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I’ve won a week’s holiday in Oman – any suggestions of places to go & see as we’re definitely not the sort to lie around sunning ourselves.
Also: anything I should be especially aware of given my husband & I are gay?
It’s illegal.
Well, my hubby and I were there couple of months ago. No one batted an eyelid, but we were discreet. No holding hands, no kissing, nothing. Beautiful country, very unusual. Lovely canyons, wadis, sinkholes, rivers. Worth taking a tour. Sea was very clear. You can stay around Muscat. Hotels West of Muscat (IC, W, etc) is a busy place, full of life. Hotels east of Muscat are quiet and what would you expect of Oman. Here you have Al Bustan, Shangri-La, Chedi. Can’t say anything about street/local restaurants food, we ate at the hotel.
The new airport is very modern and quiet. If you’re arriving middle of the night, I would recommend getting the Meet & Greet service to whisk you through immigration and baggage. There can be queues, but you jump them, if you’re using the service. Means you can get to the hotel by 4am and still get some sleep before going for a late breakfast.
Well, my hubby and I were there couple of months ago. No one batted an eyelid, but we were discreet. No holding hands, no kissing, nothing. Beautiful country, very unusual. Lovely canyons, wadis, sinkholes, rivers. Worth taking a tour. Sea was very clear. You can stay around Muscat. Hotels West of Muscat (IC, W, etc) is a busy place, full of life. Hotels east of Muscat are quiet and what would you expect of Oman. Here you have Al Bustan, Shangri-La, Chedi. Can’t say anything about street/local restaurants food, we ate at the hotel.
The new airport is very modern and quiet. If you’re arriving middle of the night, I would recommend getting the Meet & Greet service to whisk you through immigration and baggage. There can be queues, but you jump them, if you’re using the service. Means you can get to the hotel by 4am and still get some sleep before going for a late breakfast.
Thanks for that fulsome and very useful reply.
I want to be nosey, sorry. How did you win it?
Here’s a rough itinerary for a week, focused on history/culture/natural sights, and assuming you have hired a car (SUV), based on a trip I did in 2018:
Day 1: Muscat: Al Mirani Fort, Riyam Park, Corniche, Mutrah Souq
Day 2: Drive to a Jabal al Akhdar mountain resort (e.g. Anantara/Alila) for a combination of relaxation/hiking, stay the night
Day 3: Drive down in the afternoon to one of the desert camps near Bidiyah (e.g. Desert Nights). Take in the desert sunset etc.
Day 4: Drive back to Muscat along the coast, exploring some of the wadis along the coastal route (e.g. Wadi Shab, Wadi Tiwi) and Bimmah Sinkhole. Arrive late, leave early.
Day 5: Visit Nakhal fort and Rustaq fort. Take the Wadi Sahtan Rd pass through the mountains (this was not for the faint hearted but very rewarding – essentially off road in places), stay the night at Misfah Old House
Day 6: Explore Al Hamra old town, side trip to Jibreen Castle and Bahla fort if you liked the forts the previous day, explore Wadi Ghul, stay the night at a Jabal Shams resort
Day 7: Spend the day hiking Jabal Shams, back to Muscat in the evening (perhaps somewhere more luxurious/beachy, you’ve earned it)
Day 8: Muscat: Grand Mosque/Opera HouseDon’t have any specific advice about the gay aspect unfortunately.
I want to be nosey, sorry. How did you win it?
Visit Oman are running a competition during the men’s World Cup football – at half time in each match 2 people are picked who have posted on Visit Oman’s social media channels in the previous 24 hours answering a question & including #HalfTimeForOman
So there’s 128 prizes up for grabs, although most now allocated there’s still a chance to win.
Here’s a rough itinerary for a week, focused on history/culture/natural sights, and assuming you have hired a car (SUV), based on a trip I did in 2018:
Day 1: Muscat: Al Mirani Fort, Riyam Park, Corniche, Mutrah Souq
Day 2: Drive to a Jabal al Akhdar mountain resort (e.g. Anantara/Alila) for a combination of relaxation/hiking, stay the night
Day 3: Drive down in the afternoon to one of the desert camps near Bidiyah (e.g. Desert Nights). Take in the desert sunset etc.
