somewhere to eat. We chose somewhere that had lots of locals, mostly sat there with their food covered in clingfilm but ready to eat as soon as the sun had set.
We sat down and ordered our food and the guys at the next table shared some dates with us, from their own tree and they then gave us the bag to take back. All the Omani’s we’ve met have been very helpful, friendly and decent, a real pleasure to interact with.
Ali was waiting at 7 to take us back to the hotel and we had a good chat about kids and grand kids and then went to our room while he collected his next customer. Foolishly I had taken lots of pictures so that was my evening taken up, sorting them.
Bait Alyasmine Restaurant
Our final day in Muscat was spent doing very little. We had breakfast and a swim, Deb spent a while on the lounger but we were conscious that we had to be up at 1AM for our flights the next day. Ramadam meant the city was quiet and obviously cafes closed so there wasn’t much to do locally although if we’d have had a car there were places to go relatively nearby.
I would have liked to do some hiking in the hills as Oman has some excellent hiking paths and obviously the scenery is amazing but that isn’t really Deb’s thing anymore. Other than packing the only thing we actually did was to go back to Bait Alyasmine Restaurant for dinner.
Unknowingly I think we visited on the celebration for the end of the first stage of Ramadam. The restaurant was packed with just one table left. I have to say, it was one of the nicest culinary experiences of my life. The food was obviously fantastic but the atmosphere was something else. Everyone was involved in the celebration and there was music, ululating and dancing, it really was a wonderful end to our week in Oman.
Notes
Omani’s are intensely proud of their culture so respect it. Follow the dress codes and behave in a civilised manner.
It’s hot! Even in March it was low 30’s by mid morning.
Oman is expensive – budget on £300 for a private full day tour for a couple, maybe half that for a group tour.
Distances are large – I’d say to see all the country you need a few nights on the UAE border, a few in Muscat and a few in the south, near (but not too near!) Yemen. We still have a lot to see in the country that wasn’t practical to visit from Muscat.
Roads are fabulous, road signs extensive and in English and fuel is cheap so consider self drive as our experience of their driving was very good.
Take mosquito treatment – I got badly bitten on my ankles and elbows or I suppose the more sensible solution is to wear long trousers and long sleeves!