Muscat: Arabic tradition blended with modernity
Muscat Airport Directory (MCT)
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Set at the crossroads of three continents and four seas, Oman is hemmed by the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and protected by the jagged Al Hajar mountains and the Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter) desert. Drawn by its strategic location at the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the Portuguese briefly occupied Oman’s coastal areas and set up forts, but were finally expelled in 1650. Oman’s seaside capital Muscat, with its craggy coastline, still bears these historical traces blending Arabic tradition with modernity, besides ample avenues for entertainment.
Best time to visit: October to March is the ideal time to visit Muscat.
How to reach
By Air: Muscat International Airport is the nearest airport, located 32 km away from the old Muscat city. IndiGo operates flights to Muscat in Oman with non-stop flight between Mumbai and Muscat. Starting this year, flights between Kochi and Muscat will also be operational.
Getting around: Bus or Baisa is the most popular means of transport in Muscat. These buses are economical and run across the city. There are taxis also but comparatively expensive.
Baggage Allowance
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7Kg
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Places to visit in Muscat
- Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque: Wherever you go in Muscat, it’s hard to miss the royal stamp of Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, the present ruler, who propelled the Bedouin nation into a developed country. The first thing you notice as you enter the city from the airport is the dome of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque gleaming like a jewel; its 90m high minaret and spectacular dome, flanked by four outer minarets marks the cardinal directions. In the main prayer hall, the German-made chandelier hangs above the world’s second largest hand-woven carpet.
- Muttrah Corniche: Continuing down Sultan Qaboos Street to the city you reach Muttrah Corniche where Muscat’s trio of seaside forts—Muttrah, Al Jalali and Al Mirani—stand proof to the Portuguese presence in the Gulf. Muttrah Souk was also first developed by the Portuguese.
- Al Dhalam: A labyrinth of shops, the area between Al-Lawatia Mosque and Khour Bimba is known as Al Dhalam or Market of Darkness as the shops are so tightly packed, even sunlight does not pass through during the day!
- Al Alam Palace: Nearby Qasr Al Alam, one of the six royal abodes of the Sultan, is the Al Alam Palace. This blue and gold building in contemporary Islamic style can be admired from the grilled fence. It’s a good idea to have a Muscat map handy with you so, that you can tick off attractions on your list as you are done visiting them.
- National Museum of Oman: There are many places to visit in Muscat. Just across is the new National Museum of Oman with a standout maritime gallery that features beautifully crafted scale models of ancient boats. Also worth a look are the exhibits on pre-history, forts and irrigation technology.
- Omani French Museum and Bait Al Zubair: Nearby, the Omani French Museum and Bait Al Zubair are exceptional treasure troves of Omani heritage. The latter is a residence of the ministerial Zubair family, converted into a private museum in 1998 and is decorated with colourful Arabian oryx sculptures leading to the museum where weapons, jewellery, attire, coins, stamps and household articles are displayed. In the garden are replicas of a barasti (palm frond hut), falaj (ancient water distribution system), a souk, Bedouin stone houses and various types of boats.
Places to eat in Muscat
Kargeen Caffé, Al Bashair Street
An Omani hut or wooden cottage, Kargeen is the perfect place for a traditional meal with indoor dining in a sit-down
majlis or an open-air garden. Try Arabic staples like moutabel (aubergine dip), crispy Zatar bread (flatbread seasoned with herbs), shuwa (slow-cooked lamb shank) with Moroccan tea, Turkish coffee and flavoured apple and julash (watermelon) sheeshas.
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Bait Al Luban, Al Mina Street
An Omani restaurant opposite the fish market in Muttrah with excellent views of the Sultan Qaboos Port. Wash your hands
with frankincense water before embarking on a sensory, culinary journey—gheleambe (traditional salad), saloonat khudhar (veg curry), qabouli laham (rice cooked in meat broth) and shuwa (best eaten with Omani brown rice). Wash it down with a tamarind juice, date smoothie, ginger juice or laban (yoghurt).
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Ubhar, Al Kharjiyha Street
Sharing its name with a buried ancient city, Ubhar’s décor and food blend modern and historical Omani cuisine and design.
Try the camel biryani and halwa-based dessert.
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The Beach Restaurant at The Chedi Muscat, Al Ghubra
The focus here is on fresh seafood sourced from the Gulf of Oman with an international touch and dishes that complement
the view¬—mussels with kaffir lime and coconut, lobster tail carpaccio and whole grilled fish. The downside? It’s open between September and May, only for dinner.
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Bin Ateeq, Al-Khuwair Street
Authentic Omani cuisine and hospitality with traditional floor-seating on beautiful multi-coloured cushions and dishes
like mutton magbous, halva and harees (cracked wheat with meat).
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Duke’s Bar, Crown Plaza Muscat
Duke’s is a popular pub and restaurant known for its lamb chops, kebabs, tagines and curries.
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Grand Lounge, Al Khuwair
Muscat has several Turkish joints, and this large restaurant is the pick of the lot; there’s Turkish flatbreads or pides,
kebabs, yoghurt toppings and Turkish coffee served in ornate silver cups to choose from.
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The Bollywood, Qurum
Missing the flavours of India? Try this popular Indian restaurant that recreates Mumbai’s street food with Bollywood
posters on the wall. Choose from their chats, dosa, pani-puri, snacks and other Indian vegetarian fares, including a decent daily buffet.
