Located near the strategically important Gulf of Oman - with two exclaves separated from it by the United Arab Emirates (the Musandam Peninsula and Madha) Oman was for a long time an under-developed nation, almost completely closed to visitors. Since 1970 under Sultan Qaboos bin Said, education, public works and tourism have taken off throughout the country.
Omanis are friendly people and are very helpful to tourists. In turn, tourists should respect the ways and traditions of the Omani people. They are proud of both their country's rapid progress and their heritage as one of the great sea-faring nations. Excellent schools and hospitals, good governance, and on-going infrastructure improvement are all important characteristics of this once introverted and closed nation - adapted from Wikitravel.
Oman has managed to maintain its traditional charms and Bedouin values, along with its modest low-rise buildings, even the capital Muscat’s and oasis town of Nizwa. One of the major attractions, besides the stunning mountains and dune covered deserts, are the nesting turtles of the Raz Al Jinz Turtle Reserve located at the eastern end of the Arabian peninsula.
On the penultimate day in Dubai, I opened Derrek’s Arabian Lonely Planet and started to read about Oman. Towards the bottom of the first page it read: "Oman is not the easiest... Read more >>
From Sur, I drove the 50km to the eastern most point of the Arabian Peninsula to visit the Ras al Jinz Turtle Reserve, south of Ras Al Hadd. The turtle reserve was formed in 1996 and covers... Read more >>