Oman

The country of Oman is my favorite underrated country! It's an region that not a lot of people think about visiting or even know about. When I told people I was going to Oman the response was usually, "Where's that? Oh you mean Amman Jordan? I've never heard of it!"  However, Oman is a huge melting pot of friendly people always willing to help, great food, reasonable prices and sunny weather. 

 

We took a bus from Dubai to Muscat, Oman. The bus was $15 and we left at 11pm arriving in Muscat around 5. You have to pay about $10 to leave the UAE and $50 for the Omani visa. 

 

Not finding any available hostels, Airbnb was the cheapest accommodations we found. Muscat doesn't have great public transportation and taxis get expensive real quick. Renting a car is the best and cheapest way to get around. However, be careful to check if you have restricted mileage. We thought we had unlimited mileage and ended up having to pay extra when returning the car. 

 

The Sultan Qaboos Mosque is spectacular. Allow yourself a good hour to visit it and the beautiful gardens. Be sure to dress appropriately or you might have to rent/buy something to cover yourself. Driving around the city you will see numerous picturesque mosques. 

 

Take a day trip out to visit Wadi Shab. This is a Must See while in Oman. From Muscat it's 1.5 - 2 hours. You'll pay less than $1 to cross the river by boat then you'll start hiking. You can hire a guide, but it's not really needed if you're up for an adventure. The hike can take a good hour or so, depending on your speed and how many pics you take. Bring WATER!! You eventually arrive at a body of water and will swim to the caves where you can cliff jump or just enjoy the scenery. 

 
The Wadi Dayqah Dam is very beautiful with its mountains and rugged terrain. Depending on the season they will open the dam and you can go swimming in the creeks at the bottom of the Dam. Not far away is the Bimmah Sinkhole. The water is a beautiful greenish blue and beckons to be photographed. Both of these attractions are FREE!!