Muscat and the Omani interior: the Arabian peninsula the other way

It’s 5:38 a.m. on the Corniche of Muttrah — the old port quarter of Muscat — and the morning call to prayer is coming from a small whitewashed mosque on the seafront. The dhows are still in the harbour. The Portuguese-era fort, Al Jalali, is silhouetted on the rocky headland at the harbour entrance. Two fishermen are unloading their catch. The buildings along the Corniche are all whitewashed, all low-rise, in keeping with the building code that has, since the 1970s, deliberately limited Muscat to a particular Omani aesthetic. This is the Arabian peninsula on a different and quieter setting from Dubai’s, two hours’ flight to the west.

Why I keep coming back

Oman is the southeastern corner of the Arabian peninsula and one of the most pleasantly surprising countries I have travelled in. The country has, under the long reign of Sultan Qaboos (1970–2020) and continuing under his successor Sultan Haitham, deliberately chosen a path different from its Gulf neighbours: regulated low-rise architecture, modest tourism numbers, the preservation of pre-oil cultural traditions, a foreign policy of neutrality.

The country is also geographically diverse: Muscat on the Gulf of Oman; the Hajar Mountains rising to 3,000 m inland; the Wahiba Sands desert; the Jebel Akhdar (Green Mountain) plateau; the fjord coast at Musandam in the north; the southern Dhofar region with its monsoon-fed greenery.

Where to base yourself

Muscat (Mutrah, Old Muscat, or the newer Al-Khuwair) for the capital base.

Nizwa for the interior; the historic fort, the Friday goat market, access to the Hajar Mountains.

Jebel Akhdar (Green Mountain plateau) for cool-mountain stays; the Alila Jabal Akhdar is the iconic luxury hotel.

Wahiba Sands for desert camps; many operators run overnight excursions.

Salalah in the south for the Dhofar khareef (monsoon) season (July–September) when the desert turns green.

What to actually do

Walk the Mutrah Souk. One of the oldest active souks in the Arab world; frankincense, gold, silver, textiles, and the famous Omani daggers (khanjars).

Visit the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. Open to non-Muslims in the mornings (Saturday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–11 a.m.); the marble courtyards, the giant chandelier in the main prayer hall, the famous hand-knotted carpet (the world’s second-largest single-piece carpet). Dress code: ankle-length, long sleeves, headscarf for women.

Drive to Nizwa and the interior. The 17th-century round-tower Nizwa Fort; the Friday morning goat-and-cattle market; the surrounding date-palm oases.

Climb Jebel Shams. The ‘Mountain of the Sun’ — Oman’s highest peak (3,000 m), with the Grand Canyon of Oman dropping beside it. The Balcony Walk along the rim is one of the great half-day hikes in the Middle East.

Sleep in the Wahiba Sands. Overnight at a desert camp (Desert Nights Camp, 1000 Nights Camp). 4x4 dune drives, camel rides, stargazing. The night sky is the experience.

Drive the coast to Sur. Three hours south of Muscat; the Wadi Shab swim (an inland canyon swim), the green turtle nesting site at Ras al Jinz, the dhow-building yards at Sur (where the traditional wooden trading dhows are still built).

Visit Musandam. The northern enclave (separated from the rest of Oman by UAE territory); the fjord coast of the Strait of Hormuz; dolphin watching, boat trips, ascending limestone cliffs. A 2-night side trip.

Where to eat

Omani food is influenced by Indian, Persian, Yemeni, and East African cuisines. Slow-cooked goat (shuwa), spiced rice (kabsa), the saffron-cardamom-laced halwa (Omani-style halva, served with kahwa coffee).

Bait Al Luban — Modern Omani in Mutrah; the institutional choice for the cuisine. Kargeen Café — Multi-cuisine, popular with both locals and visitors. Mumtaz Mahal — Indian; one of Muscat’s longest-running. Bait Al Bahar at Al Bustan Palace — Upper-end seafood. A Friday family lunch at any neighbourhood Omani restaurant — the most accessible window into Omani family eating. Kahwa and dates — Anywhere in Oman, you’ll be offered the cardamom-laced Omani coffee and a date. Accept; refuse politely after the second cup by tipping the cup.

When to come

October through April is the practical season; cooler temperatures (22–32°C).

May through September is hot (40°C+ in much of the country); the Dhofar khareef season in the south (July–September) is the green-monsoon exception.

Practical notes

• Visa: E-visa for most Western passports.
• Money: Omani rial (one of the world’s highest-value currencies; OMR 1 is about US$2.60).
• Transport: A rental 4x4 is the practical choice for the interior. Roads are excellent for a Middle Eastern country.
• Dress code: Modest in public — shoulders covered, knees covered, particularly for women. The country is conservative.
• Alcohol: Available in licensed hotels and restaurants; not at street level.
• Safety: Oman is among the safest countries in the Middle East.
• Cost: Significantly cheaper than Dubai or Abu Dhabi but mid-range by international standards.

A final thought

Oman has, over four trips in fifteen years, become one of my favourite countries in the Middle East. The combination of the conservative Omani aesthetic restraint (the whitewashed buildings, the low-rise development, the preserved old quarters), the genuinely warm hospitality, and the geographic variety (mountains, desert, coast, fjords) makes a 10-day trip unusually rewarding.

The contrast with Dubai is significant. Where Dubai is engineered and global, Oman is restrained and Omani. The Omani I have met — at the markets, at the desert camps, in the small interior towns — have a particular quiet pride in their country’s distinct path that is, in the modern Arabian peninsula, increasingly rare.

Ten to fourteen days is the right length. Start in Muscat, drive the interior to Nizwa and Jebel Shams, sleep in the Wahiba Sands, swim in Wadi Shab, return via the coast. The country is not loud about its appeal. The appeal is real and accumulates over days.