Oman - 7 Days of Authentic Beauty

 

In February 2022 I had plans for a trip to India’s Himalayas, with the goal to take photos of the elusive snow leopard. Owing to various Covid restrictions, this idea unfortunately did not materialize, so it was time to look for another destination. One obvious choice was to look no further than a few hundred kilometers towards the Indian Ocean: Oman. Even though I’ve lived in the UAE on / off for 15 years, so far I had only seen the Musandam part of our neighbor country, and had yet to explore its mountain areas, the coastline, and the capital Muscat. 

And oh boy did I miss out! The amount of landscapes, history, people, architecture, and activities you can encounter in just a week, all accessible with easy visa regulations (if you’re a GCC resident especially) and within a few hours drive from Dubai, is incredible. 

The route took us through the border near Al Ain towards Nizwa, with several stops on the way, before heading up Jebel Akhdar for a couple of nights. From there, onwards to Muscat to explore the city and its surrounding areas, and a day trip southwards along the coast almost until Sur (but not quite) was on the agenda. 

Read on to find out about the sights and experiences on the way… 

---

Hajar Colours

The Hajar mountains feature an amazing variety of colours and shades, and their geological significance has been recognised globally - it makes the 6h drive towards Muscat all the more pleasing.

Beehive Tombs of Bat

Our first stop were the Beehive tombs of Bat, which are between 4000-5000 years old.

Unesco World Heritage Site

Together with their sister sites in the same region, they form one of the largest protohistoric necropoleis in the world.

Jabreen Castle

A little further towards Nizwa awaits one of the many castles and forts in the region.

Shapes

This one was arguably my favourite - which says a lot, given the number of forts and castles on this route.

Date Storage

... along with some interesting uses in war times. The castles and forts in Oman feature some clever defense mechanisms you will encounter when exploring them.

Courtyard

One of the two major courtyards in the castle - this one had its original wooden balconies restored.

Green surroundings

As with most of the cities in this basin of the Hajar mountains, farms and date palms can be found everywhere.

Interior

Some of the rooms have been restored and decorated.

Warm Colours

hiding some of the cruel past of these forts.

Next up, we had planned to visit the ruins of Salut fort, another important archeological site in the area, but were disappointed to find it is currently closed and under development. Check before you go - and avoid getting a flat tire like we did. 

Bahla Fort

Bahla Fort

We then made it to Bahla Fort, the country's only UNESCO-listed fort, added in 1987.

Haunted?

This fort is also the subject of many tales of djinns and black magic.

The Real World

We only encountered beautiful architecture and a cat though (not pictured).

Complex

The fort is part of a bigger settlement, including a 13km wall, pieces of which you can still spot in the mountains surrounding it.

Views

As with all the forts in the area, this one also features beautiful Hajar mountain scenery from its windows.

Restoration

The fort was fully restored in 2012, but there is not a lot of visitor information available, unlike in Jabreen or Nizwa.

From Prayer

A group of young local men returning from prayer and walking past the abandoned village area surrounding the fort.

Al Hoota Cave

Hoota Cave

Another 30min further and you reach Hoota Cave, probably the most famous (of many) in Oman.

Accessible

It's the only cave in the country that has been developed for tourism, although you can only access 500m of its total 4km length.

Impressions

The cave is a nice example of a Karst cave with some stalactites and stalagmites.

Comparison

Having said that, if you've visited some of the large and famous caves around the world, this one may not completely wow you - it's definitely worth the small detour on this route though.

Blind Fish

The cave features year round water, providing a habitat for tiny blind cave fish living in its 4 lakes, one of which is visible below.

Chilling

...and you get to see some bats hanging from the ceiling.

Nizwa

Views of Nizwa

The view from Antique Inn's rooftop in Nizwa, our place for the night.

Former Glory

Nizwa is one of the oldest cities in Oman and was the capital in the 6/7th century.

Indian Roller

A very common bird in this area around the farms. Particularly beautiful in flight when it spreads its blue wings.

Al Qala'a Mosque

As seen from the fort. Nizwa features some of the oldest mosques in the world.

Fort Views

The fort was built in 1688, and sits above an underground stream.

