Welcome to the Arabian OdysseyDiscover the magic of the Orient with it's ancient civilisations and ultra modern cities, desert and mountain scenery, colourful souks and world-class hotels.
A land of magnificent mountain, desert and coastal scenery and year round sunshine with a precious cultural and architectural heritage spanning 5000 years.
Welcoming tourists, the Omani people are friendly and keen to show their culture and beautiful country. Oman is a popular destination for tourists credited to its stunning landscapes and many attractions. Wadi's, Deserts, Beaches and Mountains are areas which make Oman unique to its neighboring Gulf nations. With many major malls located in the capital Muscat, offering a taste of the orient with its souks of traditional jewellery, fabrics, carpets and crafts. Other popular tourist activities include sand skiing in the desert, mountain-climbing, camel races and camping.
Oman's landscapes are characterised by a series of awe-inspiring mountain chains, dramatic rocky peaks and seemingly limitless expanses of flat stony sands concealing exotic wadis. Perched precariously amid craggy peaks overlooking terraced fields and palm groves are leafy oasis villages. High mountain ranges run parallel to the coast effectively cutting off the Interior from the rest of the country. The highest peak, Jebel Shams (Sun Mountain), is just over 3,000 metres, and is a favourite destination of locals, expatriates, and tourists.
The best time to visit is between October and April when days are pleasantly warm and evenings cool. Outside this period, summer temperatures in the north soar to over 35 degrees, though the heat in the south, in the area of Salalah, is tempered by monsoon rains between June and September.
The Religious Festival of Ramadan
This important event in the Islamic calendar will be between 13 September
and 13 October 2007.
Eating, drinking and smoking are not permitted outdoors during this time although all hotels will make a private room available for serving meals to guests during the day. Alcohol may only be served in one's room after sunset. The good news is that the weather at this time of year is splendid and so are the prices!
