Finally I am writing about my travelling experience again! I have been away for the past 1 year before finally pushing my fingers back to my lapie again writing what I feel I need to write about. For the past one year I have collected enough excuses not to write any of my travelling experience: tight schedule, not enough information to write about, not enough reader to keep me motivated and more I can always find excuses. But this time it is going to be different because I am sure I have got all my doubt ticked.
Okay, back on track. This time, lets go heading to Oman!!!
So, why Oman? First, it is 2 hours from Qatar. Second, it is free from any blockade, and third, it is the best natural place in the whole Arabia country (also popular to be known as Jewel of Arabia). Most important things, it is visa on arrival for GCC (Middle East) residents or Indonesian passport holder!!
There are also 9 flights per day with Qatar Airways excluding Oman or Salam Air, so no worries about missing the flight.
Disclaimer: before further reading about the tips, these information will be base on my personal experience. It might not be the best choice or option, but feel free to comment and share some better information.
So first day today in the bright Muscat day, Oman; touched down in Muscat International Airport and straight away headed to the visa on arrival counter. Airport isn't too big so don't worry you won't have a chance to get lost. You will be charged 5 Omani Riyal for visa on arrival and 1 OMR processing fee which basically is around 50 and 10 Qatari Riyal (60 Qatari Riyal in total or around 15 USD).
Arrival in Muscat International Airport
To connect to the airport wifi, you'll need to find information desk to get the username and password. Even though it might be complicated in getting the airport wifi, it is worth it for the sake of booking taxi through online from an apps called Otaxi or Marhaba (second option). It is highly not recommended to take the taxi from airport since the price is insane, it could reach 5x more expensive! Alternatively, buy a local sim card if you don't have international sim card.
Another option, it is good to rent a car (I recommend Avis) from the airport since transport is pretty costly in Oman and renting a car is one hell of a good choice if you are planning to visit many places and love driving. The price vary but roughly around 300 Qatari Riyal per day which is around 100 USD excluding fuel and driver.
Exchanging money from the counter in airport from Travelex could be pretty pricey since there is additional 4.5 Omani Riyal ( 45 Riyal or 15 USD) in total extra cost including processing and comission fee even though the rate is competitive. Great way will be exchanging money all together in a group with only 1 bill (since the fee seems to be fixed price per bill) if you are coming in a group since you would be able to split the fees.
First day arrived, me and my friend headed to the Al Madinah Holiday Hotel to check in. It's pretty much close to the airport around 15 minutes drive and half an hour to downtown. Guess what, at the beginning we were about to take the airport taxi which agree to charge us 10 OMR (100 QRiyal or 30 USD). From the OTaxi apps we could get as low as 2.5 OMR but it is hard to get that taxi in the airport as it is banned in airport. But we manage to get a taxi through Marhaba apps which cost us 5 OMR but we need to wait for the taxi in departure area instead of arrival. So it is highly recommended to have internet in your phone to book taxi in Oman or simply for maps navigation if you prefer driving.
The road and scenery in Oman amazed me! It is basically just like in Qatar but with mountain view and not so much green as in Indonesia. Something exciting to see I can tell...
After checking in, we went to downtown in Mutrah where you can find Souq (local market) and corniche (coast area) where you can relax and sightseeing. There are also some museums, overlooking Mutrah fort (which I personally think it is worth visiting) and opera house nearby to visit at that place. We didn't get the chance to visit that area though but we really enjoy corniche so much due to amazing scenery there. We had dinner, had great time and headed back to hotel to rest.
Also, I tried to look for hotel nearby downtown but couldn't find anything worth the money. I decided to book the hotel near airport which pretty much cost the same in downtown but more worth it. It cost around 150 riyal which is around 17 Omani riyal (40 USD) per night! That is the cheapest and fanciest we could get with that amount worth spending. The hotel we stayed used to be Holiday Inn but older version.
Our hotel room in Al Madinah Holiday Hotel
View from the room
Second day, we decided to book a day tour to outskirt to the mountain area. It was amazeball! It was definitely the highlight of the trip! We went to Wadi Shab and I personally have never seen such scenery and it is worth all the hikes, sweats and every pain in between (well it was an easy hike to be honest). The landscape is something that I think just like in Indiana Jones movie set with little bit of desert, palm trees, river (the meaning of : wadi). But most importantly, thanks to the great weather, we could enjoy the beauty and the place so much.
