ON OMAN
I can say with certainty I’ve never been anywhere quite like Oman.
When I told people that the country I was most looking forward to visiting on the Radical Sabbatical was Oman, most people would stare at me blankly. Then, they would blink and say “Oman? Where even is that?” with the ever so slight undertone of “if I haven’t heard of it, surely it isn’t worth going to.” After describing where Oman was on the map, people would pretend to be situated and follow up with “what do you even do in Oman? I’ve literally never heard of anybody going there.”
Nobody was prepared for my dissertation of a response…
If you’ve ever done any amount of research for a trip, you’ve undoubtedly come across a litany of blogs touting authentic (!), bespoke (!), off the beaten path (!), hidden gems (!). Reading travel publications is nauseating because like IS PATAGONIA REALLY A HIDDEN GEM?!?!?! ARE YOUR 13 TIPS ON HOW TO FEEL LIKE A LOCAL IN HONG KONG REALLY GOING TO MAKE ME FEEL LIKE A FISH IN WATER?!
When talking with you all about Oman, I’m going to throw caution to the wind and risk sounding like a nauseating travel publication. Oman has got to be one of the most underrated travel destinations on planet earth. It’s easy, it’s charming, it’s accessible, it’s AUTHENTIC, and it’s fabulous. It’s a place where ancient traditions seamlessly blend with modern aspirations, creating a genuinely memorable experience.
Before I jump into what makes Oman shine, I want to tell you a little bit about the country, located under Saudi Arabia, and in between Yemen and the United Arab Emirates (now you’re situated hehehe).
Like most countries on the Arabian Peninsula, Oman was made rich by the discovery of oil. It’s an oil country to be sure, but don’t picture Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates. Oman is modern and highly developed, but it’s not gaudy and it remains highly traditional. They’re the OG’s of quiet luxury.
Oman is an absolute monarchy, led by a sultan. An absolute monarchy is a form of government where a single individual holds complete and unrestricted authority over the state. A fun fact about what an absolute monarchy looks like in practice…?! We were in Oman for National Day, which you can liken to the 4th of July – it’s a National Holiday that results in a long weekend. The first 10 days we were in Oman, any time I looked at Google Maps to check a business’ operating hours, I kept seeing the orange warning of “National Day Might Affect Operating Hours” and I was like…so National Day is a National 2 weeks here?! As it turns out, National Day in Oman is always in November and it is typically towards the middle of the month. But the Sultan doesn’t announce when National Day will be or how many days people will get off until only a few days before. He does this so that Omani’s will stay in the country for the long weekend, and thus spend their money in the country. Before announcing, he coordinates with the airlines to jack up the prices on the corresponding days so it’s more attractive to stay in the country. So the whole country KNOWS a vacation is coming, but they don’t know exactly when or how long they will have off.
OK, now that you know a little bit about Oman, below are my highlights!
My overarching highlight of Oman was noticing how local customs exist within a completely modern society. Overwhelmingly, Omani’s dress traditionally and you won’t find too many Omani’s wearing western clothing (more on this to come). Despite modernization, you still notice traditional customs being practiced during the workday. There are perfectly preserved castles and homes from centuries ago, traditional fabrics are omnipresent, and traditional handicrafts adorn every corner of most towns. This is in contrast with Starbucks, huge malls, people driving around in F150’s, and takeout dining dominating the restaurant scene (there are lines of cars outside of every restaurant after work of people waiting to get their takeout).
In my experience, it’s rare to go to a place where the two are able to so seamlessly coexist. I enjoyed watching the old and the new play out in Oman.
Muscat:
When we first arrived in Muscat, the capital of Oman, I’ll admit I was a little confused. Why does this city look like one big strip mall? Why are all the “must see attractions” spread out between forty kilometers?! And why is there no efficient public transit system to get me there!? What is this, THE UNITED STATES?!
Over the course of our week in Muscat, my confusion diminished, and I found myself in awe of the city. Nearly all the buildings in Muscat are made of white marble. In the day, the city sparkles as the sun and perfectly blue sky reflect off the marble. At night, the city is set ablaze as a cacophony of orange, red, purple and yellows reflect the setting sun. As the evening call to prayer echoes throughout the city, all you see is glittering white marble and thousands of brightly colored minarets.
Though the architecture in Muscat is stunning, my highlight was watching the taxi men. As previously mentioned, Muscat is set up exclusively for transport by car which means there are throngs of taxi men. And when I tell y’all that these taxi men are going to be comfortable as they wait for passengers…
Outside every major hub in the city you’ll find a group of ~10 taxi drivers. 2 of the 10 have brought enormous beach umbrellas to sit under because it’s not going to be anybody in their group getting heat exhaustion. Each and every driver has brought a fully padded, full size, camping chair, which are set up in a circle, ideal for conversing. It goes without saying there’s at least one family size thermos of tea and a tupperware of dates being passed around. When somebody approaches for a ride the driver whose turn it is gets up, escorts you to his cab, reminds you to fasten your seatbelt, and has his chair secured in the trunk before you even click it so he can set up and join whatever circle is closest to your drop off point.
