After our time in Dubai we made our way to Oman by car. This was not the smartest decision and looking back I wish we had taken the plane. It would have saved us a lot of time especially since we didn’t know how much time we would have to wait at the borders. All in all, we didn’t have too much time in Oman which is a little sad because the country is absolutely beautiful. However, we tried to make the most of our stay and here’s a little summary of the things we explored in four days in Oman.
Muscat City
Muscat is Oman’s capital and a point of origin in the old city is the Mutrah Corniche -a boardwalk along the harbor. When you walk along the Corniche, Muscat feels like a little fishing village. A stroll on the Corniche is perfect for taking in the view of the ocean and the city. I would also recommend visiting the Mutrah Souq and getting lost in the little alleyways and narrow streets just across the Corniche.
Al Alam Palace
The Sultan’s palace is about a 10-minutes drive away from the Corniche. The palace is closed to the public. However, it’s worth checking out the unique palace building as well as the surrounding area with forts, museums and numerous royal edifices.
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is the main mosque in the Sultanate of Oman and located in Muscat. Unfortunately, we arrived shortly after the mosque closed and we were unable to go inside. However, you can see how beautiful the mosque is already from the outside. What I especially liked was that it is built out of sandstone. That makes it unique in my eyes because I have almost only seen white or very light-colored mosques so far.
Boat Tour
On our last night we booked a sunset boat tour on a whim. We started from the port in Muscat with Captain Salim from Alsansool Sea Tours who took us out on the Gulf of Oman. It was just my husband and I and it was a very lovely tour along Muscat’s coastline. Captain Salim was very friendly and told us a lot about himself, the country, Muscat as well as the Sultan. It turned out that he used to work for Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said in the palace. The scenery and rock formations we saw on our tour were gorgeous and the sunset incredible to watch.
Wadi Shab
Our only day trip outside of Muscat was to Wadi Shab. You drive about 1.5 hours from Muscat to get there. When you reach your destination you have to take a boat to get across the river and from there you start hiking through a canyon along the river. The hike is about 30-50 minutes long depending on your physical fitness. You have to climb over rocks at times, so it’s important to wear appropriate shoes.
After you arrive at the wadi – a pool of turquoise water in midst of the canyon – you can can cool off in the water and walk further inside the canyon. Eventually, you will reach a cave with a waterfall inside. (Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see the cave since I slipped when I stepped into the pool and fractured my arm. At that point, I didn’t know if it was broken but we headed back to Muscat to go to a hospital.)
All in all, I truly enjoyed visiting Oman, despite only having four days worth of time. There’s so much more you can do and that I originally wanted to do. For instance, I wanted to go on a dune bashing tour where you drive through the dunes in an ATV. I also would have liked to ride on a camel through the desert. But after I broke my arm we were limited in the activities we could do. I truly hope that I will have the opportunity to visit this country again in the future.
Have you ever visited Oman or another Middle Eastern country? Would you like to go on a dune bashing tour as well?
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