Entrance

The entrance to the fort, coincindentally guarded in this photo for that authentic flair.

Nizwa Souq

The outside area near the entrance to the souq, selling pottery and other homeware goods.

Alleys

While it doesn't look it in this photo, Nizwa Souq is one of the most important and oldest in the country.

Salesman

During our visit, it was primarily occupied by this fellow.

Transport

The small tight roads running through the old town are mainly accessible this way.

Old Town

While many of the houses are crumbling and abandoned, some are still occupied.

Grocery Duty

An Omani man passing through the shaded walkways of the market courtyard.

Jebel Akhdar

Upwards

Our next destination was Jebel Akhdar. It's an hour drive into the mountains, to an altitude of more than 2000 meteres. Although the roads are ok (better than in this photo), a 4x4 is required, otherwise you cannot pass the police checkpoint.

Alila Jabal Akhdar

We spent 2 nights in this amazing property, directly on the cliff of the one of the deepest canyons in the Hajar mountains.

Beehives

The area round the hotel features many hikes, and a small trail directly in the grounds, with several interesting spots such as these beehives.

History

You can also find marine fossils everywhere, from millions of years ago when the area was under water.

Visitors

Nowadays, the mountain is home to an abudance of Flora & Fauna - Akhdar literally means "green".

Wadi Walk

We spent the afternoon on a 4h hike through a nearby Wadi. The variety of trees is particularly interesting, including wild olive trees.

Water Source

The end of the trail brought us to this little dam, occupied primarily by frogs.

Abandoned

On the way back, we climbed upwards to find the crumbling houses of Sarab, a former village on the slopes of the Wadi.

Illuminated

Sunset was the best time for this trail.

Sunset over Alila

Sometimes the scenery speaks for itself.

Cliff

Not a bad spot for dinner?

The Day's End

The sun setting behind the Hajar mountains in the distance, next to a little tree.

Via Ferrata

The next morning brought some adventure, as we climbed the via Ferrata, which literally starts at the hotel lobby. You can see the iron rope on the bottom left and the rope bridge across the cave in this image.

On the Edge

An incredible experience, and definitely recommended.

Alsuwjara Village

Our last day at Jabal Akhdar brought us to the cliff guest house, an old village from 500 years ago that is slowly being converted for tourism.

On the Rocks

We were lucky enough to get a tour organised directly by the local Omanis operating the place, who lived in the houses up until a few years ago.

Mountain Villages

We then moved to the towns of Al Aqr, Al Ayn and Ash Shirayjah, famous for their terraced farming, used to grow roses and other crops.

Farming

The terraces used to reach all the way into the wadi, but a lack of water in recent years meant a reduction in usable area. Nevertheless, the entire slope is green during the summer time.

Pomegranate Season

One of the many blooming flowers at the time of our visit. The primary rose season was about to start as well.

Onwards to Muscat

Birkat Al Mouz

This was our next stop on the way from Jebel Akhdar to Muscat.

Falaj Al Khatmain

One of the five irrigation systems in Oman listed on the Unesco World Heritage site runs through the abandoned part of town.

The Last Walls

The village contains two such parts, the larger one called Harat Al Sibani.

Banana Pool

That's the meaning of the city's name in Arabic - and the farms surrounding it give away why.

Quintessential Oman

A short climb on the other side of the farms rewards you with this scenery.

Harat Al Sibani

And this stunning view of the abandoned village.

New Friends

Omani people are always curious, polite, and hospitable.

Work In Progress

Farming and plantations still make up a large amount of the economy in this area.

Hajar Layers

One kind of shot I can never get enough of.

Samail

Samail and its fort was our last destination before reaching Muscat - unfortunately we were too late to see it from the inside.

Steps to Prayer

The city is said to feature Oman's oldest mosque from 600 AD - not this one here though, which we found in our search for a good spot to watch the sunset.

Evening Vibes

The sound of the prayer call and a few lonely frogs accompanied this scenery.

The Capital and its Surroundings

Muscat!

Our first stop in the capital had to be its arguably most famous sight: Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque.