The time we arrived there (holiday season which are few days before new year) it was full of crowd which makes me feel believe this a place worth spending. There are basically three pathway of the hikes, easy, medium and hard. The easy road definitely takes more time (50 minutes) but its absolutely the best choice for us, the beginner. In that easy path, it is divided into 3 stages, yellowish hard flat sand, slightly slippery rocky climbing stage and climbing stage. All of the stages are basically rocky but to compare with Indonesia hiking path, I think this is easy since the climb in Indonesia generally takes longer than 1 hour and always slippery since the humidity is higher. Before we go for hiking, we will need to take a 2-minutes boat riding to cross the river. I have no idea why they prefer to use boat instead of building a nice bridge for us to cross the river.
This is the view from the 2-minutes boat riding I told you
My friend was expecting me to click a shot of her posing, I was being nice so I did
On the way climbing in Wadi Shab
After the climb, you will arrive in the main river where everybody spend time rewarding themselves after the heat of hiking by swimming there. There river is crystal clear and you could swim into the cave where you can find natural waterfall inside. It could be amazing but me and my friend decided not to swim there due to personal issue. I would definitely love to try swimming there one day. Just don't forget to bring the floater if you need one. Also, there is no washroom or any place to change when you reach the main river. The only chance to get yourself is to go back to the area before the boat where all the cars are park to use the washroom there (place you first arrive with the tour).
View of the main river where everybody is about to swim to reach the waterfall inside the cave
Meanwhile I was sitting admiring the incredible view
After that we had a nice late local lunch (taste just normal) nearby that area before heading to the main sink hole where I find it the most interesting. There is not much activity to be done there, however I find it very unique and I think I could hardly find this kind of natural pool anywhere around the world. So my recommendation is that, this place is a must-visit place when you are in Muscat. Also, it is actually on the way going to Wadi Shab.
For this free late lunch, Wadi Shab, and Bimmah Sink Hole tour, I spend 33 OMR which is around 330 Qatari Riyal! or 100 USD per person. It is definitely not the cheapest option, but since we are only two of us and one additional guy joining the tour and we are definitely not the best driver who prefer to rent a car, we are good with sticking up with the tour.
My advice is that, go in a group of 5 out of which at least one is a good driver (with license) or a group of four so you can share the price for the tour and will cost you cheaper.
Overall, if you are in Muscat, Wadi Shab and Bimmah Sinkhole are two places that you shouldn't miss for sure. I personally think it is so worth it to be in Muscat and to go there. I wouldn't have felt like be in Oman if I haven't visited those places.
Another thing, we passed by the most popular mosque in Muscat during sunset on the first day which is known to be Sultan Qaboos and it was stunning!!! I personally think that the Omani really put a lot of effort and color for the mosque there not only to this mosque but also to many other mosque.
If you have more time and you are a mall kind of person, I recommend you to visit Oman Avenue Mall since it is one of the biggest mall (which means you can almost find anything you need) in Oman completed with Lulu Hypermarket (famous supermarket in Middle East) next to it.
In general, our overall spending in Muscat, Oman for this 3-days trip is around 1000 Qatari Riyal person (including ID 90s tickets, hotel, day tour, visa on arrival, taxi, internet package, food, and anything else I couldn't remember). Again, it could be less if you are in bigger group to travel around together.
Overall, it was a great experience to spend my days off at. Definitely recommended and worth going for whoever love outdoor activities because the scenery just blew your mind away. Besides the weather is just perfect! Best time to go is definitely winter season since the temperature is only around 17 to 25 degree celcius from October until March. Also, there is no high rise building in Muscat (I didn't see any), so don't expect to find exciting city life here.
