Day 1 – OMAN: A Glimpse of the Old Muscat

Oman is an enchanting country endowed with rich traditions and culture. It is a country that offers a lot of surprises to visitors and I am personally delighted to have visited Oman.  During the 5-day visit, I had the opportunity to discover its rich history, explore its breathtaking natural beauty and to meet wonderful people and make friends. Oman offers some of the most stunning beaches that a visitor would enjoy and love to see. And most of all, Oman’s unique gifts of nature are the wadis, which offer spectacular and dramatic sceneries. 

In this article, I am proud to feature Sultanate of Oman Tourism, the gracious sponsor of my visit in Oman. To discover Oman and view list of major wholesalers in Australia and New Zealand, visit www.tourismoman.com.au.

I landed at the Muscat International Airport on Sunday, 5 June at around 5 am via the Royal Jordanian flight RJ 600. Suleiman Al-Qassabi, the local appointed tour guide welcomed me at the arrival hall with a sign bearing my name‘Welcome Ms Michelle Riel’.  After picking up my luggage, Suleiman drove me to the City Seasons Hotel. The staff of the hotel and the comfortable ambiance made it my refuge during my entire stay in the city.  I was pleased to hear that my room was ready for an early check in.  Upon checking in, I was even more pleased upon learning that I had been given a free upgrade to a penthouse.  Ahmed Al Raisi, Rooms Division Manager, graciously escorted me to the Mezzanine level of the hotel for an early breakfast.

After taking a good power nap, Suleiman picked me up at 3 pm to take me to a city tour of Muscat, the capital city.  The tour included visits to the Walled City of Old Muscat. Old Muscat offers a range of opportunities for sightseeing, which include the Sultan Qaboos Palace and its well-maintained surrounding grand quarters. We also visited Bait Al Zubair Museum, which houses a collection of thousands of Omani artifacts, jewelry, costumes, weapons, furniture and many more assembled by the Al Zubair family. These collections truly reflect the rich cultural heritage and unique identity of Oman. The museum has a gift shop located at the entrance door. Old Muscat can definitely be explored on foot in less than a day.

Our next stop was at Mutrah Souq. I noticed the thermometer reading in front of Mutra Souq, along Al Bahri Road, which was at 44ºC. The Mutrah Souq, one of the well known and oldest marketplaces in the Arab world, offers a labyrinth and mystifying array of shops, selling massive choices of items from jewelry in threads of gold and silver, to gorgeous textiles and clothes, all at a bargain price.  The adjacent Mutrah Street and alleyway of shops were also worth a visit.  Grabbing my attention most was the infinite range of frankincense incense sticks and products available on sale.   What I loved the most was the fact that I had the time to explore the area with minimal encounters of annoying and overly aggressive merchants.  During the summer season, fewer tourists are around and the best time to do a leisurely stroll.

As the temperature dropped off, we took advantage of the much cooler late afternoon by walking along the Muscat port to witness some of the best sunset shots unfolding before my eyes.  It is apparent at times the Sultan’s Yacht is seen anchored at the port.  We took a break to enjoy the taste of traditional Omani coffee at a local cafe looking over the harbour and the beautiful view of the port.

I ended up my first day to savour and enjoy my first Omani meal at a local restaurant, Bin Ateeq, which is two blocks away from the hotel and a block away from the Zawawi Mosque, one of the city’s numerous mosques.  The atmosphere of the restaurant is very interesting and unique. Patrons are sectioned off into different rooms or partitions, allowing for an intimate setting.  Each room was furnished with a TV set, overlaying an Arabian rug and traditional cushions against the walls.  There was washroom to wash your hands before and after meal.  Dinner for the night included ‘Biryani’rice, fish, chicken, mixed salad, Omani bread and a dip, all served in a massive plate and minimal cutleries.  The plate and floor served as table and chairs.  Patrons eat with their fingers – definitely a skill that requires mastering. The food was presented authentic and served relatively timely.  The service was excellent – servers were very nice and attentive.  This was definitely a good treat to end the day.

In the next 4 business days, I will be issuing 4 more articles covering the remaining 4 full days of my Omani Adventure.  Day 2 of my adventure will be featured in the next article.

© 2012 by Michelle Riel, retains sole copyright to her contributions to all the contents of this site.