ON TOUR - Muscat and Oman

This time last year TNU Editor-in-Chief Malcolm Ginsberg visited Oman, but for the most part kept away from the capital Muscat.  Editor-at-Large Jeff Mills has also now been but his report concentrates on what is not only the administrative centre, but easily the main city.  They need to be read in conjunction with each other. www.travelnewsupdate.co.uk/article/22

Muscat, the jewel in Oman’s crown – and now towards the end of the year is the best time to visit, says Editor-at-Large Jeff Mills.

Oman is one of the most efficient and modern of the Gulf States, a landscape of dramatic mountains forming a backdrop to an often unspoiled beautiful coastline with some excellent beaches. It is also, unusually for this part of the world, an area subject to monsoon rains which sweep down between June and September − so everything is reasonably green and lush, at least at certain times of the year. If you want to see the place at its best visit in October.

Muscat, the capital, is a model of efficiency, too. An Arab state this may be but it is one which has cleverly managed to embrace Western practices while at the same time leaving visitors in no doubt that they are in the Middle East. Western-style suits and ties for men, and reasonably modest clothes for women, may well be the norm for business meetings, but many locals are quite likely to turn up wearing a traditional ankle-length Arab robe, known here as a ‘dishdasha’.

It’s also worth paying attention to local etiquette when visiting here, particularly if you are there on business. For example, always stand up when someone enters a room during a meeting, do not sit in such a way that the soles of your feet are pointing at someone else and do not eat or offer things with your left hand. It is also thought polite to let your host set the pace of any conversation.

Remember, too, that the working week throughout most of the Gulf region, including Oman, is Saturday to Thursday with virtually all offices and other businesses closed on Fridays. Most embassies and government departments also close on Thursdays. Check before you go for religious holidays such as Ramadan, the month when Muslims fast from dawn until dusk.

And don’t expect much in the way of partying in Oman, except perhaps in some of the smarter hotels. Alcohol is a no-no in many small and medium-size restaurants, though it is usually available in more expensive establishments and hotels catering primarily for foreigners.

Remember, though, that this is not a good place to be accused of drunk and disorderly behaviour. The people may be delightful but the local rules must be obeyed.

If you want to be near the centre of things choose Crowne Plaza Muscat (www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/gb/en/muscat/mschc/hoteldetail), a decent five-star hotel, on a hill overlooking the beach, with all the facilities you may need, including a fully-equipped business centre, a health club, swimming pool, tennis courts and plenty of bars and restaurants.

But for something really special head for the Al-Bustan Palace hotel
(www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/mctrz-al-bustan-palace-a-ritz-carlton-hotel/overview) on a secluded part of the beach outside Muscat. With its fabulous open atrium and ornate architecture, it is more palace than hotel, indeed it was originally built for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit meeting in the 1980s. Excellent watersports and other facilities.

The restaurants in the Al-Bustan are hard to beat, particularly the slightly less formal ones on the beach. Otherwise there’s a good choice of reasonably inexpensive restaurants in Muscat itself, many of them Indian, Chinese or Lebanese.

The Mutrah souq is the place to head for local shopping.

It’s said by many to be one of the best traditional markets to be found in the area. Muscat is not great for serious shopping, unless you are on the lookout for local souvenirs, such as coffee pots, pottery and woven items, in which case head for one of the big shopping malls such as those at Qurm and near the InterContinental hotel in Shatti al-Qurm, where you will find many ex-patriot westerners doing their shopping. That said, the local jewellery is considered excellent quality and good value, provided you know what you are buying.  

For something different try driving around the desert in four-wheel-drive vehicles. Wadi-bashing as it is known is one of the big sports here; you can sign up for the tours through most hotels. You may also be offered the opportunity to try sand skiing and camel riding, as well.

Other ‘must-see’ activities include visiting the city’s three forts as well as the Sultan’s Armed Forces Museum and the Natural History Museum, all well worth finding time for.

Getting there

There are flights from London to Muscat by Gulf Air, Oman Air and Qatar Airways with British Airways.

Arrival at Seeb Airport, the main international gateway, is relatively painless provided you have the right visa (which can be arranged in advance through your hotel). Security can be tight, though, so make sure you have nothing contentious in your baggage, including any publications, brochures, photographs or the like which could be considered improper. A taxi from the airport into town takes about 30 minutes.

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