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Shopping in Muscat
For centuries, frankincense, dates and perfumes from Oman have been traded far and wide to distant lands, and even now, it’s a great place to pick up these specialities.
Muttrah Souk: The first stop for any shopper should be the historic Muttrah Souk by the waterfront. Here, one can buy silver trinkets, Turkish plates, Moroccan lamps and traditional souvenirs like Omani khanjars (ornamental daggers). Vendors hailing from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan offer to tie a keffiyeh (checked scarf) over a kumma (embroidered Omani cap) into a neat turban for a selfie. Others offer little dabs of perfumes.
Amouage Factory: Visit the Amouage Factory to pick up exclusive perfumes and to understand how the world’s most expensive fragrances, are made as each ingredient is beautifully analysed. Pick up a bottle or two from the factory or at the duty-free shops at the airport.
LuLu Hypermarket and malls in Muscat: Grab Omani halwa, camel milk chocolates and the best quality Khalas dates from LuLu Hypermarket. Or drop by for some retail therapy at Oman Avenues Mall and Muscat Grand Mall, the largest in town.
Nightlife in Muscat
Most of Muscat’s party scene is confined to bars and lounge-restaurants in five-star hotels:
Club Safari and Habana Sports Bar: Themed like a jungle safari park, Club Safari is one of the most popular nightclubs in Muscat. Located in the Grand Hyatt at Al Khuwair, Thursday and Friday nights are packed. On the hotel’s ground floor is Habana Sports Bar with billiards tables, table soccer and large-screen TVs.
O'Malley': If you like beer and whiskey, head straight to O'Malley's on the ground floor of Hotel Radisson Blu in Al Khuwair—an Irish style pub with a beautiful wooden bar counter.
Trader Vic's: It is a popular tourist bar in Hotel InterContinental in Qurum that has good live music and signature cocktails. The gardens serve as a concert arena for big international acts.
Zouk: The nightclub and lounge at the Crowne Plaza Muscat is another premier party spot with a busy event calendar.
Rock Bottom: Rock Bottom at Ramee Guestline Hotel is a bar that doubles up as a discotheque and serves the best steak in town.
The Roof Top Club: This club at the Golden Tulip in Seeb has a great view of the airport with two bar areas with drinks and food that won’t bust the bank. There are plenty of live-music bars in mid-range hotels as well such as the Marina in Muttrah, or the Mutrah and Ruwi hotels in Ruwi.
Where to stay in Muscat
Shangri-La Barr al Jissah Resorts and Spa, About half an hour from the city, is this troika of luxurious hotels—Al Waha, Al Bandar and Al Husn—with date palms, traditional Dhofari architecture and Chi spa offering a 4-hr Serenity Ritual with frankincense scrub. The balconies overlook majestic cliffs, and there’s a large swimming pool in which to cool off.
The Chedi, Al Khuwair A luxurious 158-room hotel with Omani style rooms and villas, six restaurants, three pools and a Balinese spa. This is one of the most premium Muscat hotels you can reside.
Al Bustan Palace, Al Bustan Opulent Arab-Art Deco resort with luxurious rooms, grand 38m domed atrium lobby, five pools and a kilometre-long private beach, the longest in Oman.
Grand Hyatt Muscat, Al Khuwair Great beachside location with an exclusive hotel lobby. Palatial gardens, several swimming pools with access to the beach and top-notch food make it a popular choice.
Crowne Plaza Muscat, Qurum Overlooking the corniche in Qurum, the hotel built in the style of a cruise ship, with elegant restaurants like Shiraz for Iranian and Arabian cuisine is a must visit. There is also a great pool, private beach and excellent views over the bay from the hotel terrace and rooms.
More reasons to visit Muscat
Museums in Muscat: Muscat has plenty of small but interesting museums – Ghalya’s Museum of Modern Art, Bait Al-Baranda (great if you’re into geography) and the Natural History Museum that showcases topography, geology and more. At Sultan’s Armed Forces Museum, once a royal fort, soldiers double up as guides explaining Omani military history. The Oman Oil and Gas Exhibition Centre too, has a beautiful museum that deconstructs the whole business of oil and gas in two sections - Petroleum Development and EcOman, on the Sultanate’s eco-friendly push. If you are a history buff, visit the Muscat Gate Museum to learn more about the glorious past of the city.
Seeb and the Omani Dive Centre: And if you love the outdoors, there are sandstone cliffs for hiking, wadis to swim in, desert for sand boarding and dune bashing, stunning seaside views at Seeb and the Omani Dive Centre near the harbour. With a 1600km long coastline, Oman is perfect for swimming, kitesurfing, diving and sports fishing. The coastal highway from Muscat whizzes southward past old towns like Qalhat to the ancient dhow-making town of Sur and Ras al Jinz where the annual nesting of green turtles takes place between July and October.
Visa and Immigration
If you are an Indian passport holder either residing or holding an entry visa to US, Canada, Australia, UK, Japan, or any of the Schengen nations and travelling to Muscat, then you are eligible for visa on arrival. The visa will be provided for a fee of 20 Omani Riyal and valid for a month.
To ensure a hassle-free and seamless travel, here is a detailed information about the Oman visa – www.goindigo.in/information/visa-information/oman-om-visa.html
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