Lighting

The mosque's primary prayer hall can accommodate 6500 people - its chandelier used to be the largest in the world. The same is true for the carpet, with 1,700,000,000 knots over 4300 sqm. Both have been overtaken by Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Mosque.

Interior Views

In hindsight my OCD is really annoyed that they chandelier doesn't perfectly line up with the window.

Upwards

The mosque was inaugurated in 2001, after 7 years of construction.

Materials

It was built from 300,000 tonnes of Indian sandstone.

Muttrah Corniche

Our next destination was Muttrah, a trade and seaport city very close to Muscat.

In Style

The presence of large cruise ships sometimes brings more sophisticated travellers than us to the town ;)

Juxtaposition

It makes for a nice contrast with the traditional Omani style.

Souq Entrance

The city's souq is one of the most important in Oman, and dates back 200 years.

Into the Light

It's nicknamed the "Market of Darkness" due to the roof blocking most of the sunlight even during the day.

Muttrah

Evening views along the corniche, with the local fort in the distance.

Hiking in the City

There's a 1h hike from Muttrah to Riyam, crossing green flower fields and a beautiful wadi - in our case filled with water - on the way.

Riyam

At the end of which, you're rewarded with this view of the Riyam Park Monument, often termed as the "giant incense burner" due to its shape.

Old Muscat

Our next destination was "Old Muscat", the historic part of the city still housing many government institutions. But not before crossing a few more farms on the way, such as this one.

National Musem

The city is also home to the National Museum, with some interesting exhibits. I often find the history of the Middle East to be completely underrated and possibly overshadowed by its recent development. Humans have set foot here some 400,000 years ago, and there is an incredibly rich and accessible past. Reognise this fort model? It's Bahla!

Jalili Fort

Old Muscat is also home to Al Jalili fort, built by the Portuguese in the 1500s and said to have been used as both a jail & refuge for the Omani royals. This one does not seem open to the public.

Al Bustan

Driving a bit further along the coast brings you to the Al Bustan, home to the famous hotel (also where my grandmother used to stay in the 80s) and the State Council, which is the building this clock tower belongs to.

Qantab

Another few kilometres and you reach Qantab, home to this beauitful beach and a natural stone arch in the sea, which we will see later...

Rock Formation

This formation near Yiti was our last spot for the day, before heading back to Muscat.

Making it Fit

On the way back we stopped at this viewpoint over Hamriya.

Along the Coast

Into the Sea

An early morning boat trip the next day rewarded us with this sight - a large pod of dolphins enjoying themselves with the backdrop of the Hajar mountain coastline.

Bottlenose Dolphins

I would estimate the pod was at least 100-200 individuals in size.

In the Air

They were calm this morning, and so there weren't many opportunities to get a photo like this, but I was able to time one correctly with the help of Olympus' ProCapture feature.

Marine Variety

The Omani Waters are home to turtles, dolphins, and wales at the right time of the year.

Dhow

A traditional dhow exploring the beautiful coastline.

The Natural Arch

We also got to see the aforementioned stone arch near Qantab...

Passage

...with a single explorer on his canoe.

Morning Light

Al Bustan and the State Council buildings from the sea side.

The Way Down

Stairs have been built into it, but I can testify that some people prefer jumping (not me).

Bimmah Sinkhole

Another incredible spot of natural beauty is this sinkhole near Bimmah, about 100km from Muscat.

Cyrstal Clear

What a spot for a swim - or just hold your feet into the water and be treated to a fish spa.

Egyptian Vulture

Spotted this guy on the beach.

Jurassic Park or Wadi Shab?

Next up, one of the most amazing Wadi's I've seen to date - makes you feel like entering Jurassic Park.

Scale

The size of the canyon and rock formations was amazing.

No Photos

After a 10 minute swim into the Wadi you arrive at a small cave, accessible by a narrow opening that barely fits one's head. No photos for that, got to explore yourself!

Incredible History

We drove a little further on the coast to see another World Heritage Site: Qalhat. It is unfortunately currently closed, but you can spot its most significant remaining site, the Bibi Maryam mausoleum. This city was visited by Ibn Battuta, Zeng He, and Marco Polo!

