Oman
AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST · 6 PLACES
Flooded fjords on the Strait of Hormuz, a limestone canyon a kilometre deep, frankincense souqs, and a monsoon that turns the southern hills green every August. The Gulf without the glass towers.
Muscat
Low-rise capital of forts, souq alleys and an opera house, with the coast road east for wadis.
Nizwa
The interior capital: a round-towered fort, a Friday livestock auction and three more forts nearby.
Wahiba Sands
One or two nights in a dune camp, plus Wadi Bani Khalid on the way through.
Salalah
A thousand kilometres south, and a different climate entirely. Frankincense ports and Arabian Sea beaches.
Jebel Shams
Oman's highest mountain and the rim walk above Wadi Ghul. Cold at night, empty by day.
Musandam
The northern exclave: dhow cruises into the khors and a mountain safari up Jebel Harim.
One month here
Low-rise capital of forts, souq alleys and an opera house, with the coast road east for wadis.
The interior capital: a round-towered fort, a Friday livestock auction and three more forts nearby.
One or two nights in a dune camp, plus Wadi Bani Khalid on the way through.
A thousand kilometres south, and a different climate entirely. Frankincense ports and Arabian Sea beaches.
Oman's highest mountain and the rim walk above Wadi Ghul. Cold at night, empty by day.
The northern exclave: dhow cruises into the khors and a mountain safari up Jebel Harim.
Three months here
Use it as the base: museums, diving, the Sur coast road and every domestic flight starts here.
Long enough to add Jebel Akhdar, Misfat Al Abriyeen, Bahla and the whole fort circuit.
Several camps, deeper dunes, and time in Bidiyah and Ibra between desert nights.
Both seasons if you time it: khareef green in August, empty beaches and clear skies by November.
Camp on the rim, walk the Balcony more than once, and work down through Al Hamra and Ghul.
Overnight dhows, diving off Lima Rock, Kumzar by boat and the Zighy Bay side of the peninsula.
Festivals worth flying for
Khareef Dhofar · 21 June-20 September
Dhofar's monsoon season, run as an official programme of concerts, markets and heritage events around Salalah.
Salalah Tourism Festival · Mid-July to late August
The main khareef event, staged at Ittin. The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism confirms exact dates about a month ahead.
Muscat Nights · 1-31 January
The capital's month-long municipal festival across parks, beaches, malls and the opera house, with drone shows and daily parades.
National Day · 20 November
Military parade, fireworks and a 21-gun salute. The date was reproclaimed in 2025; expect closures and heavy traffic as Omanis travel home.
Damask rose harvest · April, Jebel Akhdar
Two or three weeks only. Families pick before dawn to hold the oil, and the plateau distilleries take visitors.
In an emergency
Emergency number 9999
9999 reaches the Royal Oman Police, ambulance and fire. Crime against visitors is rare and Oman is one of the safest countries in the region; the real hazards are wadi flash floods after rain, summer heat over 45C, and breaking down on empty roads. Never drive into a flowing wadi, and carry water, a spare tyre and a way to call out.
Language
Arabic is the official language, and English is widely spoken in hotels, tour operations and shops in Muscat and Salalah.
Money
Omani rial (OMR), divided into 1,000 baisa and pegged to the US dollar; cards work in hotels and malls, but carry cash for souqs, forts, parking and small petrol stations.
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