Travel Blog 40: En-route To The Breathtaking City of Oman
If you have read the previous blog, you might come across that I've traveled to Dubai and I had a blast over there. The city skyscrapers with the rich history that lies behind this dazzling city really put me in awe. After that, we en-route on our journey from Dubai to the neighboring country of Oman.
Before I further sharing my travel journey, I would like to address the absolute question that I got all the time. 'Where is Oman?'
The Sultane Oman is the official name of this Arabic country. It lies on the Southeast coast of Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. This country may seem to be underrated even though it shares the land borders with several famous countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and also Yemen. A little do you know, Oman's strategic position has been a crucial trading port at the Indian Ocean in the 17th century. Despite the fact that Oman is an oil-based country, Oman is quite different from the neighbor countries. It relies very much on agriculture, fish exports, and also tourism that help this country to thrive in the economy.
What's cool about this country is definitely the unspoiled beach, the off-beaten path to explore the natural landscape, and wild-camping. This country is not just all about the desert but it has stunning geographical diversity. Although Oman has a hot and dry climate, it definitely gives you a mix feeling about the weather. However, if you're into a sweet escape for a beach holiday, why not take Oman into consideration. You'll be surprised at how wonderful this country is.
Our journey started when we took-off from Dubai to Muscat, Oman with Salam Air. It's not a popular airline as it's still a pretty new low-cost airline that focuses mainly on local flights and a few international flights in the Middle East. However, it was a pleasant flight. I mean, we can't expect too much from a low-cost airline as long as they bring us to our location safe and sound. Since Dubai is world's busiest airport and has the most frequent flight to many international destinations, flying to Oman is just a piece of cake. With merely an hour flight, you'll arrive at Muscat sooner than you expected.
Frankly speaking, the airport wasn't the most modern nor the biggest. But, it's efficient and facilities are very well equipped. Just a note, if you're traveling to Oman from Dubai, you're basically exempted from an entry Visa. If not, you're bound to pay 20 Omani Riyals per person for the Visa.
Since we knew that we are going on a road trip to Oman, we rented a four-wheeler with EuropeCar for our journey. After collecting our car key, we embarked on our exploring journey to this stunningly beautiful country of Oman. Firstly, we stopped by at the closest supermarket to pick up some of the camping essentials like a tent, chairs, utensils, and some food supplies.
Middles Eastern countries are famous for their dates and so do Oman. Being in the top 10 countries of dates exporter, Oman definitely has more than 250 indigenous varieties of dates. However, the most famous type of dates is Khalas, Khunaizi, and Fardh. Since dates are considered as a staple food throughout Middle Eastern countries, it's not a surprise to find that many dates being displayed at the shelves everywhere in the mall. If you ever want to get a souvenir for your friends and family, dates are the perfect gift for your loved one.
Every corner that you go, you'll definitely find something interesting. For example, these exotic fruits like this prickly pear.
There are many beaches and camping site all around Oman due to its natural landscape. The Sultanate rests perfectly on the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea is a dream come true for beach lovers. From the crystal clear water to sandy beaches, these pristine beaches are perfect a getaway holiday for locals. It's also an ideal destination for European who wish to escape from the winter chills by soaking up the bursts of sunshine.
Tiwi beach is one of the all-time favorite beaches in Oman with just an hour and a half away from the busy city of Muscat. The reason why we have chosen Tiwi as our first camping stop because it possesses an authentic characteristic of a fishing village and it's not too far away from Muscat.
Besides its undeniable charms, Tiwi located perfectly at the border of the renowned Wadi Shab where it's perfect for adventurers to hike and to have a refreshing bath by the Wadi. There is nothing that beat a camping site that is surrounded by the stunning view of rocky mountains and a peaceful surrounding. Tiwi beach sets at the east coast and at times, if you're lucky, you'll even find fishermen passing by for some fresh fish to be grilled.
Although we didn't camp exactly by the sandy beach as it's pretty packed with campers, we decided to drive further down off- the-beaten-road to a cliff as our camping spot. At times during the night, there are wild donkeys that pass by us, not knowing whether we will be attacked. However, this is the best part about wild camping, isn't it? To take risks, and to expect the unexpected.
In the morning, we witnessed some of the most amazing sunrises over the blue sky. Feeling rejuvenated and refresh for the adventure that lies ahead of us.
With all that said, this concludes our first-day in Oman. Stay tuned for more updates on the next travel blog where we conquered the great Wadi Shab through the thrilling rocky trails.
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Wow, what a great report about this beautiful country! Its one of the destinations i really wanna visit as soon as possible. The outdoor camping gives you probably a whole better experience than staying in any kind of houses.. I really need to do that more often while traveling. Great report!
Absolutely. I love camping! It's a challenge to search for a camping spot as the area is very big but we can't camp too close to any neighborhood. But we managed to find a few spot for camping eventually and it's like the best experience we had!
Incredible post! That photo of the water and the land just is completely at odds with what I picture Oman to look like! I always just expected desert, but now that I think about it, it is on the water....
I also had no idea that there were so many types of dates. Did you try many? Did you have a favourite?
Thank you :D Honestly, I could never picture Oman to be like this if I haven't visited the country. All I have in my mind was the sandy desert. Yes! I have a lot of dates, even brought home 2kilos of dates as a souvenir :D But, I can't really tell which dates were my favourite because they are equally good for me. I just remembered that I had a really massive date, but it didn't specifically write down the species. It was just labelled as "Premium Dates". Guess that's my favourite.
Damn, Oman is on my travel wishlist since a long time ago and I still haven't been there. Good on you, enjoy your stay!
Thanks! I am glad that I made it there. It has been my favorite travel destination ever since! Wishing you all the best.
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Wow, looks pretty amazing. How are women treated there?
Indeed! It's a pretty conservative country regarding dress code and the culture. But from what I experienced, women are treated fairly over there. But of course, as a tourist, we have to respect their culture to avoid taking photos of the locals especially women. Otherwise, the country is very nice to visit. Also, in a bigger city like Muscat, you'll see a lot of women in a shopping mall, and female servers and waiters at the restaurants. I am pretty sure it is no much differs than any other countries.
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Fascinating journey! I liked Your story. Enjoy your time on the secluded beaches. Beautiful nature and amazing sunrise. I hope to read a sequel about Your fascinating journey through this exotic country. Thank you!
I more than happy to know that you enjoy reading it :) Can't wait to share more of my Oman's travel with you guys over here on steemit. See you around!
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