Global Arab Network | Unique Tourist Destination - Ancient Meets Modern In Oman

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Unique Tourist Destination - Ancient Meets Modern In Oman

Posted by Rami Al-Ali

Tuesday, 23 February 2010 18:51

From Oman's opulent palaces to shimmering deserts, this undiscovered corner of Arabia is a tantalising mix of ancient and modern discovers the renowned British journalist Charles Garside, as he heads for the oasis, so says a report that appeared in a recent edition of the British daily tabloid newspaper The Daily Mail.

Commenting on Oman’s growing popularity as a unique tourist destination, Usama Bin Karim Al Haremi of Oman Air’s Corporate Communications and Media said that the National Carrier has been tasked with boosting tourism in Oman, adding that the ministry of Tourism and Oman Air, continue to promote the Sultanate as a high quality destination aimed primarily at responsible tourists. The continuous joint efforts he affirms have been successful in building awareness about Oman as a choice destination for tourism, and upholding the image of the Sultanate as a safe and ideal holiday spot. Oman Air, Al Haremi further stated, is yet to expand its network in Europe, with flights from Oman already launched to Frankfurt, Munich, and Paris. He said travellers could catch now daily non-stop flights from London Heathrow to Muscat with Oman Air.

The travel article titled “The Oman holidays: Off-road driving on the Wahiba sands en route to desert camp” reads; The only let-down on this trip came from a mechanic deflating the tyres of our 4x4 to give the traction needed to bash the spectacular, shimmering dunes of the Ramlat Al Wahaybah - Wahiba sands - en route to our desert camp. In 1970, the Sultanate of Oman in the south-east quarter of the Arabian Peninsula had just six miles of asphalted roads, when the Sandhurst-educated Sultan Qaboos bin Said assumed power at the age of 30. The Sultan had already travelled the world and studied local government in England. But the transformation he and his advisers have achieved for a country about the size of England and Scotland combined is almost as astonishing as its natural landscape of soaring mountains, grand canyons, empty deserts, lush wadis, and more than 1,300 miles of coastline with often totally deserted beaches.

“Today, there are thousands of miles of top-class roads to explore a countryside honeycombed with ancient forts and archaeological treasures, and now visitors are being encouraged to explore the landscape beyond the Oman roads - on dirt tracks through tortuous passes in the majestic Al Hajar mountains or off the tarmac into vast desert wastes. So, for a small cash consideration, the employees of Salem and Salim Sons Of Sultan Bin Mohamed Alwa Haibi (as the sign above their auto repair shop in the tiny village of Al Wasil proudly proclaims) let down our tyres. Then, turning right at a small mosque, we headed off road.

“Salah, our driver, suddenly morphed into 'Top Gear' mode and we realised why the car was fitted with an inside roll cage. As if the ride into the desert wasn't exhilarating enough, we also seemed to be involved in a most unusual race. Ahead of us were three flat-back Toyota trucks, each transporting a strapped down sedentary dromedary nonchalantly riding backwards on the way to their desert pens.

“Camel racing is big in Oman. While these ships of the desert seemed to appreciate the lift, our driver was not going to be passed or surpassed by a one-humped camel going backwards. After six miles, we were delighted when Desert Nights, one of the newest 'campsites' in Oman, appeared like a mirage on the horizon. We were welcomed in traditional style with cold towels and Khawa coffee and dates, and our luggage was whisked to the tent.

“From our desert camp riding across the ridges before being ferried to the highest dune above camp to watch the sun set on ripples of red, orange, yellow and golden sands. Dinner, a five-star buffet affair, was taken at low tables outside the tented dining rooms, where guests gathered round a blazing fire beneath a spectacular starlit canopy.

“The naturally versatile topography of Oman is very well highlighted in this report that brings to the attention of the readers the majestic beauty of the mountains, the cave chambers, the desert dunes, and the pristine marine atmosphere. In whole, this report on Oman is sure to catch the attention of even the residents of Oman in a very pleasant way,” Al Haremi noted about the report.

“The mountains are magnificent. Huge jagged fingers of rock lying so symmetrically one behind the other give an illusion of a camera shake. At the foot of Jebel Shams (it means 'sun peak') we went off-road in another way: Underground. The Al-Hoota cave complex is part of a spectacular three-mile subterranean chasm discovered in the eighties when a goat fell through a crack in the mountainside. Today, the caves boast the only train in Oman, taking visitors just about 400-metres from the comfort of a visitor centre to the entrance of the show cave. Brilliantly designed paths and walkways and a clever lighting system allow visitors to explore the natural columns of stalactites and stalagmites that have built up over millions of years in the biggest cave and to see the edge of an underground lake where small, blind, and almost transparent fish thrive in large shoals.

For those in search of bigger fish, as it were, Oman offers dolphin and whale watching tours, some of the best surf fishing in the world, and October to April is best for big game fishing. The best weather is between November and mid-March when temperatures will average 25c. Locally caught fish is the top culinary specialty. Apart from the outboard motors, it seemed little had changed for the local fishermen delivering their catch to the market at Barka, where we watched traders haggle as their forefathers have done for generations.

“International dishes, Arabian, Indian, and Chinese specialties abound both in the local cafes and restaurants as well as the five-star hotels.

“We had started our visit with an early check-in at the stylish Grand Hyatt in Oman's capital Muscat, having flown overnight on Oman Air's direct flight from Heathrow. With eight hours flying time and a four-hour time difference, we were still ready to make the most of our arrival day, visiting the Sultan's spectacular Al Alam Palace.

“The Sultan Qaboos mosque is the second-largest in the Middle East (after Mecca) and is the breathtaking result of the combined skills and architectural contributions of 26 nations. To prepare us for the journey to the desert and mountains, we had spent one night at the surprising Al Nahda resort, less than an hour from Muscat but inland from the fishing village of Barka.

“Every shop, business and hotel seems to have pictures of His Majesty the Sultan, and there is without doubt much genuine affection for the man they hold responsible for the renaissance of Oman, which has thrived without bling or skyscrapers and has a vision for the future that seems to protect and revere the past. For his 39th anniversary and 69th birthday last year, miles and miles of the highways were decorated with lights and flags.

As Supreme Commander of the Oman armed forces, he presided over a military parade, while the nation's artists were invited to paint his picture in a 'beat the clock' fine art portrait competition, and a two-day futuristic 3D exhibition used holograms to assess the strengths of Oman today with the technology of tomorrow. No plans have yet been announced about this year's celebrations, but the advice has to be: book early. A new UK business monitoring report says Oman can still lay claim to being 'one of the great undiscovered destinations'. Even though the Sultanate plans to attract 12 million visitors a year by 2020 - a four-fold increase on last year's numbers - there will still be much to discover. I have never left anywhere with a stronger feeling of knowing there was so much more to see and do. Meanwhile, with the magic carpet mouse-mat by my computer, I only have to click on Desert Nights and, by the Genie of the Camp; I'm transported back to the sands of Arabia. That's the joy of Oman - ancient and modern.

Global Arab Network