[Krtikn]

Immigration - Chennai Airport:

A Stranger: Are you coming back from Oman?
Me: Yes sir.
A Stranger: You went as a tourist?
Me: Yes sir.
A Stranger: This is your first international travel?
Me: Not for me, for kids, Yes sir.
A Stranger: People generally go to Singapore, Malaysia or Dubai for their first international travel with family. Surprising you chose Oman. How many days you spent in Oman?
Me: 10 days.
A Stranger: You went for 10 days! Does Oman have places to tour for 10 days?
Me:


Travel Idea

I have travelled to few countries for work, but never as a tourist. Long ago, I prepared a bucket list of countries to travel before I kick the bucket. Countries known for beaches or countries from Middle East are not part of that list. I lived in Chennai my entire life, I have seen enough of beaches and heat. If I desire more of that, Goa and Rajasthan are few hours away.

We were waiting for both the kids to complete 10 years and that happened in late 2022. When we started the discussion in 2023 for possible places to travel, my wife suggested ‘Oman’. Her Sister’s family is living there for over a decade. They invited us to Oman multiple times, but it never materialised. After several discussions, it made sense to travel to Oman for our first international tour. I know Oman is in Middle East, but December and January are the coldest, my wife told. With heat sorted, I asked my wife, “So, what’s special in Oman?”. “Deserts and Beaches !” She replied.

O(h)man (pun intended). It’s much more than Deserts and Beaches”.

Planning

Sisters spoke and finalised the dates. We were to start on Dec 14th and come back on Dec 23rd. Brother in law took care of all the Visa formalities and wife took care of booking the tickets and packing the stuffs. My responsibility, was to wait and watch, which I did wonderfully.

Special Mention

If there is ever an award planned for “Most Heartwarming Hosts”, it should to be for my brother in law, sister in law and my nephew. They are a family of three, living in a two bedroom apartment in Muscat. They went out of their way to host us for the entire ten days in their home. They cleaned up stuff and gave us our own bedroom, my sister in law cooked all my favourites, my brother in law was a great companion and my 10 year old nephew was my arch enemy in Mech arena (An online game we are playing for the last one year and he manages to beat me every time). BIL & SIL created list of places to visit for each day and they also had a plan b should something go wrong. My BIL took 10 days leave, his first in his entire working career not counting his visits to India. They drove us across Oman for more than thousand kilometres on a rented car which stayed with us for the entire ten days. I did not feel I am staying in someone else’s house for even a second. I doubt if I can ever return the favour.

Day 1 - Flight, Settle and ChitChat

Frequency of flights from Chennai to Muscat is decent. Based on my SIL’s recommendation, we booked Oman Air in economy. After scouting for offers across websites, we directly booked in Oman Air’s website. The booking process along with the seat selection was seamless. The travel time is around 4 hours and India is 1.5 hours a head of Oman.

We started On Dec 14th and our flight was at 3 pm IST. We reached airport well in advance, completed the formalities and reached the gate an hour before the boarding time. The inflight experience was decent for an economy class. Kids enjoyed their first flying experience and settled for in-flight entertainment in few minutes.

I saved a lot of materials from wikipedia and other internet sources to read about Oman's history, geography, etymology and politics during the travel. It was an interesting read.

Oman’s History (“Oman Across Ages Museum”)



When did Oman became a desert ? (“Oman Across Ages Museum”)



Civilisation of Magan (“Oman Across Ages Museum”)



We reached Muscat around 5:30 pm (GST). We were received at the airport by BIL, SIL and nephew. My BIL rented out a 7 seater “Changan CS95” which stayed with us for the entire 10 days.

Very comfortable 7 seater: This is a 4WD, powered by a 2 litre petrol engine with 233 hp, 390 nm of torque and a 8 speed AT gearbox.



We reached home in Al Khuwair, Muscat around 6:30 pm and the rest of the evening was full of family chat, home made delicious dinner and fiery fight in Mech Arena.

