Midrange Xrn
Marina Hotel Mapp197 24 713100 irfansyed1 yahoo.com Mutrah Cornlche, Mutrah s d 0R15 35 For those who have come to Muscat to discover its soul, then the Marina Hotel, overlooking the fish market and participating in the character of the corniche, offers a very good vantage point. In fact, you can see what the city is all about over breakfast the comings and goings of the ancient port of Mutrah can all be enjoyed from the restaurant window. The rooms are on the cramped side but the staff are...
Muscat Walking Tour A Day In The Life Of The Arabian Sea
Start Fish Market, Muscat Finish Al-Bahri Rd, Old Muscat Distance 8km Duration 4 to 5 hours This walking tour follows the sea through the ancient ports of Mutrah and Muscat. Pack a snack and take water. The walk can be segmented if time, energy or summer heat forbids the whole circuit. Begin where the morning tide beaches fishermen and their catch at the Fish Market 1 pl96 . Stop for breakfast at nearby Al-Boom Restaurant p207 . Turning right at fishy Al-Samak roundabout 2 , visit nearby Bait...
ALASHKARAHs jVl
Wedged between two glorious sandy beaches, Al-Ashkarah is a lively fishing village and important supply point for the Bedouin communities of the Sharqiya Sands. It looks particularly attractive at sunset when it could well be called the 'pink city of the east coast' as the local cement has a pinkish hue. There is nothing to see or do, and nowhere to stay in Al-Ashkarah, but it does have a few picnic umbrellas on the beaches on the southern side of the town, and some camping opportunities. The...
Bimmah SinkholeJjiUj
The blue-green, brackish water at the bottom of this peculiar 40m by 20m limestone hole invites a swim and a snorkel. Known locally as Bayt al-Afreet House of the Demon , you could come face to face with more than you bargain for in the water, the depth of which is still unknown. If the demon eludes you, look out for the equally elusive, blind cavefish instead. The sinkhole is 1km inland, 6km east of Dibab, right by the new dual carriageway. It's not signposted, but look for a ring of barasti...
musandam
Separated from the rest of Oman by the east coast of the UAE, and guarding the southern side of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, the Musandam Peninsula is a land of beautiful khors, small villages and dramatic, mountain-hugging roads. No longer difficult to reach, this beautiful peninsula with its cultural eccentricities is well worth a visit if you're on an extended tour of Oman, or if you're after a taste of the wilderness from Dubai. A boat trip is a must, as this is the only...
Desert Mushrooms
Near to Mazara, on the graded track that leads to the Qurayat-Sur coast road, are two wonderful examples of a sandstone formation known as 'desert mushrooms'. These form when the wind sculpts away the softer sedimentary rock, leaving a cap of harder rock on top of the eroded column. To reach the mushrooms from Mazara, follow the road through the village, over the wadi and past the fort. The road climbs steeply through the plantation towards a school. Turn left before the school, veer left over...
oman directory
Accommodation in Oman is limited and expensive though discounts can often be negotiated out of season May to September, except in Salalah where peak season is June to August . In many places, there's no alternative to the single mid- to top-end hotel, and smaller towns often have no hotels at all. Room rates quoted in this chapter include the mandatory 17 tax and include breakfast unless otherwise stated. In this chapter, we have defined budget hotels as being those that charge less than OR35...
transport in oman
See also the Arabian Peninsula Transport chapter p545 for more information on the following. Entering Oman at Seeb International Airport 24 519223 is straight-forward. The small airport is surprisingly efficient, queues are kept to a minimum outside holiday periods , staff are friendly and your luggage is often waiting on the carousel before immigration is complete. Most visitors require a visa upon arrival. This is easily expedited by filling in a form in the immigration hall and taking it to...
