Oman, a Mideast treasure no longer hidden

By Tony Wheeler, Lonely Planet
12:00 AM PDT, May 07, 2006

Oman may seem an unlikely candidate for Tourist Hot Spot of 2006 — Saudi Arabia and Yemen are its next-door neighbors. But Oman is a peaceful wonderland of dramatic gorges, sweeping deserts and hidden villages, dotted with fairy-tale forts and castles. Europeans have already discovered this Middle East jewel, and more visitors are bound to follow.

The sultan of savings

Oman remained hidden for so long because of its former ruler, Sultan Said ibn Taimur. The sultan was terrified that oil money would wreak havoc on his country's ancient culture, so he developed a simple way to handle the perils of progress: He wouldn't have any. The oil money poured in, but the sultan didn't spend it. In 1970, the whole country still had only two primary schools and no secondary schools. In all of Oman there were only five miles of real road.

The rising son

In July of that year, the sultan's only son, deciding that he had had enough of living in a rich backwater, engineered a palace coup. There was only one injury, and that was to the sultan when he shot himself in the foot. The son, now Sultan Kaboos ibn Said, packed Dad off to London to recover at the Grosvenor Hotel, and that's where he stayed for the rest of his life. Meanwhile, the new sultan started working to catch up with the rest of the world. Visa requirements have eased, helping stimulate tourism.

Topo tour

Hills run the length of the coast and fall dramatically into the sea. Until recently there was only a rough-and-ready road along the water, but that's changing rapidly. Wadi Shab is the prime diversion. A wadi is a gorge, likely to be dry unless there's been recent rain, but this one usually runs and has some beautiful waterholes as you walk farther inland. Renting a four-wheel drive vehicle is a good idea; it's easy to find yourself on rocky mountain tracks. Oman maps generally seem to be out of date, but it's no problem asking for directions. At night, the lack of city lights makes star-gazing some of the best you'll find.

To Sur, with love

Travelers heading east are probably on their way to Sur, site of Oman's biggest dhow yard. Visitors are welcome to wander in to see traditional Arab sailing dhows under construction using traditional methods, although many of the craftsmen seem to be from Kerala in India. At the eastern tip of the peninsula, endangered green turtles come ashore to lay their eggs at Ras al-Jinz.

Get your goats here

Looping back toward Muscat to the south of the hills, there are more wadi side trips to make before arriving at Nizwa, dominated by the enormous round tower of its impressive fort. The market below the fort is worth a wander, especially on Thursday mornings, when goats and other livestock are on sale.

Town turns around

Nizwa seems to have a bigger selection of hotels than anywhere outside Muscat, which is surprising. The town once had such a fiercely conservative Islamic reputation that intrepid English explorer Wilfred Thesiger didn't dare venture into it 50 years ago after his epic crossing of the massive Saudi Arabian deserts of the Rub al-Khali, also known as the Empty Quarter. Nizwa offers Oman's best silver market and is a center for craftsmen.

'Oman's Grand Canyon'

Nizwa makes a great base for two forays into the hills. At 10,086 feet, Jebel Shams is Oman's highest mountain, but it's Wadi Ghul, below the peak, that is the big attraction. It's been described as "Oman's Grand Canyon," and one peek over the edge will convince you there's some truth in the boast. Wadi Ghul gets nowhere near as many visitors as this country's Grand Canyon, and it's also got far fewer safety barriers. You'll discover a hotel close to the canyon's rim from which you can make a heart-quickening walk down into the canyon, ending up at the ancient, abandoned village of Sap Bani Khamis.

Four-wheel retreat

Another excursion from Nizwa, on a rugged road strictly for four-wheel-drive vehicles, leads you into Wadi Bani Awf, a valley of huge boulders and cool pools of water. It rests right across the top of the Hajar mountain range before dropping to the coastal plain, which separates the mountains from the sea to the west of Muscat. Balad Seet, a hillside village so well hidden you could imagine most of history has passed it by, is worth a detour.

Where to stay and eat

Muscat has a wide selection of hotels, including the expensive but beautiful Chedi Muscat (011-968-24-52-44-00, http://www.ghmhotels.com ), where rooms start at about $300. At the other end of the price scale, the clean and comfortable Naseem Hotel has doubles for $40, 011-968-71-2418. Outside of Muscat the choice is not wide, but the standards are usually quite acceptable. It's the same story with food: Muscat has familiar fast food and fine dining, but elsewhere in the country the choice may be very limited and sticking with simple dishes such as kebabs and rice is the best bet.

Getting there

From LAX, American, British, United and Virgin Atlantic offer connecting service (change of planes). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $1,583 until May 28, then increase to $1,930 until Aug. 31. Renting a car is a great way to explore Oman; the familiar international rental-car chains are backed up by a host of local operators. Oman maps generally seem to be out of date, but it's no problem asking for directions.