Day 2 - Stroll, BEACH and temples

We started our day 2 with a morning walk in the neighbourhood. This was our first proper daylight view of Oman and we were greeted with wonderful mountains.

Ancient Tamil literature had split the land mass into 5 types. The first one is called “Kurunji” which relates to mountain and its surrounding regions, which is also my first favourite. I am not sure why, but seeing mountains always makes me happy. I remembered reading about about Al Hajar Mountain range which is spread across entire northern Oman and extends upto to the eastern part of UAE.

View of Mountains:



A Mosque in the neighbourhood:



Post Lunch, we went to a nearby beach and spent the evening clicking several phots. All 3 kids had a wonderful time in the play area.

Notice a mini mountain inside the sea:



We then went visited “Motishwar Mandir” a Shiva temple in old muscat. We then headed to Sri Krishna Temple in Al Farahidi. We had dinner in a South Indian restaurant on the way back home.

Day 3 - Desert

This was our first of many long drives in Oman. And it is also the appropriate time to speak about the cars, roads and driving in this country.

Cars - As a car enthusiasts, I thoroughly enjoyed travelling in Oman roads. I got the opportunity to see a lot of cars that I had never seen before in person. Dodge, Mazda, Maserati, Porche, Cadillac, Toyota, Lexus and my favourite truck Ford F150. Majority of the cars are big SUVs, but I felt happy seeing the swifts, Vernas and dusters as well. I was speaking so much about cars during our travel to the point of irritating the occupants. I sensed it and stopped it.

Roads - Oman is approximately the size the Tamilnadu and Karnataka, but the population is slightly higher than one thirds of Chennai. And it shows in roads. Once outside the city limit we are largely on our own. There are restaurants and petrol pumps once in 25 kms or so and towns once in 50 kms (depending on the region). Otherwise, the roads are all ours and most of the highways are 6 lanes. Beautiful roads with less traffic is a recipe for crazy driving, but I must say pretty much everyone follows the rules. The speed limit is 120 kmph (which I felt is very less) and we have maintained that speed throughout, apart from occasional overtakes. There are cameras everywhere to monitor the speed limit and I was informed that hefty fines are collected if we repeatedly disobey the speed limit. I did see quite a few big vehicles not maintaining the speed limits, but its more of an exception than a norm.

I read two weeks before the travel that, anyone with an International driving licence can drive in Oman if they are staying there for less than 3 months. I sensed an opportunity and I immediately applied for International driving licence. Unfortunately, I was not able to get the licence in time, due to Chennai floods a week before our travel. I cursed myself for this missed opportunity and this also meant that my BIL had to drive alone for more than thousand kilometres.

Coming back to the topic, our plan for day 3 was to visit “Wahiba Sands” my first view of Desert. The drive is about 250 kms from Muscat and we covered it in about 3 hours. Apart from roads and cars one more thing kept me occupied. “Mountains”. There are mountains everywhere, in all colours, shapes, forms and materials. No two mountains are the same, some looked darker, some looked lighter, few mountains are made of rocks, few are made of pebbles, few are made of hard and soft sands and few I cannot even guess. For a person who loved mountains and is mostly used to the western ghats from India, this looked like an alien world, a beautiful alien world. For most part of the drive, I was just looking at the mountains and entered into a meditative state. We should also credit the people, they have learned to live among these never ending mountains.

A tunnel on the way to wahiba sands. Notice how the mountains are shaped and plastered to avoid rock slide.



My first view of Desert



My first view of Camel



And some more sand dunes



We went for a frightening and fun filled desert safari. The person driving the car had about 20 years of experience in desert safari and showed all his skills. He once climbed a huge sand dune almost vertically (75 degrees atleast) and immediately descended 30 feet (80 degrees at least), my most frightening experience ever in a vehicle. I normally take pride in my driving skills, but that day I was humbled.