JALAN BANI BU HASSAN JALAN BANI BU ALIa j u
These towns comprise a conglomeration of watchtowers, old fortified houses, forts and ancient plantation walls, all of which lie crumbling in various states of beloved dereliction. There's been little attempt to court the modern world and none at all to woo the visitor, making a visit all the more rewarding. It's worth trying to stumble on Jami al-Hamoda Mosque in the middle of Jalan Bani Bu Ali, with its unique structure of 52 domes and a falaj used for ablutions running through the courtyard....
dhofarjk
The southernmost province of Oman is a world away from the industrious north and separated geographically by an interminable gravel desert. With its historic frankincense trade, great beaches, a laid-back atmosphere and an interesting ethnic mix, it's a fascinating place to visit, particularly during or just after the khareef. There are many intriguing sites to visit as day trips from Salalah, including Job's Tomb the heroic town of Mirbat with its beautiful beaches and Mughsail, famed for the...
Highlights
Bahrain National Museum pl22 Open the door on ancient Dilmun, with its legacy of burial chambers honeycombing the island. Qala'at al-Bahrain pl30 Take an interesting 16th-century view of the sea from the battlements of Bahrain Fort, bequeathed by the Portuguese. Beit Sheikh Isabinflli pl35 Catch the whisper of a breeze under the wind towers of Muharraq's 19th-century residences. Formula One Racetrack p 133 Sample life in the fast lane in a behind-the-scenes tour at Bahrain's 21st-century...
Gaylah
This exciting destination on top of the Eastern Hajar Mountains is worth the effort as much for the journey through crumbling cliffs and past remote, mountain villages as for the reward of ancient tombs on the summit. The route, which can only be negotiated in 4WD, begins at a right turn for Souqah, just before the town of Ash-Shariq also known as Simayiah - located at the entrance of Wadi Khabbah . Make sure you have water, map, compass and a full tank of petrol. At 3.1km after you leave the...
Black Gold
In the middle of the desert, roughly in the middle of the island, stands a small museum sporting marble pillars and a classical architrave, wholly unbefitting of the landscape of nodding donkeys in the vicinity. But the museum has a right to certain pretensions of grandeur it marks the spot where, in 1932, the Arab world struck gold - black gold, that is - and with it, the entire balance of power in the world was transformed forever. The first well is in the museum grounds, perhaps no longer...
Pearl Diving
Pearl diving in Bahrain has been a tradition and was the backbone of the economy for centuries. While the industry has come to an end, the oysters have continued to grow, uncollected, on the shallow sea beds. If you're interested in learning about pearls, and even diving for them, Aquatique Scuba Centre Map p121 17 271 780 Sheikh Isa Ave 8am-12.30pm amp 4-7.30pm Sat-Thu runs a very informative pearl-diving course. It covers everything from the history of the pearl industry to what sort of...
Museum of Pearl Diving
Originally built in 1937 to house the Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs, this museum Map p121 17 210 600 Government Ave admission 500 fils 8am-noon Sat-Wed, 9am-6pm Thu still bears the emblem of weighing scales above the great wooden entrance doors not the Government Ave entrance . The rooms, which can be seen within an hour, contain displays of Bahrain's pearl-diving and seafaring heritage, exhibits of antique weapons, traditional games, medicine, costumes and musical instruments, as...
Mutrah
Mutrah stretches along an attractive cor-niche of latticed buildings and mosques it looks spectacular at sunset when the light casts shadows across a serrated crescent of mountains, while new pavements, lights and fountains invite an evening stroll. Despite being the capital's main port area, Mutrah feels like a fishing village. The daily catch is delivered to the fish market Map p197 6-10am , by the Marina Hotel, from sunrise everday. This new museum Mapp197 24 714262 Al-Mlna St, Mutrah adult...
House of Mirrors
For a quirky art-in-action experience, visit this small museum Map p156 1251 8522 House 17, Street 94, Block 9, Qadisiya admission free in a residential house in the suburbs of Qadisiya. Reputedly, 77 tons of mirror and 102 tons of white cement have been used in the creation of the mirror mosaics that spangle the entire house - both inside and out. The creation of Lidia al-Qattan, the widow of Khalifa al-Qattan, a renowned Kuwaiti artist, the project was inspired by the decorating of an old...