The Middle East Sultanate of Oman is on the eastern side of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders the United Arab Emirates in the northwest, Saudi Arabia in the west, and Yemen in the southwest. Oman has two exclaves separated from it by the United Arab Emirates, the Musandam Peninsula and Madha.
the capital city, fertile Al-Batinah coast, majestic Hajar Mountains and the Musandam Peninsula
Central Coastal Oman (Ibra, Masirah Island, Sur, Wahiba Sands)
awe-inspiring dunes, old forts and coastal scenery fringing the Indian Ocean
Dhofar (Zufar) (Salalah)
lush coastal lowlands and mountains bordering Yemen
Empty Quarter
huge desert wilderness including much of the largely undefined border area with Saudi Arabia.
Cities
Muscat - the historic capital and largest city
Bahla - oasis town which is home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Buraimi - border crossing town adjacent to Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates
Ibra - gateway to the Wahiba Sands
Matrah - adjoining the capital city and just as historic
Nizwa - contains one of the best-known forts in Oman
Salalah - the south, which is almost tropical at the time of the Kareef
Sohar - one of the legendary homes of Sindbad
Sur - where dhows are still made by hand
Other destinations[edit]
Hajar Mountains - a majestic range, the highest in the Arabian Peninsula, which stretches into the United Arab Emirates.
Madha - tiny exclave of Oman completely surrounded by the United Arab Emirates
Masirah Island - a real desert island experience awaits on this haven for turtles and other wildlife
Musandam Peninsula - a rocky exclave on the Straits of Hormuz with some magnificent wadis
Wahiba Sands - massive rolling dunes as far as the eye can see
Climate
The climate generally is very hot, with temperatures reaching 54°C (129°F) in the hot season, from May to September.
Annual rainfall in Muscat averages 100 mm (3.9 in), falling mostly in January. Dhofar is subject to the southwest monsoon, and rainfall up to 640 mm (25.2 in) has been recorded in the rainy season from late June to October.
While the mountain areas receive more plentiful rainfall, some parts of the coast, particularly near the island of Masirah, sometimes receive no rain at all within the course of a year.
Get in
Visas
A single entry, one month visa can be obtained upon arrival at any air, land or sea terminal by citizens of the following countries:
EU citizens and other Europeans including nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and Vatican City but not Cyprus and Malta.
Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, China*, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Ecuador, French Guyana, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldova, New Zealand, Paraguay, Peru, Russia*, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Suriname, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey*, Ukraine*, USA, Uruguay and Venezuela.
The fee is OMR20 and your passport should be valid for no less than 6 months from the date of arrival. However, if you arrived by air into Dubai International Airport and subsequently enter Oman via land, the visa fee will be waived. Any visa fees can be paid using UAE dirhams at a rate of ten to OMR1. At the airports, visa fees can be paid in any Gulf Co-operation Council currency, euros, and US dollars. Update of Nov 2014: At least one traveller reports that the visa fee is also waived if you have arrived in UAE by air and cleared immigration, and then entered Oman by air; however, it is not yet clear if this is consistent.
As of March 2012, a new 10-day tourist visa has been introduced that costs OMR5 and is obtainable at any land, sea or airport.
Chinese, Russian and Ukrainian nationals may obtain visit visas following the same procedures provided that they are part of tourist groups arriving to the Sultanate through a local tourist agent or a hotel or as a family. In the case of groups, the number of females must not exceed the number of males.
Citizens of Egypt, Iran, India, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia can apply for a one month visit visa only at air terminals.
The visa can be extended another month by submitting your passport to the Royal Omani Police in Muscat, however there is one line, and the wait can be as long as 2 hours. Be aware that the concept of personal distance is different in the Middle East than it is in Europe. Queue jumping may be a problem for Europeans unless you set aside that personal distance concept. If you are on a budget and need to extend your visa, consider taking a trip to the United Arab Emirates. Buses are OMR10-12 return. A same-day round trip flight to Sharjah on Air Arabia costs about OMR50. Even a taxi would be an option. Visa is not required for nationals of GCC member states and a short stay visa will be granted on arrival to residents of GCC member states as well regardless of nationality.
