After my two weeks exploring four other countries across the Middle East (UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain) I was beyond excited to be heading to my fifth and final country of the trip - one I'd been anticipating eagerly and have wanted to visit for a very long time. Somehow I only booked this portion of the trip two weeks before I flew to Dubai and convinced Ina, one of my close friends from Salzburg, to fly out and join me for this leg of the journey.
It turned out phenomenally. Oman is sitting firmly on the list of my favourite countries - we were blown away by 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 three nights based in Muscat at the start of our trip and two nights at the end. You can check out all my guides to Oman here.
How to Get to Muscat
The main international airport in Oman is in the capital city of Muscat and this city is the ideal spot to start and end your trip through the country. I flew direct Manama to Muscat with Gulf Air which took 1 hour 30 minutes. A number of airlines fly direct to Muscat from around the world.
With an EU passport, it was very straightforward to get into Oman for up to 14 days visa free, although the border control passport was very long and slow-going, taking me two hours to get through! You can check the Government of Oman website to see the Oman visa requirements for your country.
Flying out of Manama, Bahrain
Flying into Muscat, Oman
How to Get Around Muscat
The public transport options in Muscat (and all of Oman) are very limited, so we opted to rent a car for our eight-day roadtrip through the country. We used Dollar Oman as it was the most affordable option and our little car was actually perfect for what we needed, it was brand new (less than 1000km) and had ApplePlay so we could use our USB to plug in and play Spotify and use Google Maps to get around.
The roads are fantastic in Oman - except for the short 11km stint into the desert in the Wahiba Sands. All the highways are really well maintained and signposted, and we found it a total breeze to explore the country self-guided.
The roads of Oman
Where to Stay in Muscat
We stayed at two fantastic hotels during our time in Muscat.
We spent our first three nights at the Fort Guesthouse in Mutrah, a charming and authentic little guesthouse less than ten minutes walk from the Mutrah Souq and situated near the base of the iconic Mutrah Fort. We loved it here - it was affordable, the owners were kind and tended to our every need (including unlimited water bottles!) and we loved the location and the decor - plus our room was HUGE.
We spent our last night at the Shangri-La Al Husn to splash out a little and treat ourselves to a luxurious experience after a few weeks adventuring through the desert. We enjoyed hanging out poolside, making use of the private beach, exploring the beautiful grounds (by foot and by golf cart), indulging in afternoon tea and the greatest hotel breakfast ever and snorkeling in the warm ocean. It was the perfect end to my Middle East trip - especially because we could use the property all day, check out late, and use the lounge after we had left our room, given that we didn't need to head back to the airport until 9pm.
The view from our room of the private beach and cliffs
Best Things to Do in Muscat
Muscat was fascinating. It was the perfect landing spot for us to kick off our time in Oman, as the country's capital city and its biggest. Muscat truly blew us away - it was clean, welcoming, spacious, modern, easy to navigate and beautiful.
1. Explore Mutrah
We based ourselves in Mutrah during our first few nights in Oman, a gorgeous seaside port section of Muscat that is slightly out of the bustling core centre, offering a peaceful escape and beautiful surroundings with which to introduce yourself to the city. We spent hot May days wandering the little streets, drinking mango banana smoothies and oggling over the view from the waterfront.
2. Go shopping at the Mutrah Souq
For an authentic Omani shopping experience, make your way to the maze that is the Mutrah Souq and try your hand at bargaining for wares in the many, many stalls that line the massive space. You can likely pick up just about anything you're after - but be warned, you're going to be pressured and you'll need to haggle! It's all part of the fun!
You can also feast on delicious samosa right outside the souq; we came here for dinner every single night and loaded up on cheap, hot and fresh samosa.
3. Watch the sunset from the top of Mutrah Fort
Perhaps our favourite spot in all of Mutrah, we climbed up to the top of Mutrah Fort on our first evening in the city to watch the golden amber glow of the sun as it dipped below the mountains around the port. There is a little cafe up there too and twinkle lights adorn the architecture, making for a dreamy setting from where to take in the view of all of Mutrah laid out below.
4. Visit the exquisite Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
The largest mosque in all of Oman, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is spectacular. Clean, crisp lines and simple and elegant design choices reflect the simplicity of this religious haven. Women must be fully covered from head to toe - you can rent an abaya at the entrance if you don't have sufficient clothing.
5. Enjoy the seaside at Shangri-La Al Husn
For our last full day in Oman, we indulged ourselves with a pool and sea day at the Shangri-La where we snorkeled along the coastline, read books in the pool to stay cool and - if you can time your trip right - we finished the day watching the baby turtles being hatched on the beach and released into the sea!
6. Have breakfast at the aesthetic Steel Cafe
Delicious açai bowls and refreshing iced coffee awaits at this gorgeously designed cafe in the heart of Muscat. Steel Cafe epitomizes everything I'd want in my future home - bright, airy, welcoming and always with fresh food and drinks at the ready.
Day Trips to Take from Muscat
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Hi! I’m Jana, a British-Dutch-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
