Monday, February 6, 2012

Excursions in Muscat

One of the most vital things to ensure that you have a fabulous holiday in Oman is to find a good local travel agency. There are many in Muscat and you can simply log onto some websites and select one that you think can help you best in making the required bookings and showing you around. If you plan on staying only in the Capital and still not miss out on the treasures this ancient Sultanate has in store, look for various excursions in Muscat available through such travel agencies. You can compare the choices online and make an informed decision and relevant bookings well in advance. Some of the more popular tours arranged by the leading travel agencies of the city are mentioned below.

A favourite is the Muscat city tour that offers a unique opportunity the glory, mystique and modernism of this city. This is a four hour tour that includes visiting the Grand Mosque, Bait Al Zubair Museum, the Al Alam Palace, the 16th century Portuguese forts Mirani and Jalali, the waterfront cornice, the fish market and the colorful Mattrah souq.

One is the Nizwa Forts tour, which aims to introduce visitors to the birthplace of Islam in the Sultanate of Oman. This excursion takes duration of 9 hours and covers sites like the famous Round Tower Fort and its souq, Jabrin castle, and the beautiful village of Birkat Al Mauz located at the foothills of Green Mountain of Jebel Akhdar, where visitors can enjoy a walk through its oasis and dense date plantations.

Another favourite is the Al Hoota Caves tour of 8 hours, as it covers Nizwa’s Round Tower fort and souq, the village of Birkat Al Mauz as well as the Al Hoota Caves, where visitors can see stalactites and stalagmites, and an underground lake.

For visitors that want to enjoy a special evening out, there is the Twilight Dhow Cruise that takes 3 hours. One can view the city’s coast and the change of beautiful earth colours to sparkling city lights as the sun sets, with a brief stop at a natural cove.

For marine-life lovers there is a dolphin and whale watching tour. This is an early morning tour of 3 to 4 hours, and while every trip may not have a sighting, it is a spectacular way to start your day in this country.

Other celebrated excursions in Muscat include the Batinah tour and the majestic mountains tour. Such tours are a great way to select parts of Oman. Many travel agencies even design tailor-made tours or private tours that can take you around in chauffeur driven vehicles. You can choose exactly what you wish to see and how. All you need to do is let your travel agency know of your desires and luxury requirements beforehand.

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