Our travels in Oman 2019 – report by Pavel Roubíček (expedition participant)
How it can look like when a group of Central Europeans go to the Arabian Peninsula, or Oman, and what to prepare for and what to avoid. Our journey, designed as a kite sightseeing expedition along the east coast, began after a six and a half hour journey from Prague to Dubai. Here I’ll just note that it is already necessary to have a visa for Oman, as well as a credit card and good luck finding a rental company that will allow you to cross into Oman (it is mandatory to pay for insurance for Oman). Rental prices are rather high and a deposit is required! Crossing the border is more or less uncomplicated just going through a few check points, but beware that not all crossings allow this. This is also where the first minor complication regarding car insurance came in, which was resolved by buying another policy at the border. So our car was insured twice however you have no choice anyway if you want to continue on. Driving a car in Oman is really nice. It is all oversized 6-lane highways are mostly empty and you don’t see much on the highways either. However, once you get off these roads you really appreciate having a 4×4 car. Really what one welcomes is the price of petrol where a litre costs some 13 crowns, but this saving is reliably compensated by the car’s consumption of 14 L. You can meet here various cars of mostly Japanese manufacture. Here these brands are very popular with the locals, but in any case you will find luxury cars in contrast to what is considered a dangerous wreck in Europe.
Now for dispatch. Our journey from the border led to the capital of this state, Muscat. The largest city, which breathes Arab culture and conservative architecture. The whole city is dominated by the Sultan Kabus Mosque, which is open to tourists, but only in the morning and it’s definitely worth a visit (watch your clothes). In the city, it’s good to do everything you need, exchange money, as paying by card can sometimes be a problem here and you can’t exchange foreign currency everywhere either.
Leaving towards the south coast, the real exploring begins and towards our next destination, Al Hadd, we visit the beautiful wadis and one that was a really great experience, Wadi TIWI (you really need a 4×4 car here). The town of Al Hadd is the perfect place for water sports thanks to its two lagoons. On the other side of the town is already the Indian Ocean coast, where there is no shortage of big waves and really strong winds. At the same time, we were lucky enough to see hundreds of Giant Karetas laying eggs on the adjacent beaches in July – it’s an incredible experience.
The island of Al Masirah became the next destination of our trip. This island can be reached by ferry, which runs at regular irregular intervals. Masirah Island is an ideal place for kitesurfing. You can stay right by the lagoon in a small campground where you can rent a “room” or camp. There is only one big town on the island where you can get everything you need and the rest of the island is basically uninhabited. As a diversion there is a military air base and three hotels in town.
Jabal ash-Sham the highest peak with almost 2800 m. of the Omani mountain range was our destination on our return to the Emirate. Here the second deepest canyon is worth a visit, where the depth from certain points is over one kilometer. However, there is a risk of being stranded if it starts to rain, as the access roads lead through dry riverbeds that drain very quickly and wildly. The roads are mostly unpaved and again 4×4 drive is an advantage here. However, the views here are breathtaking.
Camping in Oman is definitely an interesting experience in itself. It’s perfectly legal in the country and you can pitch tents anywhere, grill the fish you catch. You just have to go to the store for wood. During our trip there was absolutely no problem with mosquitoes and other flying vermin. The only thing you really have to get used to is that you can experience temperatures exceeding 37 degrees and humidity approaching 100% during the night.
The climate and weather in Oman is a chapter in itself. Here you really need to consider when to visit this country, as temperatures here are well above 40 degrees during the summer and the difference between day and night temperatures is usually only a few degrees. When camping, it is not entirely easy when the night temperature does not drop below thirty degrees, and not everyone is physically able to withstand this condition for long periods of time. When travelling from north to south, the temperature drops by almost ten degrees, and in the south the climate is affected by the monsoon during the summer months, so you are likely to encounter rain.
The food and dining here is truly an experience. Indian cuisine in particular offers delicious spicy dishes often culinary gems. Eating in local restaurants is absolutely easy and without fear of health complications. Food prices here are generally lower than here and even the food in supermarkets is at an acceptable and comparable level. There is no need to go on about the taste of fruit here. Even the most demanding individual will not suffer from hunger here. A common option to get some quick and good food on the way are the local “coffee shops” where for a par riyal for the whole group you can eat and move on.
Culture, Omanis and cheap labour. Oman itself is large in size, but the population is really small. A large number of foreigners work in the country mostly Indians, Pakistanis and other nationalities. Everyone here is really friendly and helpful and willing to help you at any time. These people work here for minimum wages and visit home only after a few years of work. When you do meet Omanis it is very typical for them to drive up to a shop and honk their horn until someone comes out of the shop and serves them right by their car. It’s comical, but on the other hand it says a lot about their relationship, but it’s their culture and it’s not for us to comment on it in any way.
Oman is definitely worth a visit!
