Two days in Muscat

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Muscat

Started with a visit to the magnificent Grand Mosque. It’s quite new and has a stunning main prayer hall with massive chandelier, beautiful tiles and the world’s second largest Persian carpet that was also beautiful. The outside is vast, many shady courtyards and big lawns, a peaceful place.

Mutrahis the heart of the traditional area with its corniche that goes between the souq and Old Muscat. Had lunch at an old watchtower on the corniche, (later to discover that these are absolutely everywhere in Oman). Walked along the waterfront into Old Muscat, not at all lively, government buildings and a big palace. On the rocks that create the harbor for the palace there’s writing dating back centuries from ships visiting the harbour, clearly some British HMS … Apparently this is called the “Sultan’s Visitor’s Book”.

Hiked up into the hills behind the corniche. After a quick ascent there were great views down onto the park and out to sea. Blindly followed a pipeline up the mountain then down the other side, right until it met with a very high dam wall with no exit! Had to climb back up a big hill and follow the clearly sign posted route! It was worth retracing our steps, as the rest of the walk was lovely, past a deserted village at a spring and then following the stream for a while before climbing up and out and into the back streets behind the souq.

Drove out of Muscat along what on a map looked like a pretty coastal drive, it was pretty but not due to the sea views but rather because of the hills that you wind through between villages. Stopped first at Qantab, a small fishing village in a pretty bay. Watched some fishermen preparing their nets and enjoyed the very peaceful atmosphere in the small bay. Then Yitti, an even smaller village with a beautiful white sand beach and the foundations of what looked like an abandoned massive resort project. There’s a big wading and sea bird population at the inlet.



On again to Bandar Khagran. This was enjoyable because of the drive rather than the destination. More picturesque hills this time with a number of khors, or inlets. Stopped in one to admire the boats, the huts just above the tide mark and prettiness of it all. Another had a game of football going on, a bit of rain and the whole carefully leveled pitch would be gone. On the way back we diverted through Wadi Mayh which had even more impressive rock formations.

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