There was also an option to stay overnight in a desert camp. As a night sky lover, it would have been an amazing experience for me, but we decided against it.. Me and my wife promised ourselves that we will do it someday in the future.

While returning we had a nice late lunch and I had a long chat with my BIL when everyone was asleep.


Day 4 - Dolphins, Sea and Souk

It was another first for me. A boat tour into the sea to see dolphins. It was a decent sized motor boat that can carry around 20 people. While the kids, my BIL, my SIL sat inside the closed cabin, my BIL asked me, my wife and my son to sit on the boat's bow (not sure if thats the right term). The boat went deep inside the sea (not sure about the distance, but it was difficult to see the shore except for the mountains) for about 40 minutes. The motor boats have a very different dynamics inside the sea. We were terrified for the first 5 minutes, but later got used to its up and down movement and enjoyed the remaining 40 minutes ride into the sea. The boat stopped somewhere deep inside the sea and we saw countless dolphins in its natural habitat. Dolphins are really fun loving creatures, I must say. I will never forget this experience.


A mountain with a natural cave inside the sea !!!




After this boat ride, we went to Cornish beach and a nearby viewing point.

Amazing view:



And more:



Post that we visited a Souk, a local market place that expands for many hundred of meters. We saw and bought several interesting items, but I still regret not buying the bronze lock with beautifully designed keys. We returned home for dinner.

Day 5 - Disappointed and Impressed

I spend a lot of my free time reading about history and art, and today was my day. Our plan was to visit “Al Hoota Caves” and “Oman Across Ages Museum”. I was excited like a child since the morning. The cave is around 5 km long, has a electric train (only train in Oman) which takes us to the gate, a water stream and a geological museum. I read everything about it and I was waiting.

It is 180 km away and the drive is about 2 hours. This is in a different direction when compared to our desert drive. There are even more mountains along this highway and this time they were taller.

A town and a towering mountain:



To our utter disappointment, the caves were closed for 3 days. I was the most disappointed of the lot and the next was my BIL, who felt really disappointed that I could not see it. We stopped the car nearby and was thinking what else can be done. After few minutes we realised nothing can be done and headed straight to “Oman Across Ages Museum”.

All the time missed in Al hoota caves were used to the fullest in the Museum. Everyone, specifically me and the kids enjoyed and 4 hours went like minutes.

Beauty:



These doors should be at least a ton. Thinking about the walls that had these doors.





Art:



And Artefacts:



This museum is a treasure trove to understand about Oman and in general Middle East. The geology, history and culture are wonderfully explained, I spent so much time looking at it than taking photos. It is believed that some of the oldest human beings lived here.

I saw a huge 3 volume book that explained the formation and development of Oman’s mountains. I thought about the weight it would add to our luggage and decided to buy an online copy. Unfortunately, I could not find it online, I should have bought that and left back some of my dresses and shoes.

Day 6 - Mall of Muscat

We needed a light day, so today’s plan was to have family time in the morning and visit Mall of Muscat in the afternoon. We left to the mall after a tasty lunch at home. The mall looked familiar, but the important attraction is “Oman Aquarium”, the only public aquarium in Oman.







There are several one rial shops across Muscat and we visited one of them later in the evening to shop for small things.

DAY 7 - Dam, Sinkhole and a Unique Beach

This travel is another long one, towards “Sur” which is about 200 kms from Muscat. This is again in a different direction from our first 2 long drives and the mountains along the entire route were fascinating to look at.

Wadi Dayqah Dam is breathtaking and perhaps the most beautiful spot in our entire trip (this almost became second beautiful spot later in the evening). We spent a lot of time in that neighbourhood.







There are several recreation activities one can indulge in like kayaking, cycling and so on, but due to government holiday we did not do any of those. Even if it was available, i would have still spent my time soaking at the beauty of this place.