Sometimes You Get Lucky

Our plan was to spend the night on the way back to Muscat somewhere on the coast - we knew chances to see the bioluminescent plankton on the beach were next to nothing, but there was always the Milky Way or some deep sky photography...

Natural Wonders

When we explored good locations to set up for the night, our second spot proved to be the golden one, and we spotted little blue dots on the beach and rocks as the waves hit.

Magical

After turning off the flashlight, we saw it for what it really was - the elusive glowing blue bioluminescent phytoplankton. The blue light is produced by energy released from chemical reactions occurring inside these organisms - what a sight.

The Last Day in Muscat

Beach Vibes

The next day was a later and slower start after the night on the coast, walking on the beaches of Muscat.

Friday Vibes

Oman retains the Friday weekend, so the locals were enjoying the day out.

Postcard Views

All around in Oman!

Qurum Beach

This was taken at the beach near the city's national park.

Nice Day

for a walk alone...

Or

...with friends.

Royal Opera House

We also visited the Royal Opera House, which opened in 2011 and has seen performances by Plácido Domingo and Andrea Bocelli. Unfortunately the interior wasn't open for visits that day.

Architecture

It did feature this neat bridge crossing to the House of Musical Arts.

In Flight

Couldn't resist causing a bit of a stir up when we passed Al Bait Mosque.

Golden Hour Vibes

We spent the evening hiking up some dunes in the city for sunset.

Fun Times

We weren't the only ones up there, as a group of people on motorbikes, quads and 4x4s made the most of the evening.

Luna

The moon came out to play as well.

Favourite Subject

Of course I had to play along.

Last Sunset

An appropriate one.

City Lights

The last light of the day disappearing over Muscat.

Back to Dubai

Athawarah Hot Spring

On our way back to Dubai we took a different route, passing by the hot spring of Nakhla. The hot water originating on the bottom left runs directly into the Wadi, keeping it surprisingly warm.

Al Kasfah Hot Spring

We also stopped in Rustaq at another spring - this one is said to have healing powers owing to the sulphur traces in the water. It originates under the caged dome in the background and then runs in a kind of channel through the streets, with stalls for people to take baths in the water visible in the foreground.

18th Century Tomb

The city is also home to this restored Ibadi tomb of the Imam Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi, first ruler of Oman of the Al Said dynasty - took me quite a while to find this info, as there are very few signboards around and the Google Maps pin is in Arabic only.

Rustaq Fort

The fort itself is currently closed for maintenance, but its imposing walls are nevertheless impressive.

Transport

We did encounter this fine gentleman who allowed us a quick glimpse into the fort, and then took us to the older parts of the city in this... vehicle, which he imported from China.

Qusra Museum

This was one of the places he showed us, a restored 300 year old family house, now converted and adorned with various artifacts.

Water Towers

On our way to the final destination. You can find these towers dotted around the landscape, used for storage and to generate pressure.

Framed

Owing to questionable road conditions, we had to take quite a detour, but a few sights on the way made it enjoyable.

Al Ayn Beehive Tombs

When we finally made it, the scenery was worth it. I had initially failed to add this location to the route on the first day, but really didn't want to miss out after seeing the Beehive Tombs of Bat.

Awe-inspiring

Looking at these 5000 year old tombs with the imposing Jebel Misht in the background was truly amazing.

Jebel Misht

The striking landscape from the hill on which the tombs are located.

Hajar Views

Looking the other way into the date farm.

World History

According to Unesco, together with the neighbouring locations, this site forms the most complete collection of settlements and necropolises from the 3rd millennium B.C. in the world. It's almost a bit humbling (and a little concerning for their future) that you can just walk up to these fragile structures with no fences or rails of any kind.

Panoramic View

A full view of the site, which features a total of 19 tombs in almost a straight line. A definite highlight for me.

The End

Obligatory cat photo.

---

I really hope you enjoyed this small documentary series of my trip to Oman. I’ve known about the beauty, geology, and history of the Hajar mountains from exploring the UAE, but Oman really took this to another level. It is probably a good thing for these sites that the country hasn’t had the same level of attention as some other more famous destinations in the Middle East, but on the other hand Oman and its people really deserve to be recognized alongside them. Will definitely come back.