There are many reasons why you should visit Oman. A small Arabian country surrounded by mountains and a pristine coastline.
The perfect destination to enjoy cool ‘wadi’s (rockpools), white sand beaches, tasty food and welcoming Omani hospitality.
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Are you looking for convinving reasons for why you should visit Oman?
In this country, you can find some of the best diving in the world, explore historic old bazaars, and discover forts without the hassle of thousands of tourists.
Oman only opened up to tourism over the past decade, yet with so much space in this country, you’ll find you have the place to yourself.
We don’t think this will last too much longer. You should visit Oman for many reasons, but I’ll give you my top 10.
We explored Oman on this perfect 7 day Self Drive Itinerary, the best way to see this beautiful piece of Arabia.
10 Reasons Why you Should Visit Oman
1. Great Coffee
Locals enjoy their coffee served strong and often flavoured with cardamom. Turkish coffee is a popular option too.
Be sure to order a small Arabic sweet with your coffee, the sweets here are sensational.
Do you have one? A travel espresso machine – our favourite travel item
2. Delicious Dates
Date palms are literally everywhere! Oman has endless date plantations with more than 250 different varieties.
I’ve never tasted dates as good as from Oman (Ok, maybe during my two week trip in Tunisia and my amazing week in Libya tasted just as good), but tasting the dates here is a reason why you should visit Oman.
Dates are usually served with coffee and it’s traditional to greet a guest with both. Dates are also prepared as a spread (datella) to be enjoyed with bread.
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3. No High-Rises
There are no high-rises in Oman. The country has a no-skyscraper policy – a good move in my opinion.
This is great to see in the towns and villages as it helps the country to retain its traditional charms and unique architecture.
4. Muscat is a clean, well-organised city
Muscat is one of the cleanest capitals in the world.
This extends to the rest of the country and it seems the people take great pride in keeping it clean and tidy for themselves and visitors alike.
With the no-skyscraper policy and long trading history, Muscat is still a busy port city.
5. Incredible adventures
Set off for an adventure in the desert at Wahiba Sands: Book a dune-bashing tour, go camel trekking or book a night in a desert camp (we stayed at Sama Al Wasil Desert Camp). Here, you can enjoy starry skies and traditional Omani food.
If you’ve got the time, this Sugar Dunes 2 Days Camping Trip is recommended for an exhilarating experience.
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6. Nature
Oman is a haven for eco-tourists. The people look after nature and the animals living in it, too.
Untouched coastlines are abundant with marine life in coral reefs, whales and dolphins. Visit the Jebel Samhan Nature Reserve in Dhofar to see wild Arabian leopards.
7. Turtle Hatching
Coordinate a trip here between July and October to see Oman’s fantastic turtle-hatching season. Stop by for an evening to watch green turtles nesting at Al Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve.
Each year, 20,000 sea turtles lumber up onto beaches to bury up to 60,000 eggs.
8. Mountains
Oman’s dramatic mountain scenery features pomegranate fields, rose gardens, scenic villages and mesmerising landforms such as the Bimmah sinkhole.
It is a must-see, even on a short stay.
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9. The Simplicity
Oman is very different from other Arabic countries, such as UAE and Qatar Airways, they keep things simple.
There are no over-the-top skyscrapers, flashing lights and glitz and glamour here. This was my favourite thing about this extraordinary country.
10. The Food
We love good food, and Oman certainly delivers. Highlights include fantastic dips and spreads, great bread, slow-cooked meats and flavoursome vegetables.
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11. The Wadis (Bonus reason why you should visit Oman)
Oman is a hot country. Conveniently, there are many wadis (rockpools) and pristine coastlines to cool you down in the heat.
We found some beautiful Wadi’s on our 7-day road trip in Oman.
Some were only a brief walk to reach, others were found after a hike through some gorgeous scenery.
There you go! Many great reasons why you should visit Oman! We really loved exploring this fascinating nation, and we know you’re going to love it too!
Travel Tips for Asia
We have many travel guides and tips for Asia— a fascinating continent!
Delicious cuisine can be enjoyed across Asia, and our food map of Asia will inspire your food journey.
These top 5 best street foods in Asia are unmissable! We explain Central Asian food, including seven popular foods in this region.
Our Southeast Asia packing list will be helpful if you’re travelling here.
Furthermore, if you plan to travel long-term (or at least until the money runs out), these 21 cheapest countries to visit will help you make your hard-earned dollars stretch a bit further.
Not surprisingly, our top 10 best countries for food lovers include a few Asian countries.
You’ll need to stay connected while travelling in Asia. We recommend eSIM. It’s easy, reliable and affordable. View eSIMs for individual Asian countries, or consider a regional eSIM for Asia (which covers 18 countries).
If your travels in Asia are part of a much larger global adventure, then a Global eSIM may be the answer. It connects you in 124 countries, offering data-only eSIM and data/call/text eSIM. The Global eSIM has been a game-changer; we couldn’t imagine travelling without it now.
If you want to travel with like-minded travellers, consider joining a group tour. Check out our Group Tours first for any upcoming departures in Asia, or view Tourradar for great deals on tours in Asia.
Check out our best-ever travel tips compiled from more than twenty years of experience.
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3 Comments. Leave new
Are people eating rice with there hands?
Yes, it is common to eat a meal using just your hands in Oman. If you prefer to use cutlery, this is always an option too.
Hi Rach, I loved Oman too! It is clean, safe and has lots to offer for the adventure traveler. It is easy to do a loop from Musqat that encompasses hiking in the mountains at Jebel el Shams (can get bitterly cold at night), swimming in the deep wadis (water can be cold and is quite deep with steep sides, so be sure that you have the strength to do this), cave diving and camping in the desert at Wahiba sands. You can also walk along the falaj or ancient water channels. The mansaf or Berber lamb stew is delicious, the authentic way to eat it is sitting on the floor eating with the fingers and sharing the platter as a group. They also have lots of fresh fruit juices and everywhere you go, even the most simple Berber tent, you will be offered fresh coffee and dates in true Middle Eastern hospitality. Would have loved to try the Empty Quarter, but ran out of time.