Perfect Weekend Getaway: Things To Do In Oman

by Sofia Brontvein

Perfect Weekend Getaway: Things To Do In Oman

14 May 2024

If you live in the UAE, Oman is your ideal weekend getaway destination. So, here are some useful travel tips.

How to get there

Several flights operate daily from Dubai to Oman, and we recommend Oman Air. The flight time is just 40 minutes, with tickets costing around 700 dirhams round trip.

If you enjoy road trips, driving is also a great option. Depending on the Emirate you are departing from, you can reach Oman in 3–5 hours via a scenic route, enjoying views of the mountains and desert.

Where to stay

Oman boasts two popular resorts — Salalah and Muscat (where Muscat International Airport is located). Muscat offers stunning mountains along the entire coastline, perfect for hiking with frequent stops to take pictures of mountain goats. Among the hotels, we recommend Jumeirah Muscat Bay, which opened just a year ago. Prices are around 1000 dirhams per night.

Source: jumeirah.com

In Salalah, you can enjoy lush green jungles. If you miss trees and gardens while gazing at the skyscrapers of Dubai or Abu Dhabi, Salalah is the place to be. One of the best hotels in this area is Alila Hinu Bay Salalah Mirbat, with prices of around 900 dirhams per night.

Source: alilahotels.com

Things to do

Oman is a place to unwind from the hustle and bustle of city life and business routines that engulf us in the UAE. Here, you can spend hours enjoying nature or sipping cocktails in a cool pool after a spa ritual.

Oman is famous for snorkelling, where you can encounter turtles, dolphins, stingrays, tiny sharks, and countless beautiful fish in local waters. Renting a boat or yacht at dawn is ideal for immersing yourself in the tranquillity of the sea.

In Salalah, you can explore archaeological excavations, banana and coconut plantations, traditional villages, or mountains where you can witness waterfalls. Boswellia sacra trees, from which frankincense is made and can be bought at the local market, grow in Oman.

Photo: Tanja Cotoaga

In Muscat, you can go hiking in the mountains and visit Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the colourful old Muttrah Souq, Al Alam Palace, and Al Jalali Fort. Muscat is considered more modern and dynamic than Salalah, though the pace of life here is certainly different from Dubai. When you leave the UAE for Oman, it feels like you have arrived at your country house.

Oman has almost no nightlife, and beverages are only served in hotel restaurants and bars, so if your primary interest is gastronomic hedonism, we recommend exploring all the venues within your hotel's premises.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. Photo: Mr MaroX

Souvenir Idea

Shopping is an activity practically absent in Oman. Premium brands are not represented here, so at most, you can stroll through local markets to choose a fragrance (by the way, the globally renowned brand Amouage originates from Oman, although the perfumes are now produced in France) or frankincense.

But if you prefer unconventional souvenirs, buy a silver coin called "thaler" with a portrait of Maria Theresa. The word "dollar" originated from this ancient currency. Zanzibar, which was once a territory of Oman, paid tribute to the Sultanate with such coins.

by Sofia Brontvein