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HIGHLIGHTS OF OMAN
Day 1:
Arrive in Muscat, where you will stay at the Ramee Guestline Hotel *3-star or the Ramada Hotel *3-star. Explore the city at your leisure.
Day 2:
Spend the morning at your leisure. Enjoy an evening tour, starting with Embassy Road lined with embassies built like typical Arabic villas. Continue to the Corniche and a visit to Muttrah Souk (market) for great souvenirs. Get a glimpse of the Sultan’s yacht, lit up in the beautiful harbor. Also see Bait Al Zubair Museum, the Sultan’s Palace and the forts that guard it, Jalali and Mirani built by the Portuguese in the 16th Century.
Day 3:
Start the day at the Grand Mosque, completed in 2001. Marvel at the beautiful crystal chandeliers and expertly woven Persian carpets. Also see Nizwa Fort and its colorful domes and bustling market. Next, tour Jabreen Castle, the Omani center for education and learning. Finally, visit Bahla Fort, the first fort built in Islamic style. Enjoy the afternoon exploring the city on your own.
Day 4:
Take a morning tour of Rustaq, famous for the medicinal properties of their hot water springs. See the beautiful gates of Al Hazm Fort. Later, stop in Nakhl and see the highest fort in Oman. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure.
Day 5:
Start the day at the Wahiba Sands rising up to 200 meters. Enjoy some “dune bashing” from a 4x4 vehicle on the red and white sand dunes. Next, visit a traditional Bedouin home amidst the desert. At Wadi Bani Khalid, you can splash around the crystal-clear blue waters and marvel at the villages scattered across the mountainside.
Day 6:
Enjoy the morning at your leisure. In the afternoon, fly to Salalah where you will stay at the Hilton *4-star or the Crowne Plaza Resort *4-star. Explore the city at your leisure.
Day 7:
This morning, visit the Gold Souq (market) for Oriental gold and silver. Tour the central market and see the Sultan’s Palace. Drive to Al Baleed Archaeological Park, a frankincense and myrrh trading port from the 7th-14th centuries. Take a drive through the coconut and banana gardens and taste a refreshing coconut drink. Next, visit the site of the Prophet Saleh’s sacred camel’s foot print.
Day 8:
Today, visit Ayn Razat Spring at the foot of the Qara mountains. Tour Sumhumram where the ruins of the old frankincense port and its storage areas like. Next visit beautiful Mirbat with Dhofari-style houses. Also see Taqa, Mughsail Beach and Naib Ayub’s tomb.
Day 9:
Explore the ruins of the fabled city of Ubar dating back 5,000 years. In ancient times, this was the wealthy trading center between coastal regions of the Middle East and even as far away as Europe. Later, enjoy some more exciting “dune bashing”.
Day 10:
Today, fly back to Muscat.
YOUR HOTELS
Muscat: Ramee Guestline *** or Ramada Hotel ***
Salalah: Hilton Salalah **** or Crowne Plaza Resort ****
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