Category: Oman

Khasab, Oman

The Sultanate of Oman, also known as “Oman”, is the second largest country on the Arabian Peninsula. This area of Oman, the m Musandam peninsula, where the town of Khasab is located, is also known as the “Norway of Arabia”. The setting of this port is spectacular, a fjord as you would imagine seeing on the moon, no vegetation at all! Khasab is still relatively unknown to travelers but with its dramatic landscape of towering cliffs and fjords it’s destined to become a major resort in the future. It is a very peaceful town overlooking the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. Khasab in Arabic means fertility which refers to the large produce of dates and the freshwater. Due to where it’s located and is geographical position and mountainous terrain, it was isolated from the rest of Oman and the region developed at its own pace. In contrast to the stark beauty above the water, Musandam has an underwater world treasure. It is rich in the colorful marine life that is very inviting for fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving. As with everything in Oman, everything is very clean and the people are the nicest he will ever meet! The cuisine is a mixture of several staples of Asian foods, mostly based on chicken, fish and lamb with the ubiquitous rice. Most of these dishes contain a rich mixture of spices and herbs and marinades. We decided to take a traditional Omani Dhow out for the day. This was an amazing experience, the boys really enjoyed watching the dolphins follow the Dhow and putting on a show. With the Omani fjord as the backdrop it was breathtaking. We stopped at Telegraph Island where in 1864 the British built a Telegraph station. They laid an underwater cable from India to Iraq to get a connection between England and India. The corals and reefs surrounding this island are one of the best places to swim and snorkel in Oman. The water is crystal clear and a deep emerald green, while it’s a bit chilly, it was very refreshing. The boys got in right away and started snorkeling it took me a while because everyone else was saying how chilly it was. I got in pretty quickly and was surprised that it wasn’t so cold, and I’m a total wimp with cold water, I prefer bath warm Caribbean waters. Rowan and Grant had so much fun being surrounded by all the tropical fish, we couldn’t get them out of the water! We practically had to pull them out as the Dhow was leaving. Since we are so close to Iran, it was fun to see the Iranian smugglers at dusk. Small little speedboats would be coming in and out and trade goats for American cigarettes. Of course we watched this from the safety of our ship, I told the boys not to point at them or bring attention to it bc you never know!

Sohar, Oman

Today was a really relaxing day, the weather was beautiful so the kids spent a lot of time in the pool and we just sit back and relaxed with a cocktail or two. We also seem to eat our way through the day. We started at Sushi on Five for lunch and it was really good! Back to the pool to digest then to the spa for the Persian Garden which has an aromatherapy steam room, heated tile loungers, sauna and more. It’s the perfect peaceful place to unwind. For dinner we went to Oceanliners, it’s designed like a restaurant on the old Titanic-like ocean liners. Very old fashioned, dark woods, nautical theme, formal settings and crisp white tablecloth’s. It is gourmet French and the menu is amazing, the waiters in their tuxedoes were very attentive to every aspect of the meal. Somehow we managed to eat a lot again, it was so good we couldn’t help it! Rowan especially enjoyed it!

Muscat, Oman

Today was a great day exploring the town of Muscat. Ibrahim took us everywhere and was a great guide, he taught us so much. We started the day at the breathtaking Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. It is the third largest mosque in the world and has the worlds largest handmade Persian carpet. Before I could go in, I had to be covered from head to toe, even my ankles and wrists. I wore a long sleeve dress that went to the ground and covered everything so I really only had to wear a head scarf. Upon entrance to the mosque there was very brusque man with a turban checking everyone to make sure they were appropriately dressed, he was very scary! The size of the mosque is amazing, it can hold 20,000 worshippers. Everything is white and gray marble and is very cool in the sun, felt good on our feet. The gardens surrounding it are spectacular with bright tropical flowers and there are pretty splashing fountains. There is an exquisite Persian carpet inside the main hall that took 27 months to hand weave right in place so that it is all one piece and absolutely gorgeous. There are huge Swarovski crystal chandeliers from Austria all over. Then we went to the Sultans Al Alam Royal Palace for a look. It is the office of the Sultan Qaboos, ruler of Oman. It looks like a crazy 70’s style building and it is guarded on either side by two 16rh century Portuguese built fortresses. It was heavily guarded today because the Sultan was there so we couldn’t see much. The Muttrah Souk was our next stop, I was very excited for shopping! It is known as one of the best souks in Gulf region. This is an old Arab market with a maze of narrow alleys that smell of incense. It’s full of traditional Omani handicrafts and food, spices, silver daggers, pashmina shawls, jewelry, incense burners and many artifacts. Even though Omanis are traders by nature, they are gentle and dignified people and didn’t hassle us. I picked up a bunch of nice things and Ibrahim did all the haggling for me and told me what not to buy and what was good to buy. We also visited the Royal Opera House, that was beautiful! And finally stopped at the fish souk. The boys loved looking at and touching all the fish.

