Oman has been on a fair number of “up-and-coming travel destinations” lists over the last year or two. It is a country with awe-inspiring natural beauty, fascinating Arabian fortresses, and incredibly welcoming people. I did a bunch of research on Oman before we visited and had read about the culture of hospitality and kindness, but the people we met were even more welcoming than I expected.
Oman is on the coast of the Arabian peninsula and the best way to get around is to rent a car. The roads are fantastic and all signs are in both Arabic and English. Beaches are one direction, massive desert in another, and rocky mountains in another.
Muscat
Muscat is the capital of Oman. The city is quite spread out (reminded us of the Dallas/Fort Worth area), but was easy to explore with a car. A few highlights –
- Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque – the largest mosque in Oman. The carpet in the main hall took 600 women 4 years to weave. It is also home to the 2nd largest chandelier in the world. One thing we really appreciated about the mosque was the combination of craftsmanship from all over the world. Our guide confirmed it was meant to convey Oman’s desire to welcome people from all over the world.
- The Royal Opera House – another impressive building. The outside was designed in the style of Oman’s old castles and the inside uses Islamic architecture. It was beautiful!
- Mutrah Fish Market – the Gulf is home to a wide variety of fish, and Muscat’s fish market was a great place to wander.
- Mutrah Souq – souqs are marketplaces. The Mutrah Souq is the main souq for Muscat. Some sections are full of souvenirs and other parts have more local merchandise. It was a lovely place to explore. And, a great place to find Omani frankincense.
- Omani coffee shops – Oman is home to some of the most delicious coffee I have ever tasted. Omani Qahwa is brewed with cardamom, cloves, and occasionally saffron, and served with dates.
- Bait Al Luban – a local restaurant made famous to Westerners by Anthony Bourdain. He ate here when he visited Oman because they were locally known for their delicious food. And, my goodness, the food is fantastic. Our favorite dish was manshab – a coconut curry flavored with cinnamon and cardamom.
- Snow Oman – We went to the mall to gather road trip supplies and stumbled across Snow Oman, an amusement park covered in actual snow.
Bimmah Sinkhole
The Bimmah Sinkhole is a famous natural swimming area. It pops up out of nowhere.
Wadi Shab
Oman is famous for its wadis. Wadi Shab is one of the most popular. We took a short boat ride, hiked ~45 minutes, and got to the very crowded swimming area. The hike was beautiful – a wander through an oasis in the desert.
Sur
Sur is a small town on the coast. It is the home of dhow building (classic Omani boats) and was a major part of Oman’s maritime history. Today it is relatively quiet, but we were able to visit the Dhow Factory, the Maritime Museum, and the lighthouse.
Raz Al Hadd
We found a fun guesthouse owned by a local fisherman for our time on the coast. While staying at the guesthouse, we enjoyed some freshly caught mahi-mahi, got to go out on his boat to see the famous dolphins, went snorkeling, and, of course, enjoyed a considerable amount of Omani coffee.
An example of Omani hospitality – we asked our host about where to find Omani sweets. Instead of pointing us toward a restaurant, he called a friend who then brought us five different homemade items to try.
The coastal area is home to a lot of fun, sometimes random, things to do. We drove about 30 minutes south and saw lakes that had turned pink due to the algae. One evening, we went to the reserve and saw an endangered Green Turtle in her egg-laying process. The 45km area is a major nesting area for the turtles.
Wadi Bani Khalid
On the drive from the coast to Nizwa we stopped at Wadi Bani Khalid, one of Oman’s most famous wadis. The drive down into the swimming area is gorgeous and we were able to hike a little farther into the wadi to get away from the crowds.
Nizwa
Nizwa is the second largest city in Oman. It is home to a famous fort, a lovely souq, and my favorite coffee shop we stopped at in Oman.
Bahla
About 30 minutes outside of Niwza is the city of Bahla, home to the only Omani fort listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Bahla Fort is massive. It took us about 2 hours to fully explore. The fort/castle was built between the 12th and 15th centuries and underwent a major restoration in 2012.
One of my favorite things we did in Oman was visit a local pottery factory. It has been owned by the same family for the last 500 years and two brothers currently run the operation. In Oman, pottery is everywhere. Historically, hanging jars were used to cool water. The brothers explained the process and history.
Jabreen Castle
Jabreen Castle is another famous Omani fort. It was built in the 1600s. While not as large as Bahla, our time there included an audioguide which was fantastic. It helped us better understand the history and architecture of not only Jabreen, but Bahla as well.
Abandoned Mountain Villages
Oman is home to several abandoned villages that are slowly being turned into historic sites and/or tourist attractions. It is an interesting transition to see. As we drove from Nizwa to our place in the mountains, we stopped at a couple to take in the views and see what life used to look like. One things I really enjoyed was the unique doors. Older homes had gorgeous wooden doors with elaborate carvings. Newer (within last 150 years or so) had colorful metal doors with different symbols.
Hajar Mountains
Oman is home to some of the tallest mountains on the Arabian Peninsula. These mountains are the reason anyone visiting needs a 4×4 (or to hire a tour guide for that portion of their journey). Until about 20 years ago, only villagers and members of the military were allowed into the mountains. Today, individuals must prove they are driving a 4×4 car to pass the police checkpoint to enter the mountain range.
We stopped for a snack before venturing into the mountains. While eating, a local came up to us to double-check we knew what we were getting ourselves into. Once we started driving we reached the police checkpoint and talked to the policeman who also wanted to make sure we knew what we were doing.
While the roads were steep and we definitely needed the 4×4 for the last 4.5km to our hotel, the roads of Oman are in better condition than the majority of roads in the US. The care shown by locals and the government for tourists is an example of Omani kindness and hospitality.
While in the mountains, we stayed at one of our favorite lodgings we’ve ever found (The Suwgra). A village of about 60 people, all one family, moved across a canyon from their old homes to new homes from 2008-2014 to be closer to the road, school, etc. None of them wanted to watch their old village collapse. Their ancestors had lived there for over 500 years. So, they decided to convert the entire village into a guesthouse to share Omani culture, the beautiful view, and to keep the village in great condition.
It is one of the most peaceful places we’ve ever been. And, we were finally able to find legit Omani food. If you ever have a chance to try Omani food, take it – it is full of spices and absolutely delicious.
Exploring the Mountains
While in the mountains we took some time to explore. We did the famous Three Villages hike and ventured down to Wadi Bani Habib. We enjoyed watching all the goats explore. And, we found some lovely passionfruit mint drinks.
Oman
A few of our favorite things about wandering this country –
- The people are so kind. A man in a souq asked me where I was from and upon realizing I was American gave me an Omani flag pin to wear on their national holiday. Whenever we looked remotely lost, someone would ask if we needed help and point us in the right direction. While waiting to have our rental car cleaned (the norm in Oman), a random fellow struck up a conversation to see how we liked visiting his home country.
- Life is so relaxed. “Slowly slowly” and “as you like” are two incredibly common phrases. Enjoy your lovely spiced coffee. Take in the view.
- The calls to prayer are beautiful. All are live (not recordings) and are more melodic than the calls we’ve heard in other countries (recording below).
Oman is not a tourist destination yet (both a pro and a con). Some of the places we visited lacked explanations and tours were difficult to find, but it was a magical place to see.