Oman

Quick Facts

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Capital

Muscat

Population

2,807,000

Government

Monarchy

Religions

Islam (Ibadhi, Sunni, Shi'a), Hinduism

Languages

Arabic

Calling Code

+968

Nationality

Local name

Uman

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Introduction

Muscat - merchant's houses

© All Rights Reserved schweboo

Oman is the only country in the world whose name starts with the letter O, but most visitors to the country are attracted for reasons other than this distinction. It is probably the most conservative of all the Middle Eastern states, but is also one of the most smartly led. Comparatively low revenue from oil has been put to good use, to build up an excellent social infrastructure. Centuries ago, it was an imperial power strong enough to rival the major European ones.

Muscat's five-star hotels encourage tourists to enjoy the country's great beaches, but we recommend packing up your beach gear for at least a week to see some of the country's fascinating and beautiful sights. Nature has been delicately protected and in return awards some of the nicest scenery in the Middle East. Forts, remnants of the Portugese occupation in the 16th and 17th centuries, can be found all over Oman and add a most distinctive flavour to the country's attractions.

Brief History

Geography

Oman shares international borders with the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Regions & Governorates

Oman is organised into 4 governorates and 5 regions.

Governorates

• Muscat
• Musandam
• Dhofar
• Al Buraimi

Regions

• Ad Dakhiliyah
• Al Batinah
• Al Wusta
• Ash Sharqiyah
• Ad Dhahirah

Cities

• Muscat - The capital
• Sur
• Salalah - In the southernmost part of the country
• Nizwa
• Duqm
• Sohar

Sights and Activities

Musandam Peninsula

The Musandam Peninsula is located in the northern tip of the Arabian Peninsula and is seperated from the rest of Oman by the United Arab Emirates. It even includes the small enclave Madha which lies between the Peninsula and the rest of Oman and is totally surrounded by the UAE. Inside this enclave there even is smaller UAE enclave again. Pretty interesting and confusing if you want to visit all these places. Still the drive up the northern tip from Oman is pretty impressive with dry and rugged peaks and mountainous areas, dry wadis and some fine beaches to explore as well. In the north is Kasab, the main city here which has some accommodations and restaurants. It takes most of the day to get here from Muscat, with several border crossings to kill more time.

Dhofar

Dhofar is the counterpart of the Musandam Peninsula as it is located in the extreme south of the country. It is a increasingly popular region and it includes green and lush coastal lowlands and frankincense-producing highlands. When most of the country is baking like in an oven during the hot and dry June to September season, this area actually has much lower temperatures and a rainy season, which make this place very popular with Omani and foreign tourists during this time to escape the heat and explore the only really green areas in the country. The main city here is Salalah, which can be reached either by plane or by a very long (10-12 hours) drive from the capital Muscat.

Dunes

Dunes in Oman

© All Rights Reserved bruiserfen

The northern parts of Oman are part of the world's largest expanse of unbroken sand, encompassing the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula, namely the Empty Quarter. Although most of it is in Saudi Arabia, it is becoming increasingly popular to visit the remotest areas of Oman on a multiple daytrip, sleeping in tents and driving in a 4wd car yourself across the dunes. If you don't want to go off the beaten track you can visit the Wahiba sands. The Wahiba sand dunes are just off the Muscat-Sur highway and are isolated sand dunes in the eastern corner of Oman near the Hikman Pennisula. Daytrips from Muscat are available.

Other sights and activities

• Bahla Fort
• Archaeological sites: Bat, Al Ayn and Al-Khutm
• Nizwa
• Muscat - the capital itself is full of surprises, including the mosque

Events and Festivals

Weather

Weather in Oman generally is warm to hot and dry. The hottest months are between June and September when temperatures can rise up to 45 degrees Celcius or even more. This time is the rainy season in the southern Dhofar season, which makes this area a green and lush one to visit. Humidity can be extremely high, even in the drier northern parts so a visit during these months is not recommended. The best times to visit are from October to April with warm and dry conditions, although some rainshowers are possible during the wintermonths.

Getting there

Plane

Oman Air is the national airline of Oman and is based at Muscat International Airport (MCT) near the capital. It has flights mainly in the region of the Middle East and to India, but further away Bangkok and London are served as well. Indian Airlines and Air India Express serve a number of cities in India. Both KLM and Martinair have flights to Amsterdam. KLM flies to Kuwait as well, while Martinair flies to and from Brussels, Colombo and Sjarjah. Lufthans, Swiss and British Airways fly to European cities as well. Most other airlines are mainly within the region and a few other Asian cities.

By Train

By Car

Excellent roads connect Oman with the United Arab Emirates and most rental car agencies provide the opportunity to combine both countries. Some fees might apply, including the ones at the border.

By Bus

Buses connect Muscat with Dubai, taking around 4 to 5 hours.

By Boat

Getting around

By Plane

Oman Air has a few domestic services between Muscat, Salalah in the south (Dofar region) and Khasab on Musandam peninsula.

By Train

By Car

Most of the country has excellent roads and driving signs are both in Arabic and English. There is no need to rent a 4wd vehicle unless you want to do some serious off the beaten track driving in the sand dunes for example.

By Bus

By Boat

Red Tape

Upon arrival at any air, land or sea terminal, the citzens of the following countries can obtain a single one month visa after filling and presenting the visa application form and paying 6 OMR:
EU citizen including Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and Vatican but not Cyprus and Malta. Citizens of Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Ecuador, French Guyana, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldova, New Zealand, Paraguay, Peru, Russia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Suriname, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, USA, Uruguay, Venezuela.
The Chinese, Russian and Ukranian visitors must be part of a tour group and female numbers must be lower than male numbers!
Citizens of Egypt, Iran, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia can apply for a one month visit visa only at air terminals arriving individually or by tour.

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