Muscat, the capital of Oman, is a perfect blend of old and new. The city enjoys a dramatic setting with mountains on one side and the Indian Ocean (Arabian Sea) on the other.

Ensure your clients do a city tour and take in some of Muscat’s highlights. Start with the stunning Grand Mosque in the early hours. Take a trip to the old port area, the site of the Sultan’s palace and the two forts, Jalali and Mirani. Visit one of the many museums, choose from The Oman Museum, The Natural History Museum, Bait Al Zubair, Bait Al Baranda, The Sultan’s Armed Forces Museum, The National Museum in Ruwi and be sure to sample some local cuisine at one of the many local café’s.

End a city tour late afternoon at the bustling Muttrah souk, visitors can find everything from spices to houseware, fabrics, toys, antiques, gold and silver.

Muscat can cater to both the adventure enthusiast and those seeking rest and relaxation. The city’s long coastline and temperate waters are ideal for almost every type of water sport, and beyond Muscat visitors will find a playground of landscape ideal for the adventurous thrill seeker…

From the vast plains of the Wahiba Sands desert, ideal for a desert adventure and just a couple of hours from Muscat to the majestic Hajar mountains, Oman has a wealth of diverse terrain for the more adventurous…

As a destination for rock-climbers, Oman is unmatched in the region for its appeal and many outdoor activities take place around the mountain ranges. More than 160 climbs have been pioneered, and graded from easy to extremely difficult. Jebel Ghul in the Al Dakhiliyah region towers 300 metres and offers Alpine-style climbing at its best.  The mountains provide excellent conditions for trekking. Trips to Jebel Akhdar and Jebel Shams in Nizwa can be arranged easily through local tour operators. The Eastern Hajar Mountains enable you to combine trekking in the mountains and camping on the beaches. In addition to enjoyable trekking, these spots provide breathtaking views of surrounding areas.  Jebel Shams, or “mountain of the sun”, is the highest point in Oman at over 3,000 metres. The trek to the Wadi Nakhr Gorge, also known as the Grand Canyon of Oman, is an unforgettable experience.

Another popular activity in Oman, and one indigenous to the region, is “wadi-bashing”. Wadis are dry riverbeds that run through the mountains to form a narrow valley that can often be negotiated in a four-wheel-drive vehicle to discover lush greenery, sparkling pools and waterfalls.

In the Dhofar region discover the Frankincense Trail, explore the lush green valleys or dip in to the warm Indian Ocean for stunning off-shore diving.

The Musandam peninsula, with its stunning fjordlands, often referred to as the “Fjords of Arabia” lends itself to world class diving and is ideal for dhow cruises and canoeing on the pristine waters, on land good hiking routes are available in and around the peninsula.

Lighter options such as snorkelling, sailing, a dolphin and whale watching trip, sunset cruises, kite surfing, or even a round of golf at the new Muscat Hills are all easily organised by a local tour company.

A trip to Oman would not be complete without divulging into the country’s 6000 years of civilisation, the country's landscape is punctuated by over 500 hilltop forts and castles, monuments to a turbulent and fascinating past.

On the cultural side, Oman’s rich cultural heritage yields a number of ancient sites, many of which have now been granted protected status by UNESCO and are listed as World Heritage Sites. These include the Bahla Fort, the archaeological sites of Bat tombs dating back 3,000 years, the falaj system (irrigation system) and the Frankincense Trail in Dhofar.

Spend a day trip or overnight visiting Nizwa, the old capital, a two-hour drive from Muscat and witness the bustle of the Nizwa Souk famed for its silver crafts, antiques, pottery and traditional wooden chests that are hand carved with brass fittings and studs. A souk with a difference is the open-air livestock market where cows, goats and sheep are offered for inspection and sale. Niwa is also home to the stunning Nizwa fort and mosque.

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