Planning for your next getaway might always come as a whole list of doubts! Oman is here to rescue you from such doubts and get you packing with bags full of excitement to your next getaway destination! Lying on the south-eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, Oman is one of the sultanates in the Middle East. It shares its borders with United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. It also shares it borderline with Iran and Pakistan. Here’s what you’d want to know about Oman!

Oman is one of the oldest independent states in the Arab world. It was one of the nations which had completely closed all of its doors to the visitors. However, this lasted only until the year 1970 after which Sultan Qaboos bin Said had ostracized the previous sultan. People who live in Oman are really known to be friendly in nature and are also very welcoming to their tourists. It has also been observed that tourists who visit Oman are now starting to respect the culture and views of Omani people. With a highly evolving rate of education, hospitals and good government, Omanis take pride in their nation. Having past experience of an introverted nation, this type of advancement was one of the things that fascinated the tourists a lot.

HISTORY OF OMAN

With a history dating back to the 17th century, Oman is one of the nations which were eyed by the United Kingdom due to its topological wonders. It was also considered back then that Oman was sure one of the most famous trading centres among the world’s best. This had attracted a lot of other nation’s interest in Oman being a principal trade hub. According to the history, for about 300 years the United Kingdom and Oman had a mutual relationship between them which was used to gain benefits. Sultan Qaboos bin Said was the leader of Oman from 1970 to 2020. He passed away and followed by which his cousin, Haitham bin Tariq ascended the throne as the new ruler of Oman. It was around the 7th century that Omanis had come in contact with Islam as a religion. The Omanis had readily accepted and embraced the religion, followed by which the conversion of Omanis to Muslims took place.

The following cities are a part of Oman

1. Muscat: One of the largest city and the capital of Oman

2. Bahla: UNESCO World Heritage Site is located in this town

3. Buraimi: houses the border between United Arab Emirate via Al Ain

4. Ibra: you can enter the Wahiba Sands through this city

5. Matrah: a historic city which lies adjacent to Muscat

6. Nizwa: famous for its forts in Oman

7. Salalah: a tropical town to visit during the time of Kareef

8. Sohar: known as the legendary homes of Sindbad

9. Sur: a town where the making of dhows is done by hands

The cities together constitute the sultanate of Oman.

CLIMATE

Like most of the Arab countries, Oman is another place with the hottest and driest weathers ever. But one can sure spot a difference in the climate even in the various parts of Oman as one travels through the country. The rainfall in these regions is not the ones that you can see in your monsoon season. The rainfall here is normally accompanied by heavy thunderstorms, which makes it very dangerous during the monsoon season. It has also been observed that the mountains in this region have snowfall which might last only for a short period of time. The seawater temperature is always high due to the extreme weather conditions. The Dhofar region has also witnessed some of the rainfall however the climate here is much more pleasing and welcoming. During summer the temperatures can go up to 40 degree Celsius. However, it is seen that in the Omani desert the temperature has been noted to be above 50 degree Celsius.

This now raises the question as to which time is considered to be the best for visiting Oman. It is considered that visiting Oman is the best from the month of October to the month of March. These are the months when Oman faces its winter season and the weather here is the most pleasant around this time of the year. However, you definitely do not want to be caught up in the scorching heat of Oman! Hence, considering going to Oman in the months of June to September is definitely not an option. This is the time when summer arrives in Oman and that is probably the worst of the climates that you’d face here.

Now, the next question that arises in your mind would be about taking a Oman visa for a visit to Oman. The Oman visa requirements can be given as follows:

1. The citizen of Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates do not require a visa to enter Oman while they can use their national ID cards for the entry purpose.

2. Members of New Zealand are eligible for a visa on arrival which will be valid for 3 months and which can be extended further for a certain amount of fee.

3. The citizens of European Union, Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Brunei, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Hong Kong, Ecuador, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Seychelles, South Korea, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Vatican City, Venezuela, Iceland, Macau, Malaysia, Moldova, Norway, San Marino, United States, Uruguay and turkey are eligible for a visa on arrival which will be valid for 30 days after which it can be extended by payment of a fee.

4. The citizens of the above-mentioned countries can apply for a visa online which will cost OMR 20 and it is also to be noted that the passport must be valid for more than 6 months from the date of arrival.

5. People entering Oman from UAE via Ras Al Khaymah are expected to pay the visa-on-arrival fee which is OMR 5. It is to be noted that this visa will be valid only for a week.

6. You can extend your Oman visa by submitting your passport to the Royal Omani Police in Muscat. You can also do this by heading over to the departure hall at Muscat International Airport.

Now that you have full information about the visa, the next thing that arises in your mind is how to get there? You can get to Oman in several ways, here’s some that will help you decide your route to Oman!

1. By Plane: almost all of the flights land in the Muscat International Airport which is located in Muscat. While there are also some of the regional airports such as one in Salalah, however, it can get difficult to get a visa-on-arrival at Salalah as the airport is really small.

2. By boat: you can use the ferry services to Oman which provides a high-speed and first-class service to the passengers. These are available from any of the National Ferry to Oman.

3. By car: United Arab Emirates have a lot of borders which are shared by Oman and hence going by car is pretty much of an option if you live in UAE or if you’ve arrived at UAE and wish to go to Oman. Though you have to pay a fee at the border-crossing, the roads to Oman are pretty much good and it will surely make your trip memorable.

4. By bus: buses are pretty common from Dubai to Muscat and vice versa. There are private as well as state-owned buses that shuttle between Oman and UAE. This ride usually takes about 4 to 5 hours and is quite comfortable for the passengers. The border crossing will, however, have a strict checking of luggage to find out any foreign substances.

Some of the points you’d want to remember while packing your bags to leave for Oman:

1. Firearms, narcotics and pornographic publications are banned in Oman and hence refrain from bringing these while going to Oman.

2. Alcohol is permitted to bring into Oman only via Seeb International Airport. However, this is valid only for Non-Muslims.

3. You are not allowed to bring alcohol with you while crossing the border of Oman.

Now that visa is ready, your route is ready and the destinations have been planned, why wait? Get your bag on your shoulders and get ready for some adventure-filled getaway to Oman!