Oman
Last week we went on a brand new adventure to a whole different place! We went to Oman in the Middle East, and area neither of us had ever been to.
We had a great time and thoroughly recommended for an exciting getaway!
We arrived in Muscat at about 4am so the first thing we did was go to bed. We woke up for breakfast at the hotel and then went back to bed for a few more hours. We woke up at 1pm and decided to finally start the day. We went for a walk through the local area to orient ourselves in this new country. After 25 minutes, we reached the sea and the main touristy section of this part of the city. We wandered around and came up with a game plan for the next day when we had a full day to explore. We did go and visit the Mutrah Souq (market) and I got a little bottle of perfume and was offered so many pashminas. It was indoors and all the vendors were waiting outside their little shops to invite you in. They all said hello and welcomed you to look in, but weren't pushy about it.
The next day we took the same route, but this time went to visit the Mutrah fort. It overlooked the city and we got a great view over the white buildings and the sea. There were so many forts we saw during the week, most of them dating to the 17th century when the Portuguese controlled Oman.
We also went to see Riyam park where we had some of the best falafel I've ever had, and visited the gold souq where I picked myself a birthday present.
Even though the city is definitely built for cars and the highways run straight through the main areas, there were still pathways all the way along the sea and we walked along, finding more towers to climb.
Both of these days we had dinner in the area and all the restaurants were very much the same. We got a curry one night and a cheese pie (like a pizza but folded into a boat shape) another. Each place also has fresh juice in almost every flavor you could think of. I was definitely a fan of passion fruit juice! There were also cats everywhere, and if you ate outside, there was probably about to be a little cat watching you.
One evening we walked to the supermarket in the opposite direction (which just about had pedestrian routes) to pick up some snacks and sun cream. Surprisingly, even though this was a supermarket for locals, a lot of the packaged foods were brands we recognised.
The next day was our first big trip. I'd booked us on a day trip out to the city of Nizwa, the old capital of Oman. Our guide picked us and two others up and we began the journey inland into the mountains.
Our first stop was the Nizwa Souq and our guide took us to a date shop where we could try lots and lots of varieties of dates. I tried a few until my tongue got tingly, but I did enjoy dipping them in tahini and pistachio sauce and the small cups of coffee they also had for us to try.
After the Souq, we went to the castle. This was another Portuguese renovation from the 17th century, but the original structure was built in the 12th century. It was very interesting and had all the rooms the Imam would use for conducting business and living. We didn't quite get enough time to see everything, but we had a lot else to visit that day!
After Nizwa we went to see the terraced gardens at Jebel Akhdar and to to walk through the village. As the car climbed further into the mountains (Jebel Akhdar means green mountain) the thermometer dropped from 23°c to 9°c. I was getting worried, but once we got there and started walking it actually felt very warm and I didn't need any of my extra layers. This was a very small village and very cute with lots of small doors narrow alleyways. The terraced gardens were stepped down the mountain and made little patches of green as you looked down. The path got a little confusing at times, but our party of four managed to make it through.
It was then lunch time and we ate at the top of a hotel with a view over the town.
We had one last area to explore now. Birkat Al mouz is a UNESCO world heritage site and is a stream running from the mountain down to the village where people use it in their houses and have built facilities around it to ablute before prayer. Next to this stream, there was an old abandoned mud village. The houses were made from mud mixed with straw which you could see where the walls had started to collapse. As you climbed through the village there were some really amazing views across fields of palm trees.
After that it was back to Muscat for the night. Rather than head all the way into town after our busy day, we stopped at a bakery on our road and picked up some pizza rolls and came to take back and eat by the pool.
The next day we had more time to explore the city of Muscat and went a little further along the coast to visit the old town area. Here we visited the Al Alam Palace which is the ceremonial palace of the Sultan of Oman. It was very brightly coloured with very manicured gardens all around. The whole area was very quiet with big open spaces made from not quite marble, but something very similar.
Around the corner from this palace was another fort on the sea, and a little further inland was the National Museum which we visited next. It was very interesting to learn a bit more about the history of Oman and the late Sultan Qaboos who won three international world peace awards during his 50 year reign. He also spent a lot of time visiting the UK and even went to Sandhurst where Mitchell's grandpa was stationed (although not at the same time).
In the afternoon we went back to the hotel and enjoyed the pool for a few hours as this was our last night in the area.
Early the next morning we were picked up for our next tour. I'd booked another group, but we were the only ones in the group, so it was like a private tour! Our first stop was a sinkhole filled with saltwater. It was very clear and you could get right down to it and even swim if you wanted. It was housed in a nice park, but we didn't stay too long as we had places to be.
Our proper stop of the day was Wadi Shab. We parked up and got changed into our swimwear, ready for an adventure. First up was a 30 second boat ride to get to the other side of the river (wadi). We then hiked along it for about 45 minutes through the canyon looking at the interesting rock formations and palm trees. It was a literal oasis in the desert.
After 45 minutes, we put down our bags and started to swim! We swam up the river, over slippery rocks and through the canyon. The water was slightly warm and not fast flowing, so it was pretty fun. There was even a section where we had to climb back up and jump in to continue.
At the end of the river was a cave. We had to squeeze through an opening just big enough for a head and a helping hand while treading water. Beyond this it opened up to a cave with a waterfall within. Our guide showed us a secret tunnel where we had to duck under the water to come out in a small opening before swimming through and coming out behind the waterfall.
There were plenty of people climbing all the way up and diving in, but we didn't fancy doing that. Just watching was fun.