Something unexpected and unforgettable: the sandwich in the local 'coffee shop' as the title of the shop is just coffee shop is so goddamn good!! I think I could never find had this kind of sandwich in Qatar. The price of 1 whole box of sandwich is just 1.2 and karak coffee is 0.4 OMR which will be around 16 Qatari Riyal in total (5 USD). I couldn't even finish the whole box of sandwich for breakfast and did share it with some of other group members. We found that local coffee shop on the second day morning when we were on our way going to Wadi Shab to equip ourselves before the adventure began. The karak cofee (coffee with cardamom) also surprisingly taste super good since it is not too sweet. I wonder if all the local street coffee shops in Muscat has the very best sandwich and coffee like that. The unexpected happiness is always the best!
Okay, back on track. This time, lets go heading to Oman!!!
So, why Oman? First, it is 2 hours from Qatar. Second, it is free from any blockade, and third, it is the best natural place in the whole Arabia country (also popular to be known as Jewel of Arabia). Most important things, it is visa on arrival for GCC (Middle East) residents or Indonesian passport holder!!
There are also 9 flights per day with Qatar Airways excluding Oman or Salam Air, so no worries about missing the flight.
Disclaimer: before further reading about the tips, these information will be base on my personal experience. It might not be the best choice or option, but feel free to comment and share some better information.
So first day today in the bright Muscat day, Oman; touched down in Muscat International Airport and straight away headed to the visa on arrival counter. Airport isn't too big so don't worry you won't have a chance to get lost. You will be charged 5 Omani Riyal for visa on arrival and 1 OMR processing fee which basically is around 50 and 10 Qatari Riyal (60 Qatari Riyal in total or around 15 USD).
Arrival in Muscat International Airport
To connect to the airport wifi, you'll need to find information desk to get the username and password. Even though it might be complicated in getting the airport wifi, it is worth it for the sake of booking taxi through online from an apps called Otaxi or Marhaba (second option). It is highly not recommended to take the taxi from airport since the price is insane, it could reach 5x more expensive! Alternatively, buy a local sim card if you don't have international sim card.
Another option, it is good to rent a car (I recommend Avis) from the airport since transport is pretty costly in Oman and renting a car is one hell of a good choice if you are planning to visit many places and love driving. The price vary but roughly around 300 Qatari Riyal per day which is around 100 USD excluding fuel and driver.
Exchanging money from the counter in airport from Travelex could be pretty pricey since there is additional 4.5 Omani Riyal ( 45 Riyal or 15 USD) in total extra cost including processing and comission fee even though the rate is competitive. Great way will be exchanging money all together in a group with only 1 bill (since the fee seems to be fixed price per bill) if you are coming in a group since you would be able to split the fees.
First day arrived, me and my friend headed to the Al Madinah Holiday Hotel to check in. It's pretty much close to the airport around 15 minutes drive and half an hour to downtown. Guess what, at the beginning we were about to take the airport taxi which agree to charge us 10 OMR (100 QRiyal or 30 USD). From the OTaxi apps we could get as low as 2.5 OMR but it is hard to get that taxi in the airport as it is banned in airport. But we manage to get a taxi through Marhaba apps which cost us 5 OMR but we need to wait for the taxi in departure area instead of arrival. So it is highly recommended to have internet in your phone to book taxi in Oman or simply for maps navigation if you prefer driving.
The road and scenery in Oman amazed me! It is basically just like in Qatar but with mountain view and not so much green as in Indonesia. Something exciting to see I can tell...
Scenery on the road going to Mutrah Souq from the hotel the first day
After checking in, we went to downtown in Mutrah where you can find Souq (local market) and corniche (coast area) where you can relax and sightseeing. There are also some museums, overlooking Mutrah fort (which I personally think it is worth visiting) and opera house nearby to visit at that place. We didn't get the chance to visit that area though but we really enjoy corniche so much due to amazing scenery there. We had dinner, had great time and headed back to hotel to rest.
Some of the very mesmerizing view in Mutrah, Muscat
Our Dinner in Mutrah
Souq View
Also, I tried to look for hotel nearby downtown but couldn't find anything worth the money. I decided to book the hotel near airport which pretty much cost the same in downtown but more worth it. It cost around 150 riyal which is around 17 Omani riyal (40 USD) per night! That is the cheapest and fanciest we could get with that amount worth spending. The hotel we stayed used to be Holiday Inn but older version.
