Blogs from Oman, Middle East - page 4

Sur ist eine beschauliche kleine Hafenstadt, die sich um eine halbmondförmige Bucht gruppiert, und war früher eine bedeutende Handelsstadt und zudem das Zentrum des Schiffsbaus im Oman. Dhaus, die einst ozeantauglichen omanischen Segel- und Handelsschiffe aus Holz werden heute hier allerdings leider nur noch vereinzelt auf besondere Nachfrage und zu touristischen Zwecken gebaut. Der kleine Hafen ist längst im Besitz kleiner motorisierter Ausflugs- und Fischerboote. Der ellenlange Sandstrand im Zentrum ist auch hier wieder zur Mittagszeit menschenleer, erst gegen Abend soll er sich wieder mit Joggern und Fußballspielern füllen. Außerdem entdecken wir eine Art Jahrmarktgelände mit Buden, Garküchen, einer Bühne und einem kleinen Vergnügungspark mit Hüpfburgen direkt am Wasser. Wir durchfahren von der Schnellstraße kommend einmal die gesa... read more

Waking up this morning (Saturday 4/2) I feel awful, streaming nose and a hacking cough. I’ve tested negative for Covid but I feel very self conscious coughing so much in an environment where people are so concerned with sickness. So the long and the short of it is I am going to spend today in our cabin enjoying the sun on the balcony and recovering from my cold. Unfortunately that means Ian will be writing for you today. You have been warned! I am temporarily leaving the Plague Ship Queen Mary 2 for the Impressions of Muscat tour. The first stop is the Grand Mosque. It is the fourth biggest mosque in the World and was finished in 2006. The Grand Mosque in Dubai was finished in 2008 and in the style so typical of the ... read more

Jabal Al Shams Grand Canyon - Oman https://www.heygo.com/ashraf Jabal Al Shams is a mountain located in northeastern Oman north of Al Hamra town. It is known as Jabal Shams because it is the first place to receive sunrise in Oman due to its high peak. It is the highest mountain of the Hajar range and the country. The mountain is a popular sightseeing area located 240 km (150 mi) from Muscat. Jabal Shams also hosts Al Nakhur Canyon so spectacular that it is labeled as the Grand Canyon of Arabia.... read more

Having made a booking last week, I turned up at the diving centre at 8am as instructed, to an air of organised chaos. I chatted to a couple of French people who were also planning to dive but had never dived before. So my five year lapse since my 32nd dive (according to my PADI records - I struggle to recall half of those), put me in the category of semi-pro by comparison. I was instructed by one of the staff to pick out my kit, which I set about doing. Ever increasing numbers of people showed up, including A couple who had been at Wahibi Sands for NYE as well (they also thought it was a bit crap), and we were divided into the diving camp and the snorkelling camp. All in all there were ... read more

I set off along the coast from the rocky headland where my hotel was located at the leisurely time of 9am. The nice smooth road with very light traffic hugged the azure Arabian Sea for several kilometres so I watched as the fishing boats laboured out through the chop. After a while the road veered inland and that was the last I saw of the sea for a couple of hours. So much for my coastal ride! The scenery reverted to the fail safe option in Oman - variations on the arid and rocky theme. I passed through dry rocky gorges, descended onto arid boulder strewn planes, wound my way through landscapes akin to deserted quarries or recent commandeered building sites. On the map a forest a was identified, so I had been looking forward to ... read more