Oman Travel Guide
Information and Advice

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Explore! offers regular Oman Tours as well as trekking or traditional dhow sailing exploration holidays. Brochure | Heights of Oman [trek] | Arabian Sands | Arabian Nights [kid friendly] | Dhow Sea Trek

Oman Travel Guide, climate:

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 [Sept 24 - Oct 22 '06; Sept 13 - Oct 11 '07; Sept 1 - Sept 29 '08].

Length of stay:
Minimum worthwhile stay, not incl. flights: 3/4days: Muscat, a beach, a quick drive around.
Recommended: 1 week.

Oman Festivals Guide:
Ramadan month [see above] can be a problem because Muslims fast during daylight hours - including no drink. Services, like taxis or restaurants, can be difficult to find as staff often don't work. If they do work you may feel guilty about slurping half a litre of chilled water when the poor bloke next to you hasn't drunk anything for 6 hours.
Nov, Eid el Fitr, the biggest celebration - for the end of Ramadan.
April/March, Eid el Adha, celebrating the pigrimage to Mecca.
June/July, Mohammed's birthday.
Nov, National Day. Official celebrations, mostly dull and everything closes.

For some precise dates, more suggestions and information see: Exotic Festivals

Activities Guide:
Driving: This is easy motoring country with good roads and careful drivers, so, if you can afford it, a 4WD self drive is the way to see Oman efficiently.
Climbing/Hiking: very rocky, very hot, but stunning views, remote villages and secret oases are out there.The Hajar mountain range should provide a few handholds.
Wadi Bashing: the classic expats' weekend fun in the sun consists of travelling up dried river beds on foot, hoof or tyres. Some wadis are very, very pretty and there's plenty of choice. Wadi Bani Awf is a favourite.
Desert camping: another local favourite is camping out in the Wahiba desert's rolling dunes [much of Oman is rigid rocks!]. The desert's silence is incredible. Transport required, whether 4 legged or 4 wheeled.
Watersports: most beachside hotels will offer a good range of beach equipment, from sailing to scuba, especially in Muscat and Salalah.
Fishing: Big game fishing is a growing sport here, especially from Salalah. The season is Oct-May, best Jan-April.

Wildlife: Oman has strict laws against hunting and several large nature reserves:
Sealife: Turtle nest at Ras el Jinz and on Dimaaniyat Islands Reserve [permits required], while many species of whale and dolphin also swim these rich waters. Whale watching is a growing attraction.
Scuba Diving: plenty of underwater action, especially around the Dimaaniyat Islands and around the distant Musandam Peninsula.
Birds: Flamingoes and a zillion other water fowl travel to Salalah [Dec/Jan] and African migratory birds [May]. Muscat hosts birds of prey such as spotted eagles and kestrels [Oct/Nov].
Leggy animals: Other Reserves such as Arabian Oryx Sanctuary have leopards, sand cats, wildcats, desert foxes, ibex, oryx, gazelles and more.

Visa advice:
These are required but most visitors, including those from EU, America, Australia and New Zealand can get a 2 week visa at Muscat airport or border crossings. A one week extension is available from the Immigration Department in Muscat.

Hotels:
We don't usually mention specific hotels but the Al Bustan Palace in Muscat is beautifully designed [inside anyway!], well maintained and has a good beach and huge grounds. The lobby is particularly impressive. It is, naturally, expensive.

Careful!
The average Omani is so keen to please strangers that if you ask the way and he doesn't know it, he may just guess.

Clothing information:
This is a conservative Muslim country so sensitive Oman travellers should avoid shorts, short skirts, tight clothes and tank tops except on a beach. Hair cover is not neccessary for women.

Shopping Guide:
Some of the best value crafts from the Arab world are produced in this country. Look for pottery, Bedouin jewellry, and woven goods including carpets, of course. Salesmen are not pushy but you will need some negotiation to get the right price.

Why Travel to Oman?

If you want to see a traditional Gulf country this is the one. Untainted by overdevelopement or money madness and ruled by an unusually sensible and respected Sultan [Qaboos], this kingdom offers great beaches, rocky mountains, a classic desert, forts and friendly, tolerant locals.
And it's safe! British ex-SAS units still rumble around the rocks, looking for trouble but rarely finding it.

Downside:
- If you're looking for wacky, wild Arabia, you're in the wrong place! Go next door to Yemen.
- Sand is in short supply, rocks aren't. Rocks like marbles, rocks like houses, rocks around the clock.
- The architectural sights are forts, forts and fortresses.
- Outside hotels cuisine is limited, as is boozing.
- Small budget travellers may have a tough time.

Oman's main attractions:
***Muscat. A small, tidy, unspoilt city with a calm atmosphere, some good museums, forts, public buildings, a traditional covered souk [market] and some hideous sculptures that lurch, perch and pour over rocky outcrops.

***Nizwa. A pleasant town with aging mud houses, a superb fortress, and a new antique souk. This is a good base to explore Jebel Akhdar mountains, wadis and Jabrin Fort.

***Wadi Bani Awf. A gorgeous [dried] river bed that can be driven [4WD] or walked [or ridden if you can get a horse]. 20/30km long it skirts pretty villages [esp. Bilad Sayt], pools and waterfalls. Terrific views. Camping sites available.

**Jebel Akhdar. A rocky mountain range with great views - including the 'Grand Canyon' of Oman, and plenty of climbing opportunities.

*Jabrin Fort. The best fort in a country famous for them.

**Sur. A couple of forts, some excellent beaches and an interesting dhow [traditional sailing ship] building yard. 3 or 4 hours from Muscat.

*Sohar. Home of Sinbad and an exceptional white fort.

***Wahiba Sands. A very accessible, traditionally rolling-dune desert, unlike most of this rocky country. Great for contemplation and chilling, though over chilled at night.

** Ras el Jinz. Various kinds of turtle nest here, and a ranger escorts travellers for night visits. Has a camping ground near the beach. Get a permit!

***Salalah. A totally different feel to Muscat, Salalah is a humid southern town of empty beaches and full coconut groves, squeezed onto a narrow, green coastal strip below a high plateau. Excellent for beach activities [particularly at Mughsail] or archeological expeditions, tho' a looong drive or short flight from Muscat.
n.b. the 'lost city' of Ubar is disappointing and should stay lost, but 'Job's Tomb' - on a hilltop overlooking Salalah - is well worth a little travel. Wet June-Sept.

***Musandam Peninsula. Also known as the 'Norway of Arabia', this collection of barren rocky fjords and fertile valleys penetrates the Arabian Gulf at the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. Musandam is separated from most of Oman by the United Arab Emirates, but is, nevertheless, a magnificent diversion if you have the time or money. You can drive there across UAE.

Cuisine Guide:
Western food is available in hotels but elsewhere the cuisine tends towards rice/Indian style offerings. Muscat has several international options.
Good restaurants and hotels usually serve alcohol.

If you plan to travel in Oman you may also be interested in:

Yemen Travel Guide | Jordan Travel Guide

Morocco Travel Guide | Egypt Travel Guide

Syria Travel Guide