Israeli stamps are not a problem for entry, but Israeli passports can not be used to enter Oman.
Customs
It is prohibited to bring firearms, narcotics or pornographic publications into Oman. Non-Muslims are permitted to bring two litres of alcohol into the country at Muscat International Airport only. You are not allowed to bring alcohol into the country in private cars at land border crossings.
By plane
Virtually all international flights arrive at Muscat (Seeb) International Airport (MCT) in Muscat. There are also a small number of regional international flights to Salalah (SLL). Purchasing a visa on arrival in Salalah can be quite difficult, as the airport is very small and immigration officials tend not to have change for larger notes.
There are scheduled services by numerous airlines, including but not limited to Oman Air, Emirates, Gulf Air, Etihad, British Airways, Kuwait Airways, Saudi Arabian Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Swiss International, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Air India, Air France, and Thai Airways International. The most frequent connections are via Dubai (DXB).
There are also direct flights from various Indian cities by airlines like Air India, Indian and Jet Airways.
By boat
The port in Muscat is used by cruise ships, however there are no regular passenger services to Oman. This is slowly changing, with more cruise ships (generally smaller ones) making port calls.
By car
There are multiple border crossings from the United Arab Emirates into Oman some of which are listed below:
Hatta border at Wadi Hatta and AL-Wajajah
Wadi Jizzi between Sohar and Buraimi,
Jebel Hafret leading to Ibri and Nizwa,
Khatmat Milahah from Fujairah
from Ras al Khaimah emirate to Bukha/Musadam
from Fujeirah emirate to Dibba/Musadam.
Driving directions and border crossing from Abu Dhabi to Muscat- For Abu Dhabi residents crossing to Oman, there are 3 border posts in Al Ain - Buraimi Border post (reserved exclusively for GCC residents), Hilli Border post and Khatam Al Shukla border posts (serving expatriates).
Roads are excellent and the border crossing is quite easy. Don't forget to bring along some cash as you have to pay for the visa to enter Oman. If you are taking a car from the UAE into Oman you will need to produce evidence at the border that the car is insured in Oman. Note that there is a AED35 departure tax when leaving the UAE by car, and an OMR2 tax when leaving Oman by road.
Additionally, make sure that your passport is stamped with the relevant entry and exit stamps. This should go without saying, but some border officials will forget part of the procedure and cause administrative hassles later. Additionally, crossing from Oman to the UAE is often a chaotic business, so it is easier to miss out on the all-important stamp than one might expect.
Crossing from Oman to Yemen is significantly more challenging, and those of an adventurous bent should familiarise themselves very carefully with the regulations regarding that border. In previous years, there has been a law that no solo female travellers can exit Oman to Yemen. Additionally, bear in mind that the easternmost parts of Yemen are exceptionally remote.
While a border (unmarked) exists between Oman and Saudi Arabia, this is a very inadvisable crossing, as it involves going through most (if not all) of the Empty Quarter and there are no permanent roads.
By bus
There is a regular bus service between Muscat and Dubai in the UAE. There are private operators as well as the state owned Oman National Transport Company (ONTC) and the ride (which usually takes between 4 to 5 hours) is quite comfortable, thanks to the excellent roads.
ONTC operates the Dubai to Muscat and Dubai to Salalah routes. The bus to Muscat departs from Al rigga road in Deira, Dubai at 07.15 and in the afternoon. The bus to Salalah departs at 15:00 from the same bus station. The tickets are bought at Al Manhal stationery by the bus stop and cost AED55 one way to Muscat (Dec 2010). The bus stop is hard to find, it is close to the Caravan restaurant and close to the Dnata building, the taxi drivers know where the bus stop is. To go to Nizwa you need to go with the Salalah bus. Dress warm for the bus ride and prepare for border control including baggage check! If you enter UAE through Dubai you don't need to pay for Visa for Oman, show your stamp at the border control.
