Oman has long been a favourite with travellers, thanks to its incredible natural beauty and pristine coastlines.
Easily reachable from the UAE, either via a short flight or a perfectly manageable drive, the sultanate also has plenty to offer those seeking some high-octane adventure travel.
From craggy mountain peaks perfect for scaling to deep blue oceans thriving with marine life, here are six must-try adventures for your next visit to Oman.
1. Climb, abseil and zip line at Jebel Akhdar's activity wall
Head to Oman’s green mountain for some action-packed activities high above sea level. Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort is home to the Jabal Activity Wall, where you can try your hand at rock climbing, abseiling and zip lining, all under the watchful eye of a local Omani instructor.
If you're feeling brave, you can tackle the Middle East’s highest steel rope bridge — perched nearly 2,000 metres above sea level. Choose to climb with ropes or try the Via Ferrata that runs along the mountain edge and offers more than 20 metres of steep climbs and sheer drops, ideal for abseiling fans. Stop to take in the deep canyon views as you go, and if you're climbing with Suleiman the guide, get set to hear some amazing stories about how life in the mountain's remote villages has transformed over the years.
Jabal Activity Wall rates are Omani riyals 40 ($104) per person, Omani riyals 60 ($156) per couple and sessions last up to two hours; www.anantara.com
2. Dive with whale sharks at Daymaniyat Islands
Seeb Marina on the outskirts of Muscat is the place to go for a scuba diving trip to the protected Daymaniyat Islands, where you can swim with whale sharks. September is the time to visit if you want to be in with the best chance of spotting these gentle giants, which can grow up to 10 metres in length. Home to more than 22 known diving sites, the nine-island area is also perfect for snorkelling.
Pearl Dimaniyat Diving Centre runs daily trips to the waters around the nature reserve and owner Arif is a dab hand at knowing where to go for best spotting the whale sharks. And if it's off-season, don't worry — there's still plenty to see including turtles, black tips, eels, parrotfish, coral gardens and much more.
Omani riyals 55 ($143) per person, including two dives, equipment, guide, national park access passes, refreshments and lunch; www.pearldimaniyat.com
3. Go paragliding in Musandam
Barefoot luxury and swanky lodgings await at Six Senses Zighy Bay, a five-star resort located on Oman’s Musandam Peninsula. The eco-haven is also home to one of the sultanate's best adventures.
Get set to jump off the edge of a cliff and soar high above the mountains on a 15-minute arrival paragliding flight. Taking off from the top of Zighy mountain, the pilot will follow the wind flow and adventurers will be able to enjoy a unique bird's eye view of the Hajar Mountains and their surroundings. Look out for ancient villages, desert oases and bright blue waters before a gentle descent, as you come to land on the sands of Zighy beach.
Dh812, available for in-house guests only; www.sixsenses.com
4. Swim, jump and climb through Wadi Shab
For an epic adventure, head to Wadi Shab in Oman's Al Sharqiyah Region. One of the sultanate's most popular wadis, this place has something for everyone. With pure turquoise waters, towering palm trees and a waterfall inside a cave, it's a must-visit. Local touring company twenty3 extreme offers aquatic treks through the wadi every Sunday and Tuesday, and can also organise private tours any day of the week.
Starting bright and early with a safety briefing, the adventure begins with a boat ride to the start of the Wadi Shab trek. Here, an easy hike takes in the canyon's water pools, caves, waterfalls and tunnels. It also includes a lunch stop at a local restaurant where you can try traditional Omani fare and learn more about the village before heading to Bimmah Sinkhole to end the day with an epic swim in the bright blue water.
Omani riyals 47 ($122) per person, or Omani riyals 235 ($610) for a private tour (up to five people); www.twenty3extreme.com
5. Watch wild dolphins in Salalah
Located on Oman’s southern coast, Salalah marches to a beat of its own. With tropical vibes, towering palm trees and the annual khareef season when the end of the monsoons sweep in from Africa, it’s got a distinctly tropical vibe. And that continues on the water where you can see spinner and round-head dolphins and Omani porpoises.
Salalah Adventure Tours operates from Taqah Port out on to the water, and is run by local Omani guides. Keep a keen eye out for the friendly and curious dolphins, which often come quite close to the boats. If you want a more hands-on adventure, you can stick on a snorkel and jump in the water. If you're super lucky, you may even see a whale.
Omani riyals 25 ($65) per person for a three-hour trip; www.salalahadventuretours.com
6. Hike Jebel Shams, Oman's highest mountain
Oman’s largest mountain towers in at more than 3,000 metres above sea level and is a craggy playground just waiting to be explored. Part of the western Hajar Mountains, Jebel Shams offers epic hiking and trekking opportunities, all of which come with awesome views. If you’re an experienced hiker, you can summit the mountain in about seven or eight hours, then settle down for a night of camping under a star-filled canopy.
Hikers with less experience can try the Balcony Walk, which gives similar views but takes a little less time. Winding along the rim of Wadi Al Nakhr canyon, you'll enjoy amazing scenes over Wadi Ghul and trek all the way to the abandoned village of Sab Bani Khamis. Afterwards, enjoy an authentic home-made lunch by a local Omani family in a nearby village, served under the shade of palm fronds.
Omani riyals 99 ($257) per person; www.husaak.com
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
Abu Dhabi card
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,400m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 2,200m
6pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
The National selections:
5pm: Valcartier
5.30pm: AF Taraha
6pm: Dhafra
6.30pm: Maqam
7pm: AF Mekhbat
7.30pm: Ezz Al Rawasi
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
UNSC Elections 2022-23
Seats open:
- Two for Africa Group
- One for Asia-Pacific Group (traditionally Arab state or Tunisia)
- One for Latin America and Caribbean Group
- One for Eastern Europe Group
Countries so far running:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Sukuk explained
Sukuk are Sharia-compliant financial certificates issued by governments, corporates and other entities. While as an asset class they resemble conventional bonds, there are some significant differences. As interest is prohibited under Sharia, sukuk must contain an underlying transaction, for example a leaseback agreement, and the income that is paid to investors is generated by the underlying asset. Investors must also be prepared to share in both the profits and losses of an enterprise. Nevertheless, sukuk are similar to conventional bonds in that they provide regular payments, and are considered less risky than equities. Most investors would not buy sukuk directly due to high minimum subscriptions, but invest via funds.
More coverage from the Future Forum
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience
by David Gilmour
Allen Lane
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Scoreline
Al Wasl 1 (Caio Canedo 90 1')
Al Ain 2 (Ismail Ahmed 3', Marcus Berg 50')
Red cards: Ismail Ahmed (Al Ain) 77'
NATIONAL%20SELECTIONS
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Match info
What: Fifa Club World Cup play-off
Who: Al Ain v Team Wellington
Where: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
When: Wednesday, kick off 7.30pm
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.
Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.
Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.
Favourite colour: Black.
Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
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More on Quran memorisation:
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
