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Oman Travel Guide

The latest travel Information on Oman, includes ideas on Things to See and Do, Local Events, Consulate & Embassy Contact Addresses and much more, all from a first-time visitors point of view.

Oman Information

Overview

Mountain villages clutched against canyon walls, clusters of dates weighing heavy in the plantation oases, a ribbon of sand blown across the dunes, a lone camel padding across the limitless interior - these are the kinds of images afforded by the beautiful and enigmatic country of Oman.

In years gone by, Oman was rich with copper and frankincense, and enjoyed an extensive East African empire. Then, in the early 20th century, a deeply conservative ruler, Sultan Said, chose deliberately to isolate the country from the modern world. His son, peace-loving Sultan Qaboos, assumed the throne in 1970 and that date now marks the beginning of the widely celebrated ’Renaissance’ in which the country has been returned to an age of prosperity and progression.

What makes Oman’s renaissance somewhat unique in the region is that the transformation has been conducted with great sensitivity towards traditional values - there are few high-rise buildings in the capital, Muscat; the country’s heritage of forts (numbering over 2,000) are meticulously restored; ancient crafts like weaving are actively supported. Moreover, traditional Arabian values, such as hospitality and practical piety, are still in evidence making Oman somewhere to experience Islamic culture at its best.

Top Things To See

Explore Oman’s whitewashed capital Muscat by following the corniche from the fish market, past the balconied buildings of neighbouring Muttrah Souk to the Sultan’s Palace. The latter shelters beneath the 16th-century Portuguese forts of Al Jalali and Mirani.

Spend a day the Omani way with a picnic and the company of friends on the beautiful beaches of Yitti, Seifa or Quiryat or in the lush oleander-flowering wadis of Dayqah, Shab and Tiwi.

Get up with the goatherds in Nizwa, the country’s capital during the sixth and seventh centuries. Famous for its early morning livestock market and silver handicrafts, it makes the best base for excursions into the mountains.

Scale the battlements of one of Oman’s many forts and castles in the old capital cities of Nakhal or Rustaq, and examine why honey wasn’t always sweet for unwanted guests at the imposing Al-Hazm, Nizwa or Jibreen Forts.

Take a ride on Oman’s only train to the depths of Al-Hoota Cave (website: www.al-hootacave.com), first opened to the public in late 2006, near Nizwa and encounter some of the country’s limestone wonders.

Evoke the spirit of the past at the charged World Heritage Sites of Bat (area of ancient burial mounds) and Bahla (one of the most impressive fortified settlements of its kind in the world but not yet open to visitors). Buy a pot from local Bahla potters but don’t rub it - Bahla is famous for genii!

Wander around the old town of Sur, famous for its traditional shipbuilding - and its local nightlife: at nearby Ras Al-Jinz, female turtles lumber up the beach every night of the year to deliver the next generation before slipping back to the sea before dawn. Most turtles arrive in July.

Go in search of unicorns in the dawn mists of the interior at the oryx sanctuary in Jallluni and let a member of the local Al-Harasi tribe show you the secrets of the Huqf Escarpment.

Join the locals in a gnat-infested, mid-summer mud bath at beautiful Wadi Dhabat in the heart of Oman’s southern, subtropical region of Dhofar - if only to enjoy the spectacle of cows and camels grazing in the same pastureland.

Blow your troubles to the wind at the blowholes of Dhofar’s Mughsail before following the Queen of Sheba into the mists of time in search of Boswellia sacra, the frankincense tree.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

Top Things To Do

Haggle for things you’ve always wanted and can’t afford to buy in the gold shops of Muttrah Souk in Muscat. Chances are you’ll leave this labyrinthine market - one of the best in the region - with things you can afford but have never wanted!

Slip out to sea from Khasab in a traditional dhow, followed by a flotilla of dolphins, and find out where the term ’going round the bend’ came from as you contemplate the bewitching calm of the khors - Oman’s own fjords.

Ascend Jebel Shams (Mountain of the Sun) and peer into the shadows of Wadi Ghul - the Grand Canyon of Arabia - pausing to buy a goat-haired carpet from the mountain’s itinerant weavers.

Swim or snorkel from a pristine beach among the ray, tuna and shoals of sardines that frequent the shores of the Arabian Sea, and beachcomb for top shells and colourful, banded pebbles.

Ride a camel across the Sharqiya Sands on a desert safari, returning to a barbeque of camel and goat kebabs and a night under the starry sky.

Go birdwatching in the eagle capital of the world at Al-Ansab lagoons and Qurm Natural Park, or look for flamingos, spoonbills and flocks of wading birds at Barr Al-Hickman (website: www.birdsoman.com).

Take a 4-wheel drive off-road into the fringe of the Empty Quarter, across the interior plains, up vertiginous mountain tracks or through the green pastures of Dhofar’s summer meadows.

Get up close to Oman’s world-famous geological attractions by rockclimbing in the wadis (dry river beds) of the Hajja Mountains or by hiking up to Jebel Akhdar, Oman’s top of the beanstalk mountain and home to prize pomegranates.