Day 4: Drive back to Muscat along the coast, exploring some of the wadis along the coastal route (e.g. Wadi Shab, Wadi Tiwi) and Bimmah Sinkhole. Arrive late, leave early.
Day 5: Visit Nakhal fort and Rustaq fort. Take the Wadi Sahtan Rd pass through the mountains (this was not for the faint hearted but very rewarding – essentially off road in places), stay the night at Misfah Old House
Day 6: Explore Al Hamra old town, side trip to Jibreen Castle and Bahla fort if you liked the forts the previous day, explore Wadi Ghul, stay the night at a Jabal Shams resort
Day 7: Spend the day hiking Jabal Shams, back to Muscat in the evening (perhaps somewhere more luxurious/beachy, you’ve earned it)
Day 8: Muscat: Grand Mosque/Opera HouseDon’t have any specific advice about the gay aspect unfortunately.
That looks fascinating just reading it, I look forward to starting my research in earnest & will definitely draw on the advice here.
I want to be nosey, sorry. How did you win it?
Visit Oman are running a competition during the men’s World Cup football – at half time in each match 2 people are picked who have posted on Visit Oman’s social media channels in the previous 24 hours answering a question & including #HalfTimeForOman
So there’s 128 prizes up for grabs, although most now allocated there’s still a chance to win.
Wow you clearly got very lucky there! Enjoy
Congrats mkol. I also won one of the half time trips to Oman so am reading with interest.
We get a week half board in a hotel as part of the prize. I don’t know if there will be a choice or not.
I want to be nosey, sorry. How did you win it?
Visit Oman are running a competition during the men’s World Cup football – at half time in each match 2 people are picked who have posted on Visit Oman’s social media channels in the previous 24 hours answering a question & including #HalfTimeForOman
So there’s 128 prizes up for grabs, although most now allocated there’s still a chance to win.
Wow you clearly got very lucky there! Enjoy
Thanks!
They’ve just posted the link again on Twitter
https://twitter.com/visitoman_vo/status/1599461409397407744?t=QFeqgmxbjtVtEy8X15fJYQ&s=19
Currently chilling by the pool at the Anantara, having just done a Via Ferrata in front of the hotel this morning! Such a beautiful hotel in the most stunning location.
So far we (a friend and I) have stayed at the W Hotel, Muscat for 3 nights, followed by Desert Nights Camp for 1 night and the Anantara for 2 nights. All really, really good hotels in their own right.
I would definitely recommend Oman. The people are incredibly friendly, and the scenery is beautiful and unspoilt. The country is currently very quiet of many tourists, and mostly those from mainland Europe (German and Spanish) with only a small handful of Brits.
Shameless self-promotion, but I’ve written about Oman (and the Gulf) for most of my travel writing career, and advise the likes of IHG and Marriott on Oman. Have a look through my portfolio for some inspiration (I’d recommend the Frankincense Trail article)
joeworthington . contently . com (remove the spaces)
If your both reasonably mobile and can swim you must definitely go to Wadi Shab, a wonderful experience, but go early to miss the busy time. A quick google will find lots of companies offering pick up and transfer from hotel tours to it.
Not to be missedI’m guessing this could be done via (presumably a short hop from) DOH – I’m not aware of any direct flights from MAN? The diving is supposed to be excellent as well.
That’s if they don’t mind a couple more Brits 😜
Yes, we’re going LHR-Doha-Muscat next month with QR. I assume you can go direct from MAN to Doha. We are staying at the Shanghai-La al Husn which has a dive centre attached.
Lovely, please report back!
Got here by paying cash with Oman Air on the overnight flight LHR to Muscat. Oman Air are supposed to be joining One World at some point, so there should be points opps soon, but it leaves from T4, which isn’t the best if you don’t have lounge access.
The flight over wasn’t the best experience and a little cramped in economy, but not the longest flight either. Works for our timing too as it leaves LHR at 9pm, with enough time to get to the airport after work in Central London.
Icing on the cake after the flight was the W hotel room being ready when we arrived at 9am. We also got a free upgrade and were there on a corporate rate. Win win.