Our hotel room in Al Madinah Holiday Hotel
Second day, we decided to book a day tour to outskirt to the mountain area. It was amazeball! It was definitely the highlight of the trip! We went to Wadi Shab and I personally have never seen such scenery and it is worth all the hikes, sweats and every pain in between (well it was an easy hike to be honest). The landscape is something that I think just like in Indiana Jones movie set with little bit of desert, palm trees, river (the meaning of : wadi). But most importantly, thanks to the great weather, we could enjoy the beauty and the place so much.
Arrived in Wadi Shab greeted by mountain goats
This is the view from the 2-minutes boat riding I told you
'
My friend was expecting me to click a shot of her posing, I was being nice so I did
Never ending admiration of mother nature, incredible!
After the climb, you will arrive in the main river where everybody spend time rewarding themselves after the heat of hiking by swimming there. There river is crystal clear and you could swim into the cave where you can find natural waterfall inside. It could be amazing but me and my friend decided not to swim there due to personal issue. I would definitely love to try swimming there one day. Just don't forget to bring the floater if you need one. Also, there is no washroom or any place to change when you reach the main river. The only chance to get yourself is to go back to the area before the boat where all the cars are park to use the washroom there (place you first arrive with the tour).
View of the main river where everybody is about to swim to reach the waterfall inside the cave
Meanwhile I was sitting admiring the incredible view
After that we had a nice late local lunch (taste just normal) nearby that area before heading to the main sink hole where I find it the most interesting. There is not much activity to be done there, however I find it very unique and I think I could hardly find this kind of natural pool anywhere around the world. So my recommendation is that, this place is a must-visit place when you are in Muscat. Also, it is actually on the way going to Wadi Shab.
Late Lunch: Grilled fish with Briyani Rice
Natural-made pool a.k.a Bimmah Sinkhole
For this free late lunch, Wadi Shab, and Bimmah Sink Hole tour, I spend 33 OMR which is around 330 Qatari Riyal! or 100 USD per person. It is definitely not the cheapest option, but since we are only two of us and one additional guy joining the tour and we are definitely not the best driver who prefer to rent a car, we are good with sticking up with the tour.
My advice is that, go in a group of 5 out of which at least one is a good driver (with license) or a group of four so you can share the price for the tour and will cost you cheaper.
Overall, if you are in Muscat, Wadi Shab and Bimmah Sinkhole are two places that you shouldn't miss for sure. I personally think it is so worth it to be in Muscat and to go there. I wouldn't have felt like be in Oman if I haven't visited those places.
Another thing, we passed by the most popular mosque in Muscat during sunset on the first day which is known to be Sultan Qaboos and it was stunning!!! I personally think that the Omani really put a lot of effort and color for the mosque there not only to this mosque but also to many other mosque.
In general, our overall spending in Muscat, Oman for this 3-days trip is around 1000 Qatari Riyal person (including ID 90s tickets, hotel, day tour, visa on arrival, taxi, internet package, food, and anything else I couldn't remember). Again, it could be less if you are in bigger group to travel around together.
Overall, it was a great experience to spend my days off at. Definitely recommended and worth going for whoever love outdoor activities because the scenery just blew your mind away. Besides the weather is just perfect! Best time to go is definitely winter season since the temperature is only around 17 to 25 degree celcius from October until March. Also, there is no high rise building in Muscat (I didn't see any), so don't expect to find exciting city life here.
Something unexpected and unforgettable: the sandwich in the local 'coffee shop' as the title of the shop is just coffee shop is so goddamn good!! I think I could never find had this kind of sandwich in Qatar. The price of 1 whole box of sandwich is just 1.2 and karak coffee is 0.4 OMR which will be around 16 Qatari Riyal in total (5 USD). I couldn't even finish the whole box of sandwich for breakfast and did share it with some of other group members. We found that local coffee shop on the second day morning when we were on our way going to Wadi Shab to equip ourselves before the adventure began. The karak cofee (coffee with cardamom) also surprisingly taste super good since it is not too sweet. I wonder if all the local street coffee shops in Muscat has the very best sandwich and coffee like that. The unexpected happiness is always the best!
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