Enjoy a variety of watersports, including diving (website: www.omandivecenter.com), windsurfing, sailing or deep-sea fishing from one of the many outlets in Muscat and Salalah, or take a trip on the wild side and organise your own fun in the sun off the desert island of Masirah.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

Going Out

Food and Drink

Numerous restaurants have opened in recent years, but many people retain the habit of dining at hotels - in Muscat at least. There is a wide variety of cuisine on offer, including Arabic, Indian, Oriental, European and other international dishes. Traditional coffee houses and international-style chain coffeeshops are popular. In other parts of the country, except in Salalah and Nizwa, most people eat at home so the main options for dining are small coffeeshops, occasional Lebanese or Turkish restaurants and roadside shwarma (shaved meat) stands.

Things to know: Waiter service is usual. Muslims are forbidden to drink alcohol, but most hotel bars and restaurants have a bar for guests. Visitors are only allowed to drink alcohol if they purchase drinks from licensed hotels and restaurants. To buy alcohol for home consumption, Western nationals must obtain a licence from their embassy.

National specialities:
• Shuwa (meat cooked slowly for up to two days in underground clay ovens, marinated with herbs and spices).
• Mashuai (spit-roasted kingfish served with lemon rice).
• Maqbous (rice dish with saffron cooked over spicy red or white meat).
• Halwa (sticky, gelatinous sweet made from dates or sugar and flavoured with saffron, cardamom and rosewater).
• Lokhemat (balls of flour and yeast flavoured with cardamom and deep fried, served with sweet lime and cardamom syrup).

National drinks:
• Kahwa (coffee; strong, bitter and flavoured with cardamom, served with halwa and lokhemat).
• Mixed fruit juice (mango, pomegranate, orange and avocado layered in long glasses).

Legal drinking age: 18.

Tipping: Becoming more common; 10% should be given in hotels and restaurants with licensed bars but is not expected in more casual restaurants.

Nightlife

There are a few nightclubs and bars in Muscat; most nightlife is to be found in hotels and several modern cinemas in Shatti Al-Qurm and in Ruwi showing Arab, Indian and English films. There is very little in the way of nightlife in other Omani towns with the exception of Salalah: during the khareef (rainy season in July and August) it comes alive with festival activities.

Shopping

The newly expanded Muscat City Centre mall boasts over 140 shops, with many designer goods for sale. Other malls include Markaz Al-Bahjah and the Lulu complexes. More modern shops are centred around Shatti Al-Qurum. Qurum itself was hit badly by the 2007 cyclone Gonu, and may take some time to return to full capacity. The two main traditional souks (markets) are located in Muttrah and Nizwa, although most towns have a souk of some description. Traditional crafts include silver and gold jewellery, khanjars (Omani daggers), coffeepots, saddles, frankincense (the sap of a tree that grows in Dhofar in the south of Oman), handwoven textiles, goat hair carpets, baskets and camel straps. Antique khanjars (over 50 years old) may not be exported. It is wise to check with the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture for the necessary documentation before purchasing.

Shopping hours: Sat-Thurs 0800-1300 and 1600-2000. Souks open 0800-1100 and 1600-1900. Many shops close on Friday. Opening hours vary during Ramadan with many shops closing all afternoon but opening until late (about 1000) in the evening.

Climate

From May to August it is very hot and humid in all parts of the country except Dhofar. The climate is best from late September to early April. Rainfall varies according to the region. During the period June to September there is light rain in the Dhofar region with heavy fog across the hills.

Required Clothing

Lightweight cottons are advisable throughout the year, with a warm wrap for cooler winter evenings, mountain excursions and overworked air-conditioning in shops and restaurants.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2008-December 2009 period.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
10 Jan Muharram (Islamic New Year).
20 Mar Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet).
30 Jul Leilat al-Meiraj (Ascension of the Prophet).
2 Oct Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
18 Nov National Day and birthday of HM Sultan Qaboos.
9 Dec Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).
29 Dec Islamic New Year.

2009
1 Jan Ras as-Sana (Islamic New Year).
9 Mar Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet).
23 July Renaissance Day (Marking the start of the reign of Sultan Qaboos).
20 Jul Leilat al-Meiraj (Ascension of the Prophet).
22 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
18 Nov National Day and birthday of HM Sultan Qaboos.
28 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).

Note

Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Restaurants are closed during the day and smoking and drinking in public is forbidden between dawn and dusk, although discreet provisions are made for guests in most hotels. Many shops are closed for a day or two during the Eid holidays. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha last from two to 7 days depending largely on what day of the week Eid begins.

Health

Diphtheria

Special Precaution: Sometimes

Hepatitis A

Special Precaution: Yes

Malaria

Special Precaution: No

Rabies

Special Precaution: Sometimes

Tetanus

Special Precaution: Yes

Typhoid

Special Precaution: Yes

Yellow Fever

Special Precaution: No*

Health Care

Oman has an extensive public health service (free to Omani nationals), with many hospitals and health centres. Treatment varies according to the location. Hospital emergency treatment is available. Health insurance is essential.

Note

* A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers arriving from an infected area.

Further Health Information

We advise you to check health requirements for the country you are traveling to with your GP, practice nurse or travel health clinic as health requirements and vaccinations can change at short notice.

Money

Currency

Omani Rial (OMR) = 1,000 baiza. Notes are in denominations of OMR50, 20, 10, 5 and 1, and 500, 250, 200 and 100 baiza. Coins are in denominations of 50, 25, 10 and 5 baiza.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

All major credit cards are accepted here, including to a lesser extent American Express. ATMs are widely available throughout the county.

Traveller's Cheques

Easily exchanged. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller’s cheques in US Dollars.

Banking Hours

Sat-Wed 0800-1200, Thurs 0800-1130.

Passport/Visa

British