Get around
The Corniche at Mutrah
By plane
Oman Air is the national carrier and flies regularly between the two airports in the country (Muscat/Seeb, and Salalah). Air Arabia now offers flights to Salalah and Muscat from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
By bus
There are regular, daily bus services connecting the bigger cities within Oman (Muscat, Salalah, Sohar, Sur and Nizwa). There are several, daily bus services from Muscat to Dubai. There is one bus a day from Muscat to Abu Dhabi. For details see the pages of the Oman National Transport Company.
By taxi
All Taxi drivers in Oman are Omani nationals as this is a protected profession. In Muscat there are call/telephone Taxi services. Whilst safe and generally turn up when you want them to the costs are comparatively high. Look for "Hello Taxi" and "Muscat Taxi" amongst others.
The orange-badged taxis are usually owner-operated, these are un-metered with negotiated fares before departure. If you get a very cheap price, then do not be surprised if the Taxi stops to add extra passengers unless you request for it to be private. You may ask for engaged, just say 'engaged taxi' to the driver, and you will pay for all the seats and now have the taxi to yourself. Women must always sit alone in the back. This is for your own safety and comfort.
There are also mini-buses (Baisa buses), the principle is you share the bus or car with others and pay a lower price as a result. This is how women living in Oman travel if they must use public transport. Women should sit next to other women if there are any in the bus. Men should move to other seats. If they do not move immediately, simply stand at the door, looking at them expectantly. They will take the hint and move. Although this might feel strange to foreigners, it is expected behaviour for Omanis. Not sitting next to a man will avoid any unfortunate situations of mixed signals.
By car
Ridin' Dirty
Believe it or not, but it's actually illegal to drive around in a dirty car in Oman. You may get stopped by the police who can fine you OMR10, although they are more likely to just tell you to wash your ride.
Driving around Oman in your own (rented) car is quite easy. A four-lane road connects Muscat and Nizwa and a recently constructed four-lane highway goes from Muscat to Sur (however, between Muscat and Quriyat it is still one lane each way through the mountains).
There are still large parts of the Sur - Muscat route that has no mobile phone signal. If you break down be prepared to wait it out. Or hitch a ride to the next town and find a mechanic to bring back to your vehicle.
A wadi near Nizwa
Lovely seaside camping can be found between Muscat and Sur. Best to take the paved route to SUR, then over to Wadi Shab to find your way safely into this coastal road. If you intend to drive in wadis (unsealed valley roads in river beds) a 4WD is highly desirable. You can never be sure how the road will be and if it starts raining the wadis will turn into rivers quickly.
If at all possible, hire a 4 wheel drive. There is spectacular off-road driving to be had in Oman, and you will want to veer off the tarmac again and again.
Since about 2001 Oman has been experiencing severe flash flooding annually. The force of the water rushing down the rock hard treeless mountains do push even landcruisers off the road and upside down. Beware. If you see dark clouds or rain starts. Find high dry ground, shelter and stay put. You can put a call into the local authorities to see if they can advise you better. The problem is the flash floods move quickly from town to town, it is easy to get trapped by washed out roads. Many wadi crossings have white and red poles to indicate when it is safe to cross the wadi in case of a flood. These are painted white on the bottom and red on top. If the water level reaches the red-painted part, do not attempt to cross, even in a 4WD.
If you managed to get a map of Oman regard it as how Oman would like to have the roads. Some roads might be drawn as well-built streets but are not even paved. Roads not being visible on the map might just end and may even be painted till the end!
Distances in Oman are relatively long. The problem is the limit of kilometres of the typical rented car of 200 - 250 km per day. Prepare to pay and negotiate for extra kilometres. Monthly rates sometimes include unlimited kilometres.
Petrol in Oman is very cheap by European and even North American standards. As of January 2010 the price for regular petrol was approximately OMR0.12 per litre.
Since 2006, in order to try and limit the rather frightening road death toll, the motorways/dual carriageways are littered with speed cameras. In the centre of Muscat they are every 2 km, not all look like they are active - but be warned. According to locals, the tolerance on the speed cameras is 19 km/h.
