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Excellent write-up @Man of Kent. Many thanks
Enjoyed the read.thank you. Our very brief stop for a day from a cruise ship was really enjoyable and OH and I have mentally put Oman on ‘the list’ for a more in depth visit.
If you could go back for a week but only go back to one of the hotels you stayed at, which would it be and why?
Thanks for the report Man of Kent
Thanks for the report particularly on your hotels and activities.
No need to pre order OMR, there are plenty of ATMs in the arrivals area that don’t charge. These give out RO 5, 10 and 20 notes (£10/£20/£40)
If you get scanned into Al Safwa at the bottom of the escalators, you don’t have to go to the desk at the top – you only need to do so if the person at the bottom tells you to (which will be because they don’t have a scanner and were just visually checking, or they couldn’t confirm your entry eligibility for some reason)
An interesting question @CJD which got me thinking. I’d probably go for the Shangri-La Al Husn given its proximity to Muscat city (they run a regular shuttle bus). We just felt really comfortable there and the little touches like the afternoon tea and aperitif hour were really nice, For example when you are by the pool they provide an ice box of drinks and juice and a cooling water spray, I appreciate it’s only a small thing but when it’s unadvertised and provided with enthusiasm by the hotel staff it’s lovely. This was our first visit to a Shangri-La so we had no status but all the staff made our stay feel special and that they were very motivated to look after us.
Thanks for that, seems like a lovely place to fly and flop for a bit of winter sun? Room rates also look fairly reasonable for what you get as well.
What were your driving times like up to the mountains and out to the desert? The desert camp for a night definitely appeals as well for something to experience.
I’d agree it’s a good destination for some winter sun as the flights are not too far and it’s only 4 hours time difference.
Driving from Muscat to Birkat Al Mawz was about 2 hours – this can be longer though if the traffic in Muscat is heavy, I understand it’s generally lighter on Fridays and Saturdays. Birkat Al Mawz is OK for a wander around or to break the journey. Then it’s about another hour up into the mountains.
Coming back we went to Nizwa which took about 90 minutes (there is a well restored fort there which is worth a look) and then it’s about 2 to 2.5 hours to Al Wasil followed by 20 – 30 minutes into the desert.
You can get back to Muscat via a more direct route but we decided to follow the coast road which was about 2 hours to the Bimmah Sink Hole where you can have a wander round or a cooling swim if you fancy it. Then another 90 minutes back to the Shangri-la.
Great report @Man of Kent with some really important detail for when I put Oman on my list. Still have scars/scabs from bug bites in Soth Africa, so I’m in that class with you. Good info about the 4×4 as well, as I normally will only hire a standard saloon.
You got a far better bus than I did at Doha, maybe that’s a 1st class bus rather than a business class buss.
So Qick Q
Do you need an IDP to drive in OMAN?
Conflicting “advice ” found on the Internet. Seems to be “No” but rental car companies may ask for one??
I have a Photo driving licence
Oman is not listed on the UK Government website simply saying check with the relevant embassy. I didn’t check with the embassy and didn’t get an IDP.
Europcar didn’t ask for one and were happy with my photocard licence, I’d downloaded the paper addendum just in case but they didn’t want to see that either.
Thanks
I’d agree it’s a good destination for some winter sun as the flights are not too far and it’s only 4 hours time difference.
Driving from Muscat to Birkat Al Mawz was about 2 hours – this can be longer though if the traffic in Muscat is heavy, I understand it’s generally lighter on Fridays and Saturdays. Birkat Al Mawz is OK for a wander around or to break the journey. Then it’s about another hour up into the mountains.
Coming back we went to Nizwa which took about 90 minutes (there is a well restored fort there which is worth a look) and then it’s about 2 to 2.5 hours to Al Wasil followed by 20 – 30 minutes into the desert.
You can get back to Muscat via a more direct route but we decided to follow the coast road which was about 2 hours to the Bimmah Sink Hole where you can have a wander round or a cooling swim if you fancy it. Then another 90 minutes back to the Shangri-la.
Do you think the Jabal Akhdar would work as a retreat for a week? Or is it the sort of place you could only spend a few days at?
That’s quite a tricky question @CJD. It largely depends on what you like doing and what time of year you plan to visit. It seems the winter can have more unpredictable weather as I believe Rob had quite poor weather when he visited whereas the weather was fine for us.
The hotel has a nice infinity pool with great views over the valley and there seemed to be quite a few loungers but I’m not sure how full the hotel was. You can do some hiking from the hotel. There are a number of day excursions but they can be quite expensive if you don’t have a car.