After lunch in Sur, it was another first for me, “Bimmah Sinkhole”. It was a deep crater formed due to dissolution of underlying limestones. But it is also believed to have been formed due to meteorite impact. Getting down the neatly laid steps and coming back up was "Breathtaking", literally.



Our next visit for the day was pebble beach, the most unique beach i have ever seen. Instead of sands, the entire beach is covered by, you guessed it right, Pebbles. We will be able to see sands only if the waves retract deeper. Throwing pebbles into the sea was a lot of fun.

It was gloomy and cloudy when we visited there. The view of beach, mountains and pebbles in a single frame was so satisfying.



Day 8 - Grand Mosque, Al Muqahim Mosque and Mall of Oman

Day 8's objective was to understand the culture and architecture of Oman. Across Oman, I had not seen any skyscrapers. The tallest building I had seen was at max ten floors. They still maintain their legacy when it comes to architecture.

Our first visit was to “Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque”. Visiting time is only until 11 am, so we started early. The Mosque was really grand. We spent over two hours looking at the architecture and designs.





We left around 11 am, had a brunch and our next visit was to Al Muqahim Mosque. This had a slightly different architecture than the grand mosque. The main attraction here is the single piece carpet that is spread across the entire main hall.

The evening was spent in Mall of Oman.

Day 9 - Shopping spree

Most of Day 9 was spent on packing, shopping, repacking and more shopping. We had a good family time speaking about the experiences of last few days. Me and my BIL planned to visit few of the car showrooms later in the day to look at the cars closer. But we were not able to do it.

Day 10 - A Busy Hippocampus

Our flight was at 8 am GST, all 7 of us got ready around 4:30 am and left for the airport. Our return journey was also booked in Oman Air. It was an emotional farewell for all of us, the time spent together was repeatedly spoken several times. Throughout my return journey, I could feel my overworking Hippocampus.

“Hippocampus is a complex brain structure embedded deep into the temporal lobe. It is thought to be principally involved in storing long term memories and in making those memories resistant to forgetting.”

Immigration - Chennai Airport:

A Stranger: Are you dreaming sir?
Me: Ah, sorry. Yes, Oman has lot of places to see. It’s a beautiful country. For a person who lived his entire life in tropical climate and roamed around lush green forests and mountains, Oman is truly an “out of the world” experience. In fact, we have not even seen half of it.
A Stranger: So, will you go again?
Me: Yes Sir !!!

[sai_ace]

I am still in awe of the pics - Oman has been on my bucket list for quite some time. Thank you for the lovely travelogue.

[vinya_jag]

Wow, I hadn't imagined the size of Oman, until I read through. And those roads look like air strips. Please share more mountain photos if you have

[sanhan10]

Thank you for the lovely travelogue on Oman. Awesome pics truly reflecting the feel of the place. Mountains thrill me to no ends too! nothing like driving for sometime and seeing a mountain at a distance slowly coming towards one and finally driving on it! its the reverse too - I'm always sad to leave a mountain behind

[dragracer567]

Welcome to Oman, Krtikn!

While I stay in Bahrain, my parents stay in Oman and I frequently commute to Oman, Muscat once every 3-4 months while we have a yearly pilgrimage to Salalah during the Kharif season to enjoy the greenery. Uploading some photos from my travels in Oman - the ones with Greenery are from Salalah, might not seem like much for those living in other parts of the world but its a joy to behold for greenery starved Gulfies

[mihir_m13]

Lovely!!! Middle east is beautiful. Its a matter of time - once they start marketing like Thailand and Indonesia - there'll be hoard of Indian Tourists going there.

[ex-innova-guy]

Such lovely pictures! Were any of these clicked from a smartphone?

Also, I had my first international trip when I was 10 y/o too. Your children will remember this trip forever!