Flying back via Doha on points, with Qatar airways flight Muscat to Doha on Saturday morning. Stopping over for one night to see friends who live there. Points rate is incredibly reasonable.
I also see a direct flight LHR to Muscat with Oman Air.
We were also looking at Muscat as an alternative to Egyptian Red Sea resorts so interested in the thread and feedback.
I would definitely recommend Oman. The people are incredibly friendly, and the scenery is beautiful and unspoilt. The country is currently very quiet of many tourists, and mostly those from mainland Europe (German and Spanish) with only a small handful of Brits.
Interesting that you noticed that there are relatively few Brits vs French/Germans in Oman. We have noticed the same recently in more out of the way places like Serbia, Argentina and now in China. Where are they all? Slightly more Americans than usual as well.
I would definitely recommend Oman. The people are incredibly friendly, and the scenery is beautiful and unspoilt. The country is currently very quiet of many tourists, and mostly those from mainland Europe (German and Spanish) with only a small handful of Brits.
Interesting that you noticed that there are relatively few Brits vs French/Germans in Oman. We have noticed the same recently in more out of the way places like Serbia, Argentina and now in China. Where are they all? Slightly more Americans than usual as well.
For most people it is the travel that gets the budget cuts first.
So, they must be sitting home.In Oman it was difficult to distinguish where those who I mentioned lived. E.g. in the GCC region, being ex pats, or those that were there and travelling from Europe.
Oman is also not very well advertised as a holiday destination in the UK. Personally, I like that as I enjoy going to quiet off the beaten track places.
Money is also a factor, as well as time and people’s individual priorities.
I would definitely recommend Oman. The people are incredibly friendly, and the scenery is beautiful and unspoilt. The country is currently very quiet of many tourists, and mostly those from mainland Europe (German and Spanish) with only a small handful of Brits.
Interesting that you noticed that there are relatively few Brits vs French/Germans in Oman. We have noticed the same recently in more out of the way places like Serbia, Argentina and now in China. Where are they all? Slightly more Americans than usual as well.
Probably Dubai.
I’ve gained so much information and tips from HfP, hopefully I can give something back from our recent trip to Oman, I’ve tried to cover as many points as I can that often come up in the various forums. First, some context – we are an active couple in our late 50s and travel exclusively for leisure. We are recently retired so are time rich, when selecting hotels and flights we don’t let the tail wag the dog and tend to pick the hotels / flights / experiences that suit us and then use points and offers if we can get better value.
Pre-travel
We have relatives living in the High Wycombe area so departing from Heathrow is a good opportunity to see them so we drove down from Norfolk the day before our flight and spent a night at the Hampton, High Wycombe. It’s a relatively new hotel that’s right on Junction 4 of the M40 – a word of warning the Handy Cross Roundabout is quite complicated and busy so take care when using it. The hotel is also next to the bus pick up for the Oxford Airline that runs a regular service between Oxford, Heathrow and Gatwick although you can only leave your car there for a maximum of 96 hours. The Hampton includes breakfast in its rates and there is also a Waitrose next door if you fancy a bedroom picnic.
It was a 30 minute drive to Heathrow Terminal 4 when we were ready to head off to the airport and were safely parked in the Short Stay Car Park ahead of our evening flight to Muscat via Doha. We usually travel with a couple of large cases when we go long-haul so convenience is high on our check list. Although we are active my partner is not keen on hauling a large case on and off buses, trains and escalators if it can be avoided.
Flights
We flew Qatar Airways to Muscat via Doha on an Avios redemption. The flights were booked back in January and we were able to select our seats for free at the time of booking. I’ve noted comments on here about equipment changes but 3 of our 4 flights were as booked with the only change being that we had Qsuite on the Muscat to Doha let too giving us Qsuite for 3 of the 4 legs. We were in Business Class from London to Doha and then Business Class (but marketed as First) for the short flight from Doha to Muscat. We were booked in fare bucket U for the London / Doha legs and Z for the Doha / Muscat legs. I mention this as there is some discussion around lounge access on redemption tickets so what follows was our experience – we have no status with the airline.
