Top Destinations To Visit At Oman – Destination Oman.. Muscat Muscat, the capital city of Oman lies sparkling white, topped with golden minarets in the middle of a maze of brown pleated mountains reaching down to the Arabian Sea. Described as "Arabia's jewel”, this city is a blend of the old and the new. Muscat is green as green can be, and defies being classified as part of a desert country. The roads are lined with well-manicured green lawns and trees. Sur Distance from Muscat: 335 km (interior paved road): 240 km (coastal track). Average drive time: 4 hrs by paved road: 3.5 hrs by coastal track. How to get there - By buses / coaches belonging to the Oman National tourist Corporation (ONTC). Saloon cars and 4-wheel drives can be hired from Car rental agencies. Nizwa Nizwa, the verdant oasis city with its blend of the modern and the ancient was the capital of Oman during the 6th and 7th century. One of the oldest cities of the Sultanate, this was once a center of education and art. Western Hajar Mountains. Beyond Nizwa, the southern flanks of the Western Hajar Mountains can be readily seen rising over 2000 metres above the surrounding countryside. Within these mountains, rugged networks of wadi channels have carved networks of dramatic canyons and caves. Sumail Gap The only natural pass through the northern jebels traces the trail of the old Silk Route caravans as they carried their goods from the Far East to communities of the interior. Follow the paths taken by Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta to Fanja, the traders' crossroads, and the towns of Bid Bid, Sumail and Al Khobar, replete with castles and fortifications. Stop by the roadside fruit markets of Ad Dasir to sample pomegranates, pumpkin and sweet lemons. Sohar Sohar, a seaside city, was the capital of Oman many centuries ago and legend has it that it was named after the great grandson of Noah (of the Bibical flood). Originally known as Majan (Persian-Mazoun), the city's name alludes from early ship building activity. The word "ma-gan" means ship's skeleton or chassis stemmed from its copper deposits in the mountains of Majan. Ibra The Gateway to the Eastern region of Oman, Ibra, in the past, was famous for its fine horses and horsemen. A unique feature of Ibra is the "Wednesday Souq" run entirely by women. Nakhl- Rustaq Loop From the Batinah Coast to the west of Muscat along the base of the jebels are several key towns of special interest. Along the coast is the town of Barka with an impressive fort and Bait Al Naman Castle, an early home for the Al Bu Said dynasty(the current ruling family). Salalah Nestled in the southern region of Oman, Salalah has the benifit of the annual Indian monsoon: locally known as the Khareef. This monsoon, which extends from early June to mid September, transforms the countryside into a veritable garden with tumbling waterfalls and meandering streams. Wahiba Sands The great Wahiba sands are longitudinal dunes 200 km long and 100 km wide running south from the Eastern Hajars to the Arabian Sea. The dunes are 100-150 metres high in shades of colour from orange to hues of amber. Musandam Peninsula Distance from Muscat : 500 km Average drive time : 6 hrs by road, 45minutes by flight How to get there : To reach Khasab, the primary town in the region, travel by car up the Batinah coast for a six-hour ride. To complete the drive to Khasab requires passing through the United Arab Emirates for which a road permit from the Oman ROP (Police) and visas (for some nationalities). Daily flights from Muscat are operated by Oman Air. No visas required. Masirah Island Masirah is idyllic for those who really want to get away from it all. It is an island in the Indian Ocean, 20 kms off central Oman coast just South of the Wahiba Sands. The stark rocky landscape is rimmed with isolated beaches whose only visitors are the logger head turtles that come to nest there. Beachcombers may come across a variety of shell fish and other speciments of marine life. There is also evidence of early settlements. Jebel Akhdar Jebel Akhdar in Arabic means "Green Mountains" and this region of the most verdant outside of Salalah and the Batinah Coast. To go there requires a 4-wheel drive ( and a road permit because of military installations in the area). One of the most scenic areas in Oman, coupled with the friendly local inhabitants, this region is a natural spot for tourism. I, Adam smith hereby declare that all Images use to make this video is from Google Search www.google.com. I use Google Advanced Search to collect those images, usage rights: "free to use, share or modify, even commercially" section. Background Sound of this video I collect from YouTube Audio Library which is free to use.

• published: 23 Jan 2015
• views: 1