Shining, Shimmering, Splendid Oman
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Prior to my visit to Oman, the pre-conceived images which had filled my head were those of dusty cobbled streets, thriving noisy bazaars, spectacular mosques, endless desert terrain and flying carpets.
A recent TV viewing of Disney’s Aladdin had certainly enhanced my imagination but once I arrived at my destination Oman, the only thing missing from the picture was the magic carpet and after a few refreshments at my hotel, I was pretty certain that I’d caught a glimpse of one of these mid-flight complete with Aladdin’s monkey, Abu.
Be Respectful
The one thing to bear in mind when visiting Oman is respecting the country’s culture and Islamic beliefs. Alcohol can only be purchased and consumed in hotels. Also, please remember to dress modestly when out and about – absolutely no bikinis on public beaches I’m afraid!
Shopping
My vision of dusty streets lined with rickety market stalls, roaming chickens and goats, and haggling traders was replaced by the sight which lay before me at the Sabco Centre mall in the area of Al Qurum in Muscat. Here, amid several beauty salons, electronic outlets, branded retail shops, clothing stores and cafes, you can find an upscale version of the traditional souq (market) complete with walk-in shops selling jewellery, clothes and authentic handicrafts.
I wanted to experience a traditional souk where haggling was a necessity and goats had the right of way so I headed to one of Oman’s oldest cities, Ibra. Ladies, if you like to shop without your boyfriend or husband exclaiming “how much?!” every five minutes, then this is the place for you! The Ibra souk takes place on Wednesdays and is the country’s only women-only market! Here you can browse the stalls at your own leisure where various goods are sold, from beautiful handicrafts, clothes and gold, to fruit, vegetables, spices and meat products. This market is famous for its beautiful silver jewellery and after an exhausting morning of haggling and chin-wagging, take the weight off your feet and treat yourself to cup of local coffee, Kahwa, and a Halwa, a local sugary delicacy which is perfect for recharging those retail therapy batteries.
Activities
If shopping isn’t your thing, then perhaps a ride on Oman’s favourite two-hump animal will be. You can’t visit Oman (or the Middle East in fact) without a camel ride across the desert. Camel trekking tours are available across the country but Wahiba Desert is the place to go if you’re thinking of recreating the scenes from Lawrence of Arabia (or more recently Sex In The City). The golden sand dunes lie to the South East of Muscat and stretch across an area of 12,500-square-metres. If you feel compelled to break the eerie silence of the deserted desert, than have a go at dune-bashing in a four-wheel drive vehicle (half-day dune bashing costs $40- $70).
Despite the thousands of miles of dry golden sand deserts and dunes, Oman is fast-becoming a popular destination for scuba diving and snorkelling. The shores off the coast of Oman’s capital, Muscat, are teeming with colourful soft and hard corals and hundreds of marine species, from seahorses and Oman clownfish, to loggerhead turtles, dolphins, sharks and humpback whales.
After a no-show from the chartered magic carpet, I boarded a more reliable 21st century form of transport; an A330 which would take me directly to London Heathrow (return flights from $700). As I looked out of the tiny airplane window watching the stunning sights of this mystical Arabian country fade into the distance, I couldn’t help but softly hum “A Whole New World”. Ok I admit it – I had downloaded the Katie Price version of the song onto my iPod…
