The Sultanate of Oman is a country on the Arabian Peninsula. Hugh & I rented a car and spent 5 days traveling around central Oman in February 2017. We landed by air (from Colombo) and departed by inter-city coach (to Dubai) from the capital, Muscat. The featured photo (above) is a typical town built on an oasis. Oman has well-maintained hardtop roads with clear markings in English & Arabic, some freeways near the coastal cities and gas is cheap (Hybrid vehicles are rare). Oman has a surprisingly modern infrastructure.
Slideshow of Photos taken in Oman

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We explored the souks and Nizwa fort in the city of Nizwa which is two and a half hours drive from Muscat. Also, Hajar Mountains, Fanja and Sumail. We circled back to Muscat via Al Hamra and Misfah to Sur and then back north along the Arabian Sea. Most towns are located on an Oasis or close to a fresh water source and they all have an old “Fort”. The interior of Oman is dry as a bone. Video — An encounter with a camel on the side of the road Map of our Oman roadtrip
The Omanis or at least the ruler of the country, Sultan Qaboos, spends lavishly on monuments, promotional events and religious and cultural buildings. The national mosque (Grand Mosque) and the national opera house (The Royal Opera House Muscat) are two examples of beautiful complexes ordered by the Sultan — both locales reflecting contemporary Omani architecture surrounded by huge landscaped gardens. Oman’s Grand Mosque One feature of the Grand Mosque is the world’s largest chandelier weighing 8 tonnes<— click this link
The Royal Opera House Muscat
Guy on his phone at the Opera House
Town built around an oasis
One Old Guy
Tailor Shop
Barber Shop
KFC’s all over Oman
Electrical appliance repair shop
Omani Souqs (Markets) are preferable locations to purchase handicrafts and are always bustling with tourists. They are full of goods like silver, gold, textiles and masterpieces produced by other Omani industries like daggers. But, don’t get the notion that Omanis have to do their shopping in the old traditional markets because they coexist with modern shopping malls and other shopping centres right out of Orange County. Colourful Souk (traditional market)
Oman’s coast is lined with many soft sand beaches and there are an increasing number of resort hotels on the coast near Muscat. Beaches like Quaram, Quiriyat, Mokallah & Qantab could be mistaken for California beaches — lined with restaurants, snack bars and cafes. They offer camping, diving, snorkeling, speedboat rides, scooters, etc. These beaches attract so many Europeans that tourism has recently become the country’s largest industry. Holidaying at a seaside resort
Low Tide on one Muscat Beach
We stopped at 2 Wadis on the coast road back to Muscat. Wadis are crystal clear pools of water and streams flowing from the surrounding mountains, ideal for a swim. We also went through Quriyat — another sea coast town approximately 90 kilometres south of Muscat. Hugh at Wadi Tiwi
Treking through a Wadi
Souk shoppers
The city called Sur is famous for its beautiful harbour and those skilled carpenters who specialize in building Dhows. Dhows are wooden single-sail boats that ply the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea. Sur Harbour
Dhow under construction — wood is imported from West Africa