After hanging out in the cave for a little while, it was time to retrace our steps (our paddles?) and swim back down the river. Our guide had very thoughtfully brought dates and hot tea for us while we were drying off which was very nice.
Once dressed, we began the hike back. Even though it is winter in Oman, it was still in the high 20s and very dry, so we dried out quickly. For once, the return journey actually felt quicker than the journey out, I guess because we had so much fun!
We stopped for lunch at an Indian restaurant which had good vegetarian options, and then it was on to the real desert! It took about an hour to drive there and then another 45 minutes of off road driving through the dunes of Wahiba Sands Desert. It was bumpy but very fun! Even from the road, we could see wild camels walking across the landscape.
Once there, we checked into our desert hotel which was surprisingly luxurious for the middle of the desert, (even though the only turn on the power after dark). Our guide took us for a quick drive up and down some steep dunes, and then we parked up to watch the sunset. It was magical and the fine sand really is golden. Mitchell had a great time imagining he was in "Dune". Our guide told us all about the Islamic calendar and how they use the moon.
We had a buffet dinner in the dining hall and afterwards had tea around the campfire on Bedouin cushions.
In the morning, we woke up early to do a sunrise camel ride. It was cold, but not unmanageable, and the camel wrangler took us up the opposite dunes to see the sun from the other side. This was probably the highlight of the entire trip for me. As we posed for pictures on the camels, the one behind me was very interested in my legs and after nibbling at my ankles, tried to eat my trousers, both at the knee and at my bottom where he accidentally bit me on the bum!
After our little ride, we had breakfast and then set off for another adventure day. We visited another wadi, Wadi Bani Khalid. This one had less hiking, and the beginning was more tourist friendly with a cafe and a more pool like feel to it. It was very pretty and surrounded by palm trees, but we were off to see more. We left our bags in a little secret beach and then jumped back into the water. The water here was warmer then yesterday because apparently it comes from the mountain where it is heated through.
We swam up and down, looking at the blue green water and climbing up slippery rocks. At the end, there was a opening in the mountain where you could go in and investigate. Our guide showed us a route through and it was incredibly humid once you got further in.
That was very fun to explore, and once we were done we dried off and were back in the car. We stopped for lunch and then were on the long journey back to Muscat. During the drive we learnt that Oman uses desalination for their tap water, and that camel racing is a huge sport, with elite racing camels going for up to 300,000 OMR (£600,000).
We got dropped off at a different hotel in a new area of Muscat. This area was a lot more bougie and made me think more of UAE and Dubai rather than the more authentic Arabian vibes we got from the first area. Apparently, the late Sultan Qaboos was big on keeping the traditional Omani way of life intact, so as well as being very proud of their culture, no residential building is allowed to be over 3 stories, and no commercial building over 7. Our hotel was indeed seven stories with a small infinity pool on top!
We found a slightly more affordable place to have dinner and turned in for the night after our big adventure.
On Thursday we went to go and see the jewel of Muscat, the Grand Qaboos Mosque. Even though I'd packed a long dress, the bottom quarter was actually slightly transparent, so I had to rent an abaya which came with a headscarf built in. It was quite fun to wear, as it was what all the local women wore every day. The mosque was very pretty, with a carpet so big in the main prayer room that it was actually made inside. The chandelier was enormous and the outside the tall pillars of white marble were astounding.
In the afternoon, we took advantage of the fancy pool and hung out on the rooftop for a few hours, sorting through photos and taking some time to process everything we'd seen over the last few days.
Friday was another exciting day. We had a slow morning, but then we were out on a boat trip to the Daymaniat Islands. The ride out took about 30 minutes and was very speedy! Once there we were handed snorkels and fins and we jumped out. The view underwater was incredible, tons of fish and coral underfoot, and best of all, turtles! There were so many! They seemed to be feeding on something and there was a big cluster of them, but there were plenty just swimming around too. They would swim right past you and poke their heads out.
From April to October you're not allowed on the beach of the islands as they come up to lay their eggs, but we could swim up to shore and sit there that day. The water was cool but not freezing, so we did ok, but didn't want to hang around too long. Once we were all back in the boat, they had sandwiches and snacks for us which definitely helped.
Ordinarily, the tour would take us to another location, but the wind was picking up, so for safety we had to head back. It was definitely rougher on the way back, it took us nearly an hour and every couple of minutes a wave would splash up and completely soak us. It was fun, and fortunately the water wasn't too cold, but it felt a lot longer and by the end I was very ready to be back on dry land.
As we arrived back in the Al Mouj area of town where our hotel was, there were tons of people milling around. As we walked through, we saw it was a huge fancy car display, with shiny models lining the streets. We were not expecting this, especially as only that morning there had been the Muscat bike race starting right outside our breakfast room and a small parade.
In Oman, they like to take a break in the middle of the day when it's hottest, so as it gets darker, the streets actually get busier. On our last evening in Oman, we had a small dinner and then went for a walk through the busy city before dessert.
In the morning as we walked through the slowly opening farmers market to the bus station to go to the airport, the cars were gone, but there were new lunar festival decorations up, I imagine in preparation for another busy festive night in Muscat.
We truly enjoyed our time in Oman, there was so much to see and do, and it's true, everyone was so friendly. I think it's a great place to visit the middle east, as they put a lot of store into keeping things traditional, even though they are a rich and well developed country. We might be back one day, especially as we were recommended so many more things to do by the people there, and I already can't wait!
We stopped off in Istanbul on our way home, but I'll put that into another post as this is already so long!
Until next time,
Emily and Mitchell
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