Check in opened at 5.30pm, 4 hours before our flight and was handled efficiently with no queue although the agent tried to convince me that the 2 forward-facing centre Qsuite seats were miles apart and we should change seats if we wanted to be near each other – thanks to the information on this site I knew this was not the case and politely declined. We were straight through security and I picked up my pre-ordered Omani Rials from Travelex although I made the schoolboy error of not having the payment card I used with me but luckily was able to show the transaction on my banking app.
We had been directed to the Qatar Airways Premium Lounge which was fairly calm and quiet as we were on the last flight of the day. My plan was to sleep on the flight as much as possible so had a very enjoyable table service meal with a few cold drinks.
Boarding was good with priority boarding working as Qatar use a separate jet bridge for Business Class. The flight was faultless and the cabin crew were attentive and efficient. It was simply a case of ordering our breakfast and the time we wanted it and then it was off to La-La Land so I’m afraid I can’t comment of the dinner service or the IFE. Breakfast arrived as requested which just gave us enough time to freshen up ad we were off the aircraft first. We landed at the C Gates at Doha and our 85 minute connection was all good as the departing flight was also from the C Gates.
We departed from a remote stand on time and were treated to a separate bus that only had 4 of us on it – it’s a full-size bus but only seats about 12 people in seats that are like armchairs. We boarded last so departed quickly thereafter for the 90 minute flight to Muscat. The seats were 2:2 only about 3 rows which worked well, we just had time for a coffee and some fresh fruit. Had a great view of The Palm, Dubai as we passed over. Arrival at Muscat was also quick with fast-track immigration meaning we had no wait (we are UK passport holders so didn’t need any visas) and with priority baggage working we were in the arrivals hall in no time at all. Our transfer booked through Zahara Tours was waiting for us and it was off to our hotel for 3 nights.
Shangri-La Al Husn, Muscat
On arrival we were offered cold towels to freshen up which was most welcome and along with some dates and Omani coffee. Check-in was seamless although I always forget to carry our passports with me so had to go and interrupt the doorman who was dealing with our luggage. Our room was delightful and we really enjoyed our stay there, we had sone fresh fruit waiting for us and the room had a mini-bar containing a couple of cans of beer and some soft drinks along with some jars of nuts and crisps, the mini-bar is refreshed daily and I became addicted to the smoked almonds. We booked a cash rate direct that included breakfast and was a “Stay for 3 nights and pay for 2” offer. The hotel provides a lovely afternoon tea each day where you are served a tray of bite-size pastries along with your tea – we thought this was a really nice touch. They also have an Aperitif Hour each evening which was pleasant to sit and listen some music with a glass or two of wine before dinner.
The Al Husn is one of 3 Shangri-La properties at the resort the other 2 being Al Waha and Al Bandar. The Al Husn is adults only with the other 2 hotels being much more family focussed. There are number of restaurants across the resort and you are free to dine at any of them, we particularly enjoyed Bait Al Bahr, the seafood restaurant. The food and service at all the restaurants was very good. As you might expect alcohol was very expensive.
The hotel provides a number of complementary activities and I did the 1-hour guided snorkelling where we were joined by a couple of inquisitive turtles that came to check us out.
I’d pre-booked a half-day tour of Muscat with Zahara Tours taking in the main tourist spots of the hugely impressive Grand Mosque, the Bait Al Zubair Museum, Muttrah Souq and the Fish Souq.
In Muscat the temperature was consistently around 32c with a clear blue sky.
After 3 days we were off on our travels to head to Al Hajar mountains. I’d arranged a rental through Europcar and they duly delivered one of China’s finest SUVs to the hotel for us which is so convenient not to have to go and collect it. Avis is my usual provider but in Oman they didn’t seem to be able to offer an SUV from the hotel. Had no issues with Europcar and the local office was proactive in communicating prior to the rental. Oman’s road network is very good with a number of 3 lane highways connecting the main cities, we had a GPS and found our way around pretty well. Petrol is about 45p per litre.
Alila Jabal Akhdar, Al Hajar Mountains
The road into the mountains up to the hotel is pretty steep with plenty of hairpin bends and they will only let tourists drive up there in a 4×4. There is a police check point at the beginning of the road in Birkat Al Mawz to stop anyone with an unsuitable vehicle. The road is paved all the way and to be honest I’ve driven steeper roads in the US (Mount Washington in particular) but in heavy rain it could be a different story.
