Golden Tulip Nizwa

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... Lots of shops with leather and jewelery and fabrics. It was quite lovely and we didn't get hassled by too many different vendors. Once you said that you weren't interested they basically left you alone. The city was absolutely clean and there are fines if you drop any rubbish. Such a contrast to Cairo. The locals were very friendly and a lot of them spoke English, which always helps. The port is surrounded by rugged hills with no ...

... cove. Freya and Daddy went snorkelling, while Callan pretended he was cruising in Monaco, smiling at the imaginary ladies and waving to the landlubbers (also imaginary).


Natalie seems to have found her spiritual home, diving off the boat, floating in the warm water, then walking along a deserted beach.


We had a brief heart stopping moment when the main ...

Day trip to Wadi Bani Awf With temperatures rising and day trips to the beach becoming more of an ordeal, the best place to go for a day out is up into the mountains. With temperatures up to 20°C cooler than at sea level it makes a pleasant change and gives relief from the summer without having to rely on the ubiquitous aircon. So a day out was planned. We'd not worry about setting out at silly o'clock, because the route chosen would only take a couple of hours to the top ...

... T left. I asked him if he thought there'd be room and he replied "Of course of course!!" WE got up to the bus where everyone was milling about and I scored a seat. :-D OFF we went... after about 45 minutes of travel the bus pulled over at a gas station and filled up, we were told then that some people had missed the bus and were being brought to us. *Ut oh* So Two girls arrived and luckily there were just TWO seats left. Meaning I didn't have to sit in the aisle as I'd been ...

... the road signs and lanes,  don't honk at every thing and know how to drive around the circles.  The other thing that amazed me was all the green I saw-trees, grass, and flowers along with clean streets. I definitely knew I wasn't in Amman right now! There was a brief side road drive to see some ruins that looked interesting.  It took us about 2 hours to get there only to find it closed.  So, not to be deterred, Anita and I took a turn thinking it would get us ...

This is the weekend in Muscat. Spent time yesterday on the Souq (city market) shopping for lots of jeweleries and visited Qantab beach in an extraordinary scenery surrounded by mountains. This beach and another one we visited (Magan beach, an area where lots of European expatriates are located) are impressive due to its brilliantly clear and blueish waters. Swimming in public beached is here not easy ...

... than Al Ain's; it was a Thursday morning, and this was the last Thursday before Eid. (Picture a Safeway turkey department the last weekend before Christmas for a comparison.) There were scads of trucks in the parking lot, many holding sheep, cows and goats with a very limited lifespan, but the bulk of the activity took place in the souk proper. A large circle formed, lined on both sides with dozens of men, as sellers paraded animals (mostly ...

... fort. Some of the original walls can still be seen. The main fort structure was built in the 17th century to fend off the Portuguese. The whole place was very clean and it had obviously been recently restored. Oman has made a push to restore and enhance cultural landmarks throughout the country for the past few decades. We checked out the different rooms and views from the tops of the many towers. Most of the rooms ...

... tourism - splunking, hiking, rock climbing, water sports (someone told me there is good surfing/wind surfing, but not on the beach I was on - the waves were maybe enough for body surfing), etc. Seemed like even the small towns had at least 1 motel, but it is also an easy place to camp. I guess since the Sultan loves camping, he's made it easy for campers. Supposedly you can camp on the beach, in the mountains, in the desert...Since I only took day trips, I only saw ...