I have been stuck with a bad case of flu since my return from Umrah. It seems that the only thing that I can do is stare at my pc with half of my brain not functioning properly. So I decided it was a decluttering day of my Dropbox. I found some awesome photos of my trip to Oman a couple of years ago. It was before I started the MuslimTravelGirl’s adventures so I never really posted or wrote about it.
Actually, before my visit, I never considered Oman a worthy destination. How wrong was I? This country is just so beautiful! I fell in love with the place straight away. I was visiting some Omani friends who took the time to show me Muscat and Oman. So really not the proper tourist type, I had the opportunity to have a tour of Muscat and the countryside and get more of a local perspective. This is what I prefer in general because you do get a better feel for a country when the locals show you around. I found the people much nicer than many other Arab countries. There is no ego, they are friendly lovely people. Delicious food and a country that I rank on the top of my destinations. Muscat is a vibrant city made of many locals who have moved from the villages for a better life. The low crime rate, modern and quite progressive thanks to Sultan Qaboos. They have freedom of religion and actually some of the few Arab countries that allow different religions to practice freely and not only from the people of the Book (Judaism, Islam, Christianity).
While there I visited Muscat, Bahla which has the oldest fort, and Nizwa a Unesco heritage site due to the 2000 years old water delivery system. Oman has many forts as it was how they used to protect themselves from pirates and other enemies. I am very happy that Oman is picking up as a tourist destination and it is opening this opportunity for Muslims and non-Muslims to visit. It is a very beautiful country and has amazing views and it is diverse as I cannot categorize it as a desert country. I have seen some amazing views from top of the mountains, visited a very old village near Nizwa and it has one of the most beautiful and calming mosques I have visited. The Sultan Qaboos mosque which I will do a post on it’s own since it deserves it.
Unfortunately, I don’t seem to find more than one photo from the Mutrah Souq (old market) in Muscat which is an awesome place to visit and walk around the coast. For some reason, Muscat reminded me of my home in Athens where I could walk around the beach and enjoy a coffee in peace. There are plenty of cafes and areas where you can do this freely.
I have heard very nice things about the south of Oman in Salalah which inshaAllah I would love to visit soon. If you are thinking of visiting the Middle East I totally recommend spending few days in Oman which is only a 50min flight from Dubai plus you can buy a visa upon arrival. You can even drive it in a couple of hours if you are feeling adventurous. 🙂
The Museum I visited is the Bait Al Zubair museum which is a must. You can see a glimpse of how people in Oman and the Arabia lived and learn more about their traditions.
If you are planning on visiting Misfat al Abreyeen then I highly recommend you wear comfortable clothes. It involves a lot of hiking and walking. Unfortunately, when I went I wasn’t totally aware so my abaya and sandals didn’t help with the hiking. 🙂
Have you visited Oman? Any places you would recommend?