I loved the camaraderie and practicality of the whole thing. The attitude was like “everybody in this city is going to need a cab at some point in the day, so I’ll be here all day with my boys waiting. I don’t need to be out hustling for a ride because I’ve posted outside the souk where everybody comes every single day. And if I’m going to be here all day, I’m going to be comfortable”. No shop owner was fussed (they were, in fact, bringing the drivers tea and juice), no parking police had their panties in a wad that half the lot was taken up by beach umbrellas and camping chairs (they were, in fact, parked alongside the taxi drivers, catching up and having a kiki), and as a tourist I was thrilled because it was always super easy to find the cab stand. Highly practical, highly comfortable, everybody having a grand old time; my love language.
Al Hajar Mountains:
The Hajar Mountains are spectacular. We did a flat 10km hike that took 6 hours to complete simply because I had to stop and declare “oh my god Quintin, have you ever seen anything like it!” every five seconds while utterly decimating the available storage on my iPhone. At the halfway point of the hike, Quintin pulled out a banana and the second he started to peel it a mountain goat that was previously 200 meters away started shrieking and ran right up onto Quintin’s lap for a bite. WHEN?! IN WHAT WORLD?! It was in this moment we learned the mountain goats in Oman are just as friendly as the people.
My highlight was watching the sun set over the mountain range. As far as the eye (and Quintin’s camera lense) could see, there was nothing but jagged mountains, rugged desert, and a lit up sky. No buildings, no cars, no other people. I’d never seen a landscape like Al Hajar Mountains and at sunset, it went from spectacular to sensational.
Wahiba Sands:
As the name indicates, the Wahiba Sands are a part of the desert in Oman. We spent two nights at a desert camp where we tried to not die from heat exhaustion by swimming in the freezing cold pool. We also got up early to watch the sunrise and ventured out for a camel ride as the sun set. I will never tire of seeing Quintin on a camel. It’s absurd.
On our drive in, we passed a camel racetrack and I was like “wait, what?! Did I read that right?! Camel racing is a thing?!” If you’ve never been acquainted with a camel, it makes no sense. These things are prehistoric and everything they do is SO slow. Camels BLINK slowly. They’re also massive and awkward. My knees hurt thinking about a camel trying to run. I couldn’t picture it but we didn’t have WiFi for the duration of our stay so I couldn’t look it up to asses the situation and I instantly forgot about the racetrack the second I saw our desert camp (the Instagram girlies were going CRAZY).
We enjoyed our little two days in the desert and at the end, a driver from the camp drove us out of the desert and back to our car. Well wouldn’t you know for the DURATION of the drive this kid is streaming highlight reel after highlight reel of camel racing (there is nothing one could possibly hit in the desert so he does not have to pay close attention to the road). Craning my neck from the backseat, I probably got to watch 15 videos of camel racing highlights, the announcer going absolutely berserk. This was a highlight because now I know camel racing is a thing and I can become acquainted with the premier camel jockeys. Niche.
Dayanamit Islands:
The Dayanamit Islands are just off the coast of Muscat and one typically visits them on a half day snorkeling tour from the city. Following our harrowing boating experience in Zanzibar I was like “I don’t really need to be out in these streets oceans again…” Also, Quintin hates snorkeling because he doesn’t know how to not inhale ocean water. It was also expensive. With three strikes against, it was decided we would not be visiting. Then our AirBnB host was like “I know a guy, he can get you a good price” and the next thing you know I’m on a boat, sailing over the most beautiful water I’ve ever seen.
In all my previous snorkeling experiences I’ve felt like like “yeah, that was a fine way to pass a few hours” but I don’t love snorkeling. It’s an excuse to get out on a boat, swim in the ocean and have a beer. I can tell you that I loved snorkeling in the Dayanamit Islands. I didn’t know fish came in so many colors. I didn’t know coral came in so many colors. I didn’t know sea turtles were SO CUTE when they swim. I didn’t know it was possible for water to be such a vibrant shade of blue. I didn’t know water could glimmer so bright. Not only was the water a mind boggling color, it was so clear I could basically see all the way to Iran. Quintin classified it as “the most successful snorkeling expedition” of his life as he didn’t once feel the need to vomit from inhaling too much salt water. I wasn’t even mad when we hit a wave so big, I went flying into the air and lost my precious travel towel. It was a worthwhile sacrifice.
Honorable Mentions:
We also went to Wadi Shab (a desert oasis with a landscape like I’ve never seen), Misfat and Nizwa. All of these were stunning, amazing, beautiful, 100% worth it but I don’t have anything cheeky to say about them aside from that I loved them.
Oman is different from other places I’ve traveled, and while it was utterly new to me, it was also comfortable. I was seeing, learning, and experiencing a wholly new culture, but in a setting that felt secure, with elements that were super familiar (take out, car focused infrastructure, paper towels, prevalence of western brands). In the past, when I’ve been in an environment that is completely unfamiliar, I’ve been on edge. Not because of anything anybody has done, but because being out of your comfort zone heightens your senses. You have to pay attention to every little detail to decipher how things work. Moving through the day isn’t fluent. Do I have to pay to use the restroom? Does somebody pump my gas, or do I get out and do it? Does the toilet paper go in the trash can or the toilet? Do they accept credit cards, or do I need cash? Are people paying at the table or the front desk?
Ultimately, these are small things that you’ll find out by simply paying attention, but the point is, you have to pay attention, you have to be aware, and you’re going to mess up. The lead up to all these scenarios makes you tense…even after 11 months on the road.
Despite being out of my comfort zone, Oman never gave me that tense feeling. I always felt taken care of and I’m grateful to Oman for showing me another flavor of travel – off the beaten path, but comfortable.
