This year, Oman – the nation of oases is in every travel guide as the perfect autumn getaway! The reason for this rediscovery is the promotion of its capital, Muscat, which is also becoming a base for the many excursions available throughout the season. The city is well connected to the rest of the world thanks to its modern Muscat International Airport (MCT), where, in addition to numerous services, you can find precious ground transfers. Transfeero’s chauffeur-driven shuttles, for example, will take you comfortably to any destination. Ready for a splendid November vacation between desert and sea?
The splendor of Muscat
Muscat is one of the oldest cities in the Arab world. It has been mentioned in historical records since the 2nd century, and by 1500 it was already open to trade with the rest of the world. The first European to visit was the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama in 1507! In recent times, thanks to a liberal government, the city has opened up to international tourism and has become an attractive destination.
In Muscat, you can admire museums (Bait al Zubair, the National Museum), ancient medieval forts (Al Jalali, Al Mirani), traditional architecture such as the Al Alam Palace or Sultan Qaboos Mosque, and more modern buildings such as the splendid Opera House. The Government Palace, with its spectacular flower garden, is another monument worth photographing, but the absolute beauty is the so-called Censer Monument, which dominates the city from top of the hills. In Muscat, you can also enjoy the sea with a well-equipped city beach just a few steps from the center.
Deserts and Oases
With a suitable transfer, perhaps with a driver tailored to the tourist’s needs, excursions can be organized from Muscat to some of Oman’s magical places.
The most significant and spectacular deserts guarantee unique experiences: the “white desert of Al Khaluf” (also known to tourists as Woodland), located in the south of the country at about a four-hour drive from the capital, or the Wahiba Desert – one of the oldest in the Middle East, with dunes reaching heights of up to 50 meters! The tallest dune in the world is still in Oman, but you may admire it in the red desert of Rub al Khali. It reaches over 400 meters a.s.l., varying in height from year to year (it recently reached 455 meters)!
Not far from Muscat, about a two- or three-hour drive in either direction, lie the oases— also called “wadis” here. Wadis are actually patches of vegetation that open up along water streams: there people naturally build settlements and farms. The most famous are Wadi Bani Khalid, Wadi Al Arbeen, and Wadi Tiwi. In Bani Khalid, the delightful lakes are the main attraction, while in Tiwi, the lush orchards are the pride of the region; in Al Arbeen, you can admire the mysterious Bimmah Sinkhole, a lake created by the sudden subsidence of the ground. The huge crater is filled with water that descends meters into the heart of the earth.
Oman by the Sea
For those who travel to Oman to mainly experience beach life, there’s no shortage of opportunities and dream locations! Beaches such as Ras al Jinz, where turtles nest, or Mughsail, with its perforated cliffs from which holes the waves emerge in towering spray, or Fazayah, Khaluf, and Bar al Haykam, where the desert plunges directly into the sea… these are true gems.
But beyond the beautiful tourist beaches, you can explore Musandam, which is located within the territory of the Emirates though belonging to Oman. Called “the fjord of Arabia,” it offers a striking spectacle thanks to the cliffs that jut inland from the coast, thus opening a navigable inlet to the interior. The main urban centre there is Khasab, from where you can also set off to climb to the top of Jabel Harim, the highest mountain in the region (2087 metres). From the top you can admire the great view of the coast and the coral reef’s shade underwater.
