Holidays in Muscat

Muscat is a blend of ancient Arabic heritage and modernity. The capital of Oman offers beautiful cityscapes with ancient buildings, which are especially stunning at night, when all the forts and palaces light up. Muscat isn’t a very expensive destination and one can easily find budget hotels and affordable eateries. A few of the culinary delights that you should try are ‘Maqbous,’ a rice dish cooked with herbs over spicy red meat, or ‘Mashuai’, a generous portion of king fish and lemon-flavoured rice - both are specialities of Oman.

Planning Muscat holidays

Reaching Muscat is simple and can take as little as 9 hours on a direct flight from London Heathrow to Muscat. The best time to plan Muscat holidays would be between October and March, when the temperatures are relatively mild (between 15°C and 30°C). Maxi taxis and rent-a-car services are easily available to tour the city.

Must-sees in Muscat

Muscat holidays have something for everyone, from art to adventure. History lovers can visit the Al Jalali Fort and the Al Mirani Fort, which were built in 1580 to serve as prisons. While visitors are not allowed to enter these forts, one can take pictures from the outside. While at Muscat one must visit the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the world’s third largest mosque, which houses the world renowned Swarovski crystal chandelier and a large hand-made Persian carpet. In the region visitors can also watch camel racing at specially built racetracks.

Muscat's nature

The large coastline of Muscat makes for a perfect escape. Here travellers can go scuba diving, snorkelling or swimming. One can also watch turtles on the protected beaches from Ras Al Hadd to Masirah Island. Qurum National Park, with its waterfall, rose gardens and amusement park is a popular attraction among families. For an impressive day trip, the Wadi Shab, with its emerald green pools and mystic caves, are sure to leave travellers spellbound.