I’ve been in Muscat Oman for over a day now and I find it to be a kind and peaceful country. It is conservative but it is less conservative than I initially thought it was. When I told people I was traveling to Oman I got many people saying “Where?”. Oman (Sultanate of Oman) is not one of those countries you hear talked about on the news. It’s been very calm and peaceful here since the 1970’s and is becoming a more popular tourist destination as of recent. Still in the USA it is not at the top of travelers lists but I believe it should be.
From the map you will see it is in a very tricky location, surrounded by countries that are not safe to travel to (besides UAE). Luckily Oman has a good relationship with all nearby countries. Their main export is oil but they also export fish. Tourism also ranks high in their economy.
The British and Portuguese were involved in this region at one time but for many centuries it has been an monarchy, ruled by a Sultan (passed down through male family lines). It wasn’t always referred to as a sultanate but earlier ruled by an Imam, not to be confused with the person who leads Muslim prayer.
To be fair I did not know this country either but met someone on another tour who had only good things to say about the country so it was put on my travel list. After things got easier after covid I made a plan to book a tour here. Now that I am here I would feel perfectly safe traveling on my own but I like the structure of the tour to organize visits to many different places for me in a short time frame.
In the morning of the first day of the tour the hotel has arranged a ride to the souq. My first instinct is to chill in my room until I meet with my tour group this evening but I force myself to go. I do want to buy at least one scarf. I have the same problem at this souq with no one giving me a moment to think. I have a moment of clarity and grab a cheap scarf so my shopping for the day is done. I walk around the Muscat waterfront while I wait and get a shawarma for lunch. There are others in my group in the van ride to the souq so I get to meet them early.
We meet with the entire group at 5pm and have introductions. Our guide Said tells us what the expect the upcoming week. We all go to dinner at the nearby Turkish restaurant and eat way too much food.
Tomorrow we have a day tour of Muscat.
Growing With Leala 
Glad to see your feeling better. Boy, what an amazing adventure. What a life!? I bet your scarf is beautiful and colorful, is it silk? Which companies do you use to setup your travel?
Enjoy the slice of paradise!
LikeLike
Most of my travels are planned myself by web researching and I few sites I like to refer to for tips. Some countries I use the tour company Intrepid to plan my trips for me. I do that in countries where it is more challenging to travel around on your own or if I want to relax for a week or two and not have to plan everything out myself. Also traveling with that company is a great way to meet people. People I meet on the tour are always a pleasure to be with.
LikeLike