Muscat (Oman)

March 2020

The next day, ship docked at Muscat (population: 1.44 M), Oman. Oman is not part of the UAE and is sultanate, not an emirate.

The first thing we did after exiting the ship was pay 10 UAE dirham (equivalent to 1 Omani rial, or $2,60) for two hours of internet time.  We spent the full two hours and had no more success than in Khor Fakkan.

Having blown much of the morning, we decided not to go into the town center, but, instead, wandered the seaside area. (There were taxis offering private tours for about $25 – 50.) Once again we went through a fish market.

We spent some time in the local souk, then headed back to the ship. Apparently, I found out after the fact that we did cover most of this walking tour route. 

We came back to the ship where we found, tied directly behind it, a Korean naval vessel. Go figure.

Muscat’s unusual architecture supposedly shows Arab, Portuguese, Persian, Indian, African, and modern Western influences. Too bad we never got to see that.

 

Oman is known to be the most peaceful country in the Middle East and  is filled with natural beauty. Thus, it’s been gaining popularity among the world travelers. I see Muscat mentioned as one of the great places to visit more and more. Our time in Muscat was too short for us to have a lasting impression, though.

If we ever end up in Muscat again, we should check out some major sites such as the Grand Mosque, Opera House and the Royal Palace. There seem to be good museums to check out, too.

Trip route: LAX -> Vilnius -> Dubai -> Abu Dhabi -> Khor Fakkan, U.A.E. -> Muscat, Oman -> “Almost India” -> Khasab, Oman -> Dubai -> LAX