There is only one restaurant there but I doubt you will get bored of the menu as it’s quite extensive including Arabic, Asian, Indian and European.
There’s also a daily activities program that is complimentary and paid-for.
Having said all that we would probably only stay for 2/3 days if we went again.
My husband and I are in Oman now, mid March and have had no problems with being a gay couple, just the usual advice on modesty that applies to any couple. The only stares we’ve had have been during the day wearing shorts from local men, it’s more discreet to wear long trousers when out and about.
As far as travel preparation is concerned you won’t need a visa for up to 14 days but any longer and you will, it’s easily applied for online from the Royal Oman Police and was approved within the hour and is essential, we’re here from 25 days and had it checked by Qatar staff before we were issued with boarding passes.
We bought some Omani Rials OMR from the Post office before we flew out, handily it’s almost exactly 1 OMR = £2.
We flew from Manchester as Oman Air no longer fly direct so we flew Qatar via Doha, early morning flight, quick change arriving in Muscat 20.15. The airport is stunning, calm and quiet but slow. There’s no Uber as such but OTAXI is the same thing with an app and was about a tenth of the price of the hotel pick up. We spent the first
3 nights at the IC, built in 1977 and from the outside looks it, inside is very smart and as a diamond member we bagged a Club room. Again I’d booked a king bed but reception didn’t bat an eyelid that we were two men.
After 3 nights we rented a 4×4 and headed up to the mountains around Nizwah, well worth a trip over to get a feel of the real Oman, then 2 nights at the incredible and unique Indigo Hotel. We’d booked a standard room on points but were upgraded to a private pool suite with canyon view, incredible views 6,200ft up!
We’re now planning on driving down along the coast towards Salalah with a roof tent to mix some camping with hotels, not exactly HfP territory but it’s a great way to seeing the true country.
The main takeaway so for us is that this is not Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Doha, personally we can’t stand them, basically Singapore with sand but for a real Arabian feel then Oman us the place to come. The people are genuinely so kind, warm, helpful and friendly, it’s quite humbling.
Another point is that it’s Ramadan and in Oman it’s more observed than other Middle Eastern destinations – excepting big western hotels all restaurants and cafes are closed during daylight hours including Muscat so we just had a big breakfast and snacked in our room or in the car until sunset when it’s back to normal. Alcohol is only sold in hotel bars and restaurants in any case so it’s no big deal for us. The upside is well worth it though with hotel prices very low and generous upgrades available, just the free lounge access at the IC saved us a fortune. The other plus is there’s almost nobody here… at the Indigo we had the entire pool to ourselves (including 2 lifeguards!) the National Museum and the Royal Opera House empty, there are no queues anywhere, it’s just so pleasant.
If you fancy the Middle East that isn’t Dubai then I’d seriously consider Oman, it will become more popular eventually so catch it now.@markymarc2000, glad you’re having such an amazing time. We love Oman – you remind me that we need to get back there. Stayed at IC – not tried the Indigo. I’ll add it to my list…
I’ve just come back from Oman and like markymarc2000, I love that it’s authentic and different from Dubai. This was my second visit to Oman and it felt less conservative than when I was there in 2017. I was a solo female and there were no issues. I also used OTaxi to get around Muscat and back to the airport. I didn’t take any cash and used card everywhere.
I stayed at Grand Hyatt first which was terrible, though in a nice location on the beach. I also stayed a few nights at Aloft which was surprisingly good and had a happy two hours for elites every night with free alcohol/soft drinks and buffet. There’s nothing around it but I deliberately stayed at a cheaper hotel when I knew I’d be out all day so that didn’t matter. I highly recommend Gid Oman for day trips from Muscat.
I flew to Dubai with BA then a £35 Oman air flight to Muscat. I did visa on arrival and it was easy. I flew back with Oman Air in business class which I booked with Qatar. I was impressed and it’s very good value for 62,000 Avios and £29. The airport was very serene when I left on the first day of Ramadan – it was much busier when I arrived. The lounge is excellent. There was no alcohol in the lounge because of Ramadan but it was served on board
@markymarc2000, glad you’re having such an amazing time. We love Oman – you remind me that we need to get back there. Stayed at IC – not tried the Indigo. I’ll add it to my list…
The Indigo should no be missed, as it was Ramadan and therefore much quieter we used points and were upgraded to a pool suite with a canyon view, truly spectacular. The one downside to the trip – and it’s a big one for us – has been the litter on beaches, it’s horrendous. The bloggers, vloggers and most guide books all seem to be oblivious to the problem, hundreds of plastic bottles strewn along the shoreline, mostly left by fishermen and visitors. So sad…
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