Sur, Oman

South from the U.A.E. on the Arabian coast is the Sultanate of Oman. Oman’s capital city is magical and quite a contrast to its bustling northern neighbor. It is situated on a striking cove on the Gulf of Oman, ringed by striking volcanic mountains and guarded by two ancient Portuguese forts. Muscat’s architecture, most of which is fairly modern, from the Grand Mosque to the Sultan’s 1970s-esque palace, is elegant and features Islamic design. No buildings are higher than 8 floors. The old port city boasts one of the region’s best souks. There are lovely beaches for swimming, gorgeous scenery beyond the city and genuinely elegant resorts. The Arabic traditions and the influence of Islam run deep. The call to prayer echoes out over the cities five times a day. The people are genuinely friendly and fascinating to talk to. Everybody has a story there, our driver Ibrahim was so fascinating, the boys loved him. And with 5 kids of his own, he could really relate to my boys. Well, we made it through the Gulf of Aden and into the Gulf of Oman, phew, I was a little worried. Although rare, pirate attacks against ships have taken place in the region, particularly in the Gulf of Aden or when the ship travels from the Arabian Gulf into the Gulf of Oman. We didn’t get any warnings so there was no cause for alarm, but they say when you are warned, the warnings are not to be taken lightly :-l Since I’m still not acclimated to the 12 hour time change, I was up at 5:30 again this morning. So instead of tossing and turning and trying to go to sleep, I decided to go have coffee on the outside deck and watch the sunrise over the Al Hajar mountains which form the backdrop of the city of Muscat. To hear the morning prayers blaring from the speakers in all the minarets in the city was a real magical experience. We ventured to Sur to visit Wadi Shab. After driving on the barren plain, the vista of mountains opened into a pea-green lake and we were here. Aptly named in Arabic the ‘Gorge Between Cliffs’, Wadi Shab is known as one of the most lovely destinations in Oman. During a 45 minute hike we passed turquoise pools, waterfalls and terraced plantations. Native kingfishers splashed here and there and brightly colored pink oleander bloomed by the water’s edge. Luckily we had some shade because it was in the low 80s and it would’ve been pretty hot to do this hike in the sun! We were rewarded with a glorious crystal clear swimming hole to swim and splash in! Then we navigated through a keyhole into a huge cavern that reminded us of the Goonies! The boys climbed up the waterfall, they slid down natural slides, they jumped off of huge rocks near the top of the cavern into the deep water. Our next stop was Bimmah sinkhole, a stunningly beautiful limestone hollow that had the most beautiful colored water. It’s about 60 feet deep and attracts swimmers and scuba divers. We got there too late and weren’t able to swim. The boys were a little disappointed but still thought it was amazing. It is listed as one of the most beautiful sinkholes in the world and I can see why. On our way out we had to stop and drink some Arabic coffee and eat dates. Everywhere you go they offer this, even when you are paying for something in the souk! You take a few minutes to talk and enjoy. The Omanis are very hospitable and friendly. I really enjoy this tradition, the coffee is very different than ours. It’s made with cardaman and smells very good. I was never a fan of dates but the ones I have been eating here are delicious. I guess it’s because they are grown right here. Date palms are everywhere. Our driver Ibrahim even brought me a big bag of them from his home. He sealed them all up so I can pack them to bring home. He also gave me Date syrup and said it’s good to drizzle on fresh bread in the morning.

Minab, Iran

We boarded the Celebrity Cruise ship in Abu Dhabi. This cruise itinerary is different than most because it is an “Immersion Cruise”, what this means is that on a usual cruise ship itinerary you stop in port for the day and then cruise in the evening to another port. On this itinerary we spend a few days in each city so that you have plenty of time to see everything day and night and a few days to do it. We stayed in Abu Dhabi for a few days, then we sailed out in the Persian Gulf towards Oman. It’s nice to do this trip on a cruise ship, because you get to relax in between and are not always on the run. I love Celebrity’s upscale and innovative ships and we have a day at sea to spend time at the spa, the pool, watching great production shows, enrichment lectures, shopping, eating well and having cocktails. The cocktail part is especially important because you can’t buy alcohol in these countries, it is illegal. You have to go to very fine hotels and their restaurants in order to have a drink, the locals do not drink alcohol. So we have to maximize it while on the ship! Looking forward to our adventures in Oman tomorrow and I’ll explain more about the city.