Holidays in Oman - Travel's Best Kept Secret
There aren’t too many potential holiday destinations that can still claim to be ‘undiscovered’, but if anywhere can lay a convincing claim to this title, it’s Oman. Don’t know where it is? Fair enough. It’s the most East you can go and still be in an Arabian country. No help? Okay, you’ve got the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the north west, Saudi Arabia in the west, and Yemen in the south west.
Still not placed it? Jump in the sea and swim west – you’ll land in India. From the Hajar mountains to the immaculate coast, this peaceful and hospitable country is definitely not high up on most people’s lists of potential exotic holiday spots, but it should be! Oman is not as ancient as some places you can travel to, but it was never a British colony, which is a good thing. It’s a fantastic, modern Muslim country between the desert and the sea! There’s plenty of dramatic landscape, souks, forts, and friendly and generous locals to meet.
Holidays in Oman - Plenty of Eastern Culture
Once again, it’s modern – especially the capital of Oman, Muscat, but you can travel for just a few hours and come across villages where the main currency still seems to be the goat (no, really). English is the second language here and while not exactly Ibiza by night, there are plenty of posh hotels – that’s assuming camping on the beach after watching protected giant turtles nesting isn’t your thing. All with the Hajar mountains falling directly into the sea as a backdrop.
Oman Holidays - Many Attractions
Two ancient Portuguese forts help Muscat achieve a medieval appearance. There are palaces and mosques throughout Muscat, but this isn’t the place to come and absorb your self in thousands of years of history. Not in the way that you might in Egypt at least, with its many museums, destinations, and established historic sights.
Muscat is a place just to be in. Pretty much all of the palaces, mosques and forts aren’t generally open to the public, not all the time anyway. The old port area is a great place to wander around. The three forts; Mutrah, Jalali, and Mirani are in view above you. The Oman Museum and the National History Museum beckon and will help you learn about Oman and its history..