The Alila hotel was booked direct for cash, we don’t have Hyatt status which was duly acknowledged at check in by not receiving an upgrade, lounge access, free breakfast or drinks vouchers!! Given the lack of dining options at the hotel we booked half-board which worked out well for us as we could choose a 3-course meal each evening from the full and very varied menu. This hotel was reviewed by HfP last year so I won’t go into detail.
Unlike when Rob and his family visited the weather was excellent with temperatures around 21c in the day and clear blue skies. Some of the staff were wearing thick overcoats but for us Brits it was perfect. I thought the pool was warm other than when you got out there could be a chilly breeze. We enjoy hiking and had our boots with us so we did the supposed 3-hour hike from the hotel. We are reasonably fit but it took us over 4 hours but was very enjoyable, the route is very well marked and follows some quite rough terrain over rocks and through a series of dry wadis.
After 3 nights it was off to Sharqiya Sands.
Desert Nights Camp, Sharqiya Sands
You get to the camp by following an 11km track through the desert from Al Wasil. Once you find the right track is dead straight just watch out for the odd wandering camel. The road is very rutted like driving over a cattle grid for most of the time. I found that if you go at about 50km it smoothed them out. I didn’t let the air our of the tyres as some suggest as I wasn’t planning to go off the track and it was all fine.
Desert Nights Camp consists of individual brick built rooms with a canvas roof. In the evening we were driven up on to the top of the dune for the sunset, it was full moon when we were there so it was nice to have the sun setting on one side and a full moon rising on the other.
The accommodation was booked direct for cash and you have to take half-board, dinner and breakfast were both buffet style and although not to the variety and standard of Shangri-La or Alila we were well satisfied. It didn’t really get cold at night either as we had dinner outside and a light fleece was sufficient.
Most people only stay there for a night or maybe 2 if they want to do any of the activities. You can go dune bashing in a 4×4 or on a quad bike if that’s your thing but the noise did detract at times from the peace of the desert. I had researched and knew what to expect and there are much more remote camps if you want to go for a completely off grid desert experience.
After one night it was back to Al Husn for a couple of nights. Europcar collected the car from the hotel. We did another half-day tour with the highlights being the National Museum and the Opara House. This second stay was booked through Bon Vivant as I wanted to take advantage of any late check out that might be available. The hotel said this only extended to 2pm but I was happy to pay a relatively modest supplement to stay until 7pm.
Flights
We arranged our return transfer direct with the hotel and they ended up not charging us for it as the car arrived about 40 minutes late. This was the only service fail on our entire trip and they recovered it without being asked so we made it to the airport without any issues.
There is a dedicated Business Class check-in zone at the B desks for all airlines which leads through fast track security where there was nobody in the queue. Qatar Airways use the Primeclass Lounge which was fine for a couple of hours.
At the gate priority boarding worked fine and we were treated to Qsuite for the short flight to Doha. As we arrived in Doha on a flight where we were ticketed as First Class we were able to use the Al Safwa lounge for a couple of hours ahead of our return to Heathrow. Once we had got through the 2-levels of access security (one dragon at the bottom of the escalator and another at the desk) I enjoyed a very nice dinner of Poached Lobster Tail followed by a Beef Fillet accompanied by some champagne and red wine.
That set me up nicely for a sleep on the flight with breakfast and a freshen up just before arrival into London. Priority baggage worked and even the e-gates let me through without an issue which is unusual for me. The car was where I had left it and was grateful we had used the short stay as it was a shock of coming back to a temperature of 4c.
I conclusion, this was our first trip to the region and we really loved Oman, there is enough that we didn’t see and do for us to return which we certainly would. We found the locals to be warm and friendly and we were also impressed with how clean everywhere was with no signs of litter anywhere and no graffiti. One other thing I noted was that I’m usually Ground Zero for the local bug population but was completely untouched by them on this trip. I would use Zahara Tours again as they were very efficient and responsive when I was booking.
Thanks for reading and if you’ve made it this far – well done. That’s our 2024 travel concluded and 2025 will be kicking off with a trip to Madeira in January.
I’m happy to follow up any questions.
Happy Travels.
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