OMAN

A place once riddled with internal strife which the present Sultan settled, and now extremely safe and pleasant. There are superb roads and the roundabouts are extremely lavish, magic in fact. The top hotel is the Al Bustan Palace which is so awesome that you can go and do a tourist visit here. Many local men carry ceremonial daggers in public which are highly decorated, or even old muzzle loader guns in the hills. There are many Indians etc. there to do the work and the British influence is very strong. The souks are a bit of a mish-mash but some good bargains can be had in gold, cases, tailoring etc. Alcohol is available in hotels only and expensive. An undiscovered tourist destination without a doubt. If you have a relative working there then take advantage of it now!

Maseirah:- A desert island without the palm trees. I flew in once to visit the big military air base there but nothing of even the remotest interest could be seen from the air or on the ground.

Muscat:- The original old capital has expanded out into the surrounding valleys with a few rocky and uninhabited steep hills in the middle, which gives it a rather unique and slightly Star Wars alien planet feel from the air. For everyday use the Sheraton is a very good bet in Ruwi. There is a good souk in Riwi with lots of more western gold and other goods. From the hotel go down the hill and turn left into the shopping street. There is a good Indian in that area as well. The main souk in Muscat old town is more traditional and gets hot as hell in summer. The modern western style cafe on the seafront there is a bit pricey but some good snacks can be had for very little in the souk. The hotels all have the usual superb buffet style menus and are extremely good value at around £12 per meal.
Mikes tips:- Thursday brunch at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel is open to non-residents and at the same price as above is a must. Also they do a cheap weekend package which was about £120 last time I heard, which will impress the hell out of your loved one. Pics in Mikes round the world tour.

Nizwa:- A small town up in the mountains behind A’Seeb (where the airport is (look out for the Sultans private B747 which lives in it’s own special hangar complete with battlements!)). There is a small indoor souk where some interesting items can be obtained such as Lee Enfield rifles of WWII British Army type. The fort is interesting but not open to the public. This is the area of the Jebel Akdar where the SAS defeated the local insurrection for the Sultan. Be sure to visit nearby Tanuf where the British bombed it for the Sultan. Check out the cannon shell holes in the wrecked car. The village is still empty and left as a reminder, although the locals have come round to the government way of thinking now due to the extremely benevolent nature of the Sultans dictatorship.
Mikes tips:- Best day to go is Wednesday. Aim to arrive in the morning while the goat market is still on.

Tanuf:- Famous for its water bottling plant which takes water directly from an ancient conduit from the mountains. Also there is an abandoned village containing a wrecked car with cannon shell holes in it. Apparenly the British did the Sultan a favour and destroyed it before he forbade anyone ever to live there again, due to it being not on his side. The SAS have also been quite active in this area in the past.

Thumrait:- Another military airbase, this one in the middle of a massive billiard table of a plain with nothing on it whatsoever. The road comes from Salahlah past Thumrait and curves N to Muscat. If you ever drive across this plain beware of jets screaming over your car from behind at about 10’. They are trying to scare you for fun and I imagine it normally works unless you have eyes in the back of your head! Transit accommodation on base is the worst I’ve ever experienced by far but hospitality otherwise was excellent.
Mikes tip:- Ask to see the film ‘The Thumrait Thumps’ - AWESOME!