31. OMAN

After 6 months in India, it was time to leave that crazy country and explore something completely different. As soon as we arrived in Oman's capital Muscat we realized fast that Oman is pretty much the opposite of India. Extremely clean, reserved people, nearly no traffic and fresh air. Honestly, it was amazing to walk around without any sounds, smells or people approaching you (both, in good and bad ways). I totally enjoyed that!

We got 14 visa-free days for Oman, so unfortunately the time was very limited but still enough to get many impressions and learn about Omani culture. Two things first: The landscapes of the country totally surprised me and the people were among the friendliest I have met in my life (let's say top 3). Our entire time in Oman we slept in people's homes which was just the very best way to experience the local lifestyle and learn about the country. Most of the time via Couchsurfing but also visit old friends I met in Türkiye more than two years before. Since we had limited time to travel the country, we limited our itinerary to the North East.

On the first days, we explored Muscat with its beautiful traditional architecture, Old Souq, Masjids, parks and did some surprisingly beautiful hikes around. Walking around the city was such a pleasure which is hard to describe after the long hustle and bustle in India's big cities. Contrary to many other big cities in the Gulf, Muscat does not have a skyline, the urban landscape is built low and the style has to remain traditional which makes it really a beautiful city to roam around.

From Muscat, we did a couple of day trips. First to Wadi Shab 2 hours out of the city, a stunningly beautiful canyon with crystal clear blue water pools and a secret waterfall in a cave. One of the most beautiful nature spots I have been to on this trip. That was an amazing day with Amir from Iran!
Then our host Anas & his family took us on an amazing day trip around many beaches, viewpoints and hot springs.

The next stop on our itinerary was a tiny village close to Sohar, where we had the chance to stay at a family house on a farm and experience Omani farm life. Abdullah showed us around his home, we spent time exploring the fruit trees & animals, played with plenty of kids and had delicious BBQs on the open fire. Visiting villages is a big highlight in every country and as Gandhi said the soul of a country lives in its villages. Sohar, the home of Sindbad the sailor was a nice city as well with a festival and fishermen's beaches.

Liwa was the last stop, there we met with Abeer and Ahmed who I met in Türkiye nearly three years ago. They kindly invited us to their home and we spent amazing 2 days together exploring remote villages in the mountains, having an awesome 4WD trip and spending time with their family. Needless to say that homecooked food in Oman is absolutely delicious.

Since I always like to explore new countries it's most unlikely that I revisit one but Oman with its natural beauty and absolutely amazing people is very high on my list to come back to soon. Outdoor activities are just breathtaking there and you can set up your tent wherever you went. The conditions of roads are world-class and traffic is small which makes Oman probably one of the best road trip destinations in the entire world.

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5 Highlights:
- Swimming through caves in Wadi Shab

- Exploring Muscat and its the Old Souq

- Driving around the beaches of the East with Anas and his family

- Experiencing farm life and living with a huge family close to Sohar

- 4WD trip with Abeer and Ahmed from village to village in the mountains in Northern Oman