[Yuvuz]

Originally Posted by Krtikn

Immigration - Chennai Airport:

A Stranger: Are you dreaming sir?
Me: Ah, sorry. Yes, Oman has lot of places to see. It’s a beautiful country. For a person who lived his entire life in tropical climate and roamed around lush green forests and mountains, Oman is truly an “out of the world” experience. In fact, we have not even seen half of it.
A Stranger: So, will you go again?
Me: Yes Sir !!!

Oman is a very underrated destination, it is a perfect place for someone who doesn't like crowds and just wants to explore the quiet beaches and the beautiful mountains.
Muscat is my second home and I would recommend to add the following places too in your next trip to oman.
1. Ad Daymaniyat islands for scuba and white sand beaches.
Attachment 2557689

2. Jabal akhdar mountain range , a 4x4 is must to climb.
Attachment 2557700

3. Wadi shab , oman has a lot of wadis with fresh water pools throughout the year. You can access them by hikes of 1-4kms.
Attachment 2557701

4. Nizwa fort on a Friday morning is a different experience altogether.

Muscat has plenty of car rental companies which deliver cars to the airport. Global car rental companies are not so great to deal with as they add false charges to your credit card. While many private operators don't ask for credit. Cars are available for rent from 7 OMR/day for a Yaris to 30 OMR (6000 rs.) for a bmw 740li.

Omanis are one of the most kind-hearted peoples on Earth from first hand experience.

[mpksuhas]

Great travelogue.
The first thing which came to my mind when I read the thread heading was why 10 days!!
However, yes, a relaxed trip, been hoping to make this trip since couple of years, but air fare out of Bangalore is keeping me waiting

[Drive Head]

You just refreshed my memories of my stay in Muscat and visiting these places in 2006-07.

Oman is an amazing country, liberal, good people, interesting and varied places to see. You even get pork, and alcohol is easily available (though with an easily available license back then).

I have stayed in Bahrain, Dubai and Muscat and Oman is my favorite.

Mitsubishi, Mazda, Toyota entered my life in Oman, so can't forget the place.

[Amrik Singh]

Showing only the flashy Cars. I wish I had pictures of all those rust eaten Land Cruisers that drive into the Sea to haul load of Fish from Boats. The Sea water may have gotten their Body, but not the Will to function. I have lost video of myself driving through floods - flood water over Bonnet of my Nissan Pathfinder.

[Krtikn]

Thanks everyone for the responses.

Originally Posted by vinya_jag

Please share more mountain photos if you have

Sure. Will do.

Originally Posted by ex-innova-guy

Such lovely pictures! Were any of these clicked from a smartphone?

I managed to damage my DSLR sensor (sand related damage) early this year and still saving money for a mirrorless. So all of these were clicked from a smartphone .

Originally Posted by Yuvuz

I would recommend to add the following places too in your next trip to oman.

Thanks for the suggestions. Will definitely add it to my bucket list.

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Great travelogue.
The first thing which came to my mind when I read the thread heading was why 10 days!!
However, yes, a relaxed trip,

Yes, the entire year had been tiring for both of us, so we planned a relaxed one. It was pure hibernation, I forgot my laptop's login password when I returned.

[scorched_earth]

Thank you very much for the travelogue.
How did you go about getting visa? Could you please share information on how to obtain Omani visa from India? Thanks in advance.

[Gokrish]

I had stayed in Muscat for 2 years and it was a very good experience. In fact, had the rare opportunity of experiencing monsoon storm during my stay. Places like Sur beach for early morning turtle watch, city of Nizwa for some of the best forts, and Salalah during monsoon season (coincides with Kerala monsoon) are must visits.

[dragracer567]

Originally Posted by scorched_earth

Thank you very much for the travelogue.
How did you go about getting visa? Could you please share information on how to obtain Omani visa from India? Thanks in advance.

Pretty straightforward - similar to the UAE visa. You can approach any reputed travel agent who can get it for you, generally issued within a day or two.

You can get visa on arrival or evisa if you have GCC residency or a valid visa from Schengen, USA, UK, Canada, Australia or Japan.