Man, Oman!

For the past week, I've been on a work trip. I flew into Muscat, Oman then joined a cruise ship on its way round the Musandam Peninsula, stopping at Khasab before getting off in Abu Dhabi. I don't think I've ever been away so close to Christmas and it's been very odd seeing Christmas trees and decorations whilst in T-shirt and sunglasses! I'm writing this on the deck in Abu Dhabi in beautiful sun, exactly a week before Christmas Day!

Muscat is a beautiful city, immaculately clean and calm and surrounded by huge, rocky mountains. We had an afternoon free so four of us left the ship and took a tour round the old city. We saw the Sultan’s Al Alam Royal Palace, forts, the marina and the local souk which we wandered around getting totally lost, but it was clean, quiet and very well organised and the four of us ladies felt completely safe and unthreatened; not something I can say about every souk I’ve been to in other parts of the Middle East.

Our next stop was Khasab which is the capital of the Musandam Peninsula and an area known at the Norway of Arabia for its huge mountains and narrow inlets and It's still fairly off the beaten track to tourists. We took a traditional wooden Dhow for a full day’s sailing in and around the ‘fjords’; the highlight of the day was a huge school of dolphins, including youngsters, swimming alongside the boat. We stopped twice for swimming and snorkelling from the boat in crystal clear, emerald green water teeming with brightly coloured fish. Lunch on board was delicious spicy chicken, rice, salad, Arabic flat bread and fragrant mint tea.

tiny villages at the foot of the mountains

Back on the ship, after cruising through the night to Abu Dhabi, we disembarked the next morning and took a full day tour of the city. I'd been before, so it was great to see areas I'd missed the first time.

The first stop was the local Iranian markets selling all manner of household items both indoor and outdoor, then a huge wonderful fish market, an amazing array of fruit and vegetable stalls and the date market where we sampled every type of date imaginable, and there are more than you think! We then wandered outside and watched the Keralan fisherman tending their huge, wire crab pots on the harbourside.

After a refreshing mint tea stop, we took a high speed lift up to the 74th floor viewing area of the Etihad Towers which gives you the most stunning views right over the city and beyond, into the desert. After coming back down and enjoying a lovely buffet lunch of local foods, we went to the beautiful Sheikh Zayed Mosque, surely a highlight of any visit to the city. Made entirely of white marble inlaid with flowers of semi precious stones, mother of pearl and crystal, it is breathtakingly serene and beautiful.

Then it was a quick impromptu visit to Yas Island and a look round the marina and the Formula 1 racetrack (which you can use for running and cycling on every Tuesday) before a light supper, a shower and change of clothes ready for our late night return flight after a fascinating trip.

Outdoor Ramblings

‘The greatest adventure is what lies ahead’