11 Days Highlights of Oman

About the destination: Muscat is the capital of Oman and the country's largest city. Muscat as a city has played a prominent historical role due to its strategic location. Perhaps what is striking about Muscat Governorate and its states is the breathtaking intermingling of ancient cultural heritage and modern style. You will see houses, gates, old markets, small shops, and winding roads redolent of authentic history, side by side with modern markets, shops, buildings, and streets stamped with modern architecture. This allows Oman to preserve its historic character, and at the same time enjoying its contemporary spirit. Muscat is renowned as one of the cleanest Arab capitals, and has gained the honor of winning the Cleanest Arab City Contest several consecutive times.

About the destination: Nizwa is the largest city in the Ad Dakhiliyah Region in Oman and was the capital of Oman proper. Nizwa is about 140 km (1.5 hours) from Muscat. The population is estimated at around 72,000 people including the two areas of Burkat Al Mooz and Al Jabel Al Akhdar. Nizwa is one of the oldest cities in Oman and it was once a center of trade, religion, education and art. Its Jama (grand mosque) was formerly a center for Islamic learning. Nizwa acquired its importance because it has been an important meeting point at the base of the Western Hajar Mountains. Set amid a verdant spread of date palms, it is strategically located at the crossroads of routes linking the interior with Muscat and the lower reaches of Dhofar thus serving as the link for a large part of the country. Today, Nizwa is a diverse prosperous place with numerous agricultural, historical and recreational aspects. Nizwa is a center for date growing and is the market place for the area.

About the destination: Wadi Bani Khalid is one of the best-known wadis in the Sultanate of Oman. Its stream maintains a constant flow of water throughout the year. Large pools of water and boulders are scattered along the course of the wadi. As a geographical area, the wadi covers a large swathe of lowland and the Hajar Mountains. Kuhūf form some of the features of this wadi. These include Kahf Maqal (كَـهْـف مَـقَـل), which was described as an "underground chamber" of the Sultanate of Oman, or the akthar (أَكْـثَـر, 'best') out of 4000 caves. Aflāj (underground canals) or ʿUyūn are also common in this wadi, including ʿAin Ḥamūdah ( عَـيْـن حَـمُـوْدَة), ʿAin aṣ-Ṣārūj (عَـيْـن الـصَّـارُوْج) and ʿAin Dawwah (عَـيْـن دَوَّه).

About the destination: The Sharqiya Sands is a region of desert in Oman, The region was named for the Bani Wahiba tribe. divided between the northern and southern governorates in the Eastern Region. The area is defined by a boundary of 180 kilometers (110 mi) north to south and 80 kilometers (50 mi) east to west, with an area of 12,500 square kilometers (4,800 sq mi). The desert has been of scientific interest since a 1986 expedition by the Royal Geographical Society documented the diversity of the terrain, the flora and fauna, noting 16,000 invertebrates as well as 200 species of other wildlife, including avifauna. They also documented 150 species of native flora.