The climate of Oman is tropical desert, similar to that of cities such as Dubai and La Paz (Mexico). Summers are very hot and humid, with temperatures during the day reaching 38°C (100°F) and night time lows of 29°C (85°F). Springs and autumns are still warm-to-hot, with night time temperatures in the 21°C (70°F) and daytime temperatures anywhere from 29-35°C (85-95°F). Winters are pleasant, with nights around 16°C (60°F), low humidity, and days around 24°C (75°F). Oman is known for its beaches, with their white sand, turquoise waters, and year-round warm ocean temperatures.
Citizens of [wiki=6ddecd8ccd9f648d19dc02c7a566cb4f]Bahrain[/wiki], [wiki=05387f3ca38d7bd84ae35f31f2899ecf]Kuwait[/wiki], [wiki=7cc7ef17c45527cf90fcf27516794d21]Qatar[/wiki], [wiki=b835b521c29f399c78124c4b59341691]Saudi Arabia[/wiki] and the [wiki=8f6f28f0d2061af28bcf49d1725b2cbd]United Arab Emirates[/wiki] do not require a visa to visit Oman, and may use National ID Cards to enter the country.
Those who hold a visa or entrance stamp of the Emirate of Dubai that is valid for at least 21 days are visa exempt. Similarly, those who hold a visa for Qatar that is valid for travel to Oman and valid for at least one month, and who are nationals of visa on arrival eligible countries, are visa exempt when arriving directly from Qatar.
Citizens of [wiki=c51ed580ea5e20c910d951f692512b4d]New Zealand[/wiki] may obtain a visa on arrival valid for 3 months, which is extendable once for a fee.
Citizens of the [wiki=54cef3284dba3d0c641f38b91564b6cf]European Union[/wiki], [wiki=68746a7280b143cfc01f967610d3e86d]Andorra[/wiki], [wiki=3536be57ce0713954e454ae6c53ec023]Argentina[/wiki], [wiki=4442e4af0916f53a07fb8ca9a49b98ed]Australia[/wiki], [wiki=28aaafc355915903ce4a7e1d3af3bc4e]Bolivia[/wiki], [wiki=42537f0fb56e31e20ab9c2305752087d]Brazil[/wiki], [wiki=d3f5841f04ba23bb90e1b9f4256cea70]Brunei[/wiki], [wiki=445d337b5cd5de476f99333df6b0c2a7]Canada[/wiki], [wiki=2e6507f70a9cc26fb50f5fd82a83c7ef]Chile[/wiki], [wiki=ef3388cc5659bccb742fb8af762f1bfd]Colombia[/wiki], [wiki=4d5d85af33ec2aaedb674d2d6a7d53b6]Ecuador[/wiki], [wiki=8b476ff778119b8d49588f3daadf69a1]Hong Kong[/wiki], [wiki=b78edab0f52e0d6c195fd0d8c5709d26]Iceland[/wiki], [wiki=4647d00cf81f8fb0ab80f753320d0fc9]Indonesia[/wiki], [wiki=53a577bb3bc587b0c28ab808390f1c9b]Japan[/wiki], [wiki=b45ff92cc522bb89bfc3b8ef3fc21b7d]Lebanon[/wiki], [wiki=da4e3775bd2de6c37fadd9b0188f7a4e]Liechtenstein[/wiki], [wiki=5547baeda33255ad8f5307fc92cb589e]Macedonia[/wiki], [wiki=3f0e49c46cbde0c7adf5ea04a97ab261]Malaysia[/wiki], [wiki=0c12f5495afe76d9242ed25668979de9]Moldova[/wiki], [wiki=d6a297c6193fd59309453a0db7a51b90]Monaco[/wiki], [wiki=d5b9290a0b67727d4ba1ca6059dc31a6]Norway[/wiki], [wiki=73101738da81e5cbb87b64cd400a4405]Paraguay[/wiki], [wiki=a7db85742c67a70f8764c4d9c53bdb36]San Marino[/wiki], [wiki=d2e4449b45608e33e472d939a73868f7]Seychelles[/wiki], [wiki=458e4cbc78201c1aec5fc53a31c59378]Singapore[/wiki], [wiki=c89bc418c38da77213c6c6e03cac2510]South Africa[/wiki], [wiki=4d4803b0bb7dab1b0627e4f8277edc5b]South Korea[/wiki], [wiki=64446ac025106d201779cb4bf5ab6b2e]Suriname[/wiki], [wiki=551fe18ef47d4e6e9d943b9a68ada21d]Taiwan[/wiki], [wiki=103357e3e40a9c0e4e9d36110f7bbc7a]Thailand[/wiki], [wiki=221cdfb73049678e244380b45872cbb2]Turkey[/wiki], [wiki=f253efe302d32ab264a76e0ce65be769]United States[/wiki], [wiki=75497a22409db78dcc52c291e078bc10]Uruguay[/wiki], [wiki=fa3e5c8f0bc9db2e3448193a93cc2f59]Vatican City[/wiki] and [wiki=e95294b730f61c8175550ec244bfcb50]Venezuela[/wiki] may obtain a visa on arrival valid for 30 days, which is extendable once for a fee.
The fee is OMR20 and your passport should be valid for no less than 6 months from the date of arrival. However, if you arrived by air into Dubai International Airport and subsequently enter Oman via land, the visa fee will be waived (this does not seem to be true any more as of 2014: even when you enter from Dubai by bus at the Al-Wajaja border post, you’ll have to pay the fee!) Any visa fees can be paid using UAE dirhams at a rate of AED10 to OMR1. At the airports, visa fees can be paid in any Gulf States Co-operation Council (GCC) currency, euros, and US dollars.
Chinese, Russian and Ukrainian nationals may obtain visit visas following the same procedures provided that they are part of tourists groups arriving to the Sultanate through a local tourist agent or a hotel or as a family. In the case of groups, the number of females must not exceed the number of males.
The visa can be extended another month by submitting your passport to the Royal Omani Police in Muscat, however there is one line, and the wait can be as long as 2 hours. Be aware that the concept of personal distance is different in the [wiki=158b06e50632e27d494593ba389ef918]Middle East[/wiki] than it is in [wiki=912d59cdf1d3f551fae21f6f0062258f]Europe[/wiki]. Line jumping may be a problem for Europeans unless you set aside that personal distance concept. Note that you can also extend your visa (usually without long waits) in the departure hall of Muscat Airport, opposite Costa Coffee - you must pay the fee with a credit card! If you are on a budget and need to extend your visa, take a trip to the [wiki=8f6f28f0d2061af28bcf49d1725b2cbd]United Arab Emirates[/wiki]. Buses are OMR10-12 return. A same-day round trip flight to Sharjah on [url=http://www.airarabia.com/]Air Arabia[/url] costs about OMR50. Even a taxi would be an option.
It is prohibited to bring firearms, narcotics or pornographic publications into Oman. Non-Muslims are permitted to bring two litres of alcohol into the country at Seeb International Airport only. You are not allowed to bring alcohol into the country in private cars at land border crossings.
Virtually all international flights arrive at Muscat International Airport (MCT) in Muscat. There are also a small number of regional international flights to Salalah (SLL). Purchasing a visa on arrival in Salalah can be quite difficult, as the airport is very small and immigration officials tend not to have change for larger notes.
There are scheduled services by numerous airlines, including but not limited to Oman Air, Emirates, Gulf Air, Etihad, British Airways, Kuwait Airways, Saudi Arabian Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Swiss International, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Air India, Air France, and Thai Airways International. The most frequent connections are via Dubai (DXB).
There are also direct flights from various Indian cities by airlines like Air India, Indian and Jet Airways.
The port in [wiki=ac6a6d52cb1827030753631c1285e1ec]Muscat[/wiki] is used by cruise ships, however there are no regular passenger services to Oman. This is slowly changing, with more cruise ships (generally smaller ones) making port calls.
]
There are multiple border crossings from the [wiki=8f6f28f0d2061af28bcf49d1725b2cbd]United Arab Emirates[/wiki] into Oman some of which are listed below:
* Hatta border at Wadi Hatta and AL-Wajajah From Dubai And Sharjah
* Khatam Al Shikhla - UAE Border and Wadi Jizzi - Oman Border, easy for Travelers From Al Ain and Abu Dhabi
* Jebel Hafret leading to Ibri and Nizwa,
* Khatmat Milahah from Kalba, (Is a Part of Sharjah Emirate) is 5kms from Fujairah Town.
* from Ras al Khaimah emirate to Bukha/Musadam
* from Fujeirah emirate to Dibba/Musadam.
'Driving directions and border crossing from Abu Dhabi to Muscat- For Abu Dhabi residents crossing to Oman, there are 3 border posts in Al Ain - Buraimi Border post (reserved exclusively for GCC residents), Hilli Border post and Khatam Al Shukla border posts (serving expatriates).
Roads are excellent and the border crossing is quite easy. Don't forget to bring along some cash as you have to pay for the visa to enter Oman. If you are taking a car from the UAE into Oman you will need to produce evidence at the border that the car is insured in Oman.
*UAE Immigration charges are AED35 per person (in Hatta UAE Border no charges when exiting to Oman)
*AED50 or 5 Oman riyals at Oman Border per person (Now in Oman border for payments electronic card for payment is a must. ie should have credit card or debit card.)
And returning through Al Ain border is free of charge in both borders.
Additionally, make sure that your passport is stamped with the relevant entry and exit stamps. This should go without saying, but some border officials will forget part of the procedure and cause administrative hassles later. Additionally, crossing from Oman to the UAE is often a chaotic business, so it is easier to miss out on the all-important stamp than one might expect.
Crossing from Oman to [wiki=724bf4ca11a567636547a92a37e397b7]Yemen[/wiki] is significantly more challenging, and those of an adventurous bent should familiarise themselves very carefully with the regulations regarding that border. In previous years, there has been a law that no solo female travellers can exit Oman to Yemen. Additionally, bear in mind that the easternmost parts of Yemen are exceptionally remote.
While a border (unmarked) exists between Oman and [wiki=b835b521c29f399c78124c4b59341691]Saudi Arabia[/wiki], this is a very inadvisable crossing, as it involves going through most (if not all) of the [wiki=48d652f708da1a8e4a3202f7d00f55d3]Empty Quarter[/wiki] and there are no permanent roads.
There are regular buses between Muscat and Dubai (UAE). There are private operators as well as the state-owned Oman National Transport Company (ONTC), and the ride (which usually takes 4-5 h) is usually quite comfortable. Note that when passing the border to Oman, