I spent a week exploring Oman as the fifth and final country on my three-week Middle East trip, which also included the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Oman was the one I was definitely looking forward to the most, and while every country I went to was honestly brilliant, Oman completely blew me away. The landscapes, the kindness, the beauty, the yummy food, the world-class stunning snorkeling, the quality of the accommodations, the safety, the peace, the infrastructure... all of it was brilliant. I can HIGHLY recommend a roadtrip through Oman to anyone.
We spent our first three nights based in Muscat, the capital city of Oman based on the northern coast. One of the best day trips from Muscat is to take a guided snorkeling tour out to the Daymaniyat Islands, a protected nature reserve about 18 km off the coast. Nine islands make up the Daymaniyat Islands and while we weren't permitted to land on the islands themselves, the reef surrounding them is absolutely SPECTACULAR.
To visit the Daymaniyat Islands, book a snorkeling tour - we booked a brilliant day trip through Get Your Guide with three guides and had a complete blast out there with time for three snorkels in three spots. The water was warm and clear, the wildlife exquisite and in abundance and it was quiet and empty of humans (unlike some of the other more touristy places I've snorkeled).
I've been lucky enough to have snorkled in some of the world's greatest spots (like the Galápagos, the Balearic Islands, Indonesia, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia) but I have to say, the untouched paradise waters of Oman are some of the best I've ever had the honour of exploring.
