Oman
Why go to Oman?
Oman is a neighbor of the United Arab Emirates, yet it could not be more different from it.
In some ways, Oman is like other Gulf countries; but it could not be more different in other ways. 80% of Oman’s territory is sand and desert, 15% is rugged, barren mountain ranges. Oman is also an oil-rich country still heavily dependent on the income from the “black gold”. Like its neighbors, the transition from a Bedouin lifestyle to a modern world happened in a few decades.
In general, not much is known about Oman. It is the most mysterious country in the Arabian Peninsula.
Perhaps because culturally, historically, and politically it consciously distanced itself from the rest of the Arab Peninsula. It stayed out of geopolitical conflicts and undertook the role of a neutral mediator.
Oman is conservative, with a strict ban on smoking and alcohol consumption for locals. Most Omani dress up in the traditional Omani dress, the “dishdasha” (long gown of white, gray, or brown color) and embroidered “kummah” (Omani cap). It is an authentic, traditional country, and is proud of that.
Muscat, the capital, seems like a village compared to Dubai. There are no skyscrapers, glass palaces, tall buildings, or world-famous attractions.
However, the 2-3,000-meter mountain ranges, the wadis (canyons) with water pools and oases, and the “Grand Canyon of Arabia” no longer make it boring.
Oman is a paradise for adventure lovers with plenty of breathtaking trails!
The people of Oman owe almost everything to Sultan Qaboos, who ruled for about half a century. When he came to power, there was no hospital, no school, and only 10km of paved road. Under catastrophic health conditions, child mortality was enormous. Today, there are modern public and private hospitals, the country is clean and tidy, and young people can study at one of the country’s 20 universities.
Sultan Qaboos, the world’s longest-serving ruler, passed away in January 2020. Many did not even know another ruler in their lives.
Currently, the country faces significant challenges, including depleting oil reserves, high youth unemployment, and rising public debt. Because of the economic downturn caused by the epidemic, “Omanization” has become the primary goal, i.e., employing more locals in the private sector, which has been mainly in the hands of ex-pats in the lack of skilled Omani labor.
It is estimated that Oman will be the first to run out of oil reserves in the region, so economic diversification needs to be accelerated. Tourism could be one way out, but it is still in its infancy, making it an unspoiled travel destination for the moment. It is still a good time to visit Oman!
Languages: Arabic is the primary language, English is widely used in the cities, but less in the countryside.
Currency: The Omani Rial is stronger than the American dollar (1 OMR ~ 2,6 USD). You can pay with dollars almost everywhere, but it is always good to have some local currency.
Safety: Oman is absolutely safe to visit even as a solo female traveler.
Insurance: Safetywing is a cheap travel and medical insurance that covers COVID-related issues as well.
How to visit Oman?
Tourism is still in its infancy in Oman, and touristic infrastructure is underdeveloped. Public transport is underdeveloped in Muscat and there are only a few long-distance buses a day between bigger cities a day with a timetable that is hard to figure out. Unless you hitchhike, Oman is hard to discover with public transport. The best way to get around is to rent a car.
Check out the car rental prices here.
Where to book your accommodation?
You can find accommodation on booking.com, or I recommend checking out Hotellook that integrates other hotel platforms, like Agoda, thus proposing more options.
What to visit?
The best itinerary to visit Oman is coming soon!
Local tours in and outside Muscat
There are several great tours to take in Muscat including sightseeing tours, dolphin watching, and snorkeling. From Muscat, you can do one-day trips to Wadi Shab canyon, the Wahiba Sands desert, Nizwa city, the Bimmah sinkhole, Jebel Shams (the Arabian Grand Canyon), and Jebel Akdar. Here you find a list of all the travel packages from Muscat.