Where to go in Oman

Muscat is a city of evocative grand mosques towering over the skyline in a symphony of minarets, domes, and stunning ornate palaces characterized by intricate mosaics and carvings. Beyond the city streets, a rugged topography of mountains eventually gives way to the desert, but its eastern extreme is a long line of stunning white sand beaches. A sea breeze sweeps Muscat’s much-loved Frankincense from the bazaars where it burns on almost every stand along the hills and through its antique streets but the Omani love of this evocative tree resin is perhaps no less clear than at the playful Riyam Memorial: a massive observation tower built as an ornamental incense burner in homage to the Frankincense that has been traded out of Muscat’s souks for millennia. Oman’s cuisine is a must-try for food lovers, bolstered by a wealth of natural ingredients, from fish caught along its vast coastline to the colorful spices piled up in its souks. Muscat is an ideal destination to get acquainted with it.

The sleepy little Musandam Peninsula punctures out into the Straits of Hormuz forming the most northwesterly land mass on the Arab Peninsula. Separated from mainland Oman (of which Musandam is a Governorate) by the UAE, the Musandam Peninsula’s coast boasts fractures of fjord-like creeks connected to land by the narrowest of cliffs, beautiful corals fringing islands, ancient fishing villages, and forts built by the Portuguese. Go inland and the terrain becomes mountainous, with long vertiginous mountain roads leading to charming villages and extending over the border to Dubai (just a few hours by road). Explore it from its turquoise waters, the Persian Gulf to the East, the Gulf of Oman to the West, and the rugged coastline of Iran to the north by traditional Dhow Cruise. As well as dolphins,  which are ubiquitous along the peninsula, there’s a myriad of aquatic life, ideal for discovery by snorkeling, particularly in the bays and beaches of the Seebi and Telegraph Islands,

Arabian deserts are legendary, but none so much as Rub’ Al Khali Desert — or the Empty Corner, called such because it is literally an intensely hot and vast length of unbroken rust-colored desert, with a larger surface area than France, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Nomadic Beduins offer a taste of Omani desert culture with Omani food and old stories often a delightful part of overnight stays, while sunset views, 4x4s, biking, and camel rides make up the bulk of activities here. There’s little in the way of local flora, though the legendary Land of Frankincense is close by, and a small selection of wildlife survives the hyper-arid landscape, including gazelles, oryx, and sand cats. The best way to access the Empty Quarter is from Salalah, the beautiful capital of Dhofar. From there you’ll travel north, an ideal opportunity to visit Wadi Dawkah and the Jabal Qara  Mountains, before spending a night or two amongst the unspeakable beauty of the Rub’ Al Khali Desert.