There are many attractions in Muscat that could be listed one by one with a variety of distinguishing features. Yes, Muscat, a fantastic place I have ever been earlier which lies in Oman far towards the Middle East. Muscat is the capital and largest city in Omen that offers brilliant varieties of attractions to the tourists who throng here from all over the world. The name Muscat is resulted from a term which means safe anchorage and is an appropriate description of the city’s protected harbours. The harbours are enclosed by jagged mountains and are witnessed by the 17th century forts.
It is a real Arabia that has never buried its head into the sands and also never unnerved its heritage in the rush of modernization. As Oman is the second largest country in Arabia it also grabs most of the tourists’ attention from all over the world. The sea is at the heart of Muscat that laps around the city’s two harbours and also shapes the history of Oman. Cruise ships dock at Mutrah Harbour which is again enclosed by a striking crescent of merchant houses with overhanging balconies. The harbour of Old Muscat lies at a short distance along the coast and protects the Sultan’s Palace.
Muscat has a principle airport which is called as the Muscat International Airport lies at a distance of 25 kilometres from the city’s business district of Ruwi. The overall population in Oman is 3.3 million and enjoys Sultanate government since 1744. The official language here is Arabic but still English is widely spoken. Most of the religion here is Muslim along with the Shiite Muslim, Sunni Muslim and facilities for the worship of other religions are also been provided. Few of the major highlights where I’ve visited are the Mutrah Souk, Mutrah Corniche, Bait al-Baranda and Beyt az-Zubair.
With my friends, we drive down to Muscat and explored many attractive sites. The Hajar Mountains in the way is a striking beauty. We went from Dubai to Muscat and then to Jabel Shams which is the highest mountain in the glorious Hajar Mountain range. What we experienced in Muscat is that it is a mixture of old and new world. We stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel that offered us fascinating views of the sea and also the views of Hajar Mountains which was brilliant. An interesting hotel to visit or even to stay is the Al Bustan Palace Intercontinental which is an excellent palace in Muscat. It is an Arabian Palace that has unique architecture and also mosque like lobby.
We also enjoyed experiencing the deserted Persian village of Ghul. It offers magnificent views of ruins that are packed between the irrigated farm land underneath and the uncovered mountains towards the back. Our trip was really great as these ruins were actually telling stories of the ancient civilization who lived there. We also tried trekking but were almost impossible on the bare mountains. From Muscat we traveled for 200 kilometres and visited Nizwa where we experienced another ruins of Ghul. The Nizwa fort is one of the major attractions in Ghul.
When we are in Muscat how we could refuse to try the food of this well-known travel destination. So we tried the Arabian food and also its coffee. Coffee shops are the centre of Omani social life. So you should take a sip of Turkish Qahwa and mint tea here. We went to Muscat during the month of September and from then to early April is the best time to visit this fantastic place as the climate remains little pleasant. Muscat enjoys intensely hot and humid climate especially during the months of May to September. So it is better if you avoid visiting during this time. In the month of December you will get little clouds wandering at the sky.
Truly, we got surprised from the hospitality of Omani people in a town which is named as Saham. We was actually asking for the route to return back to Dubai but a man called us to his home, offered us tea and soon his family members came out to share few words with us. Well, the language was a little barrier but we managed it from both sides and from this we both the parties have been so much happy to interact. They also offered us meals that were very delicious. This hospitality made our journey the best and we all will remember this amazing trip to Muscat where we explored many breathtaking sights and when it comes about traveling by cruise Muscat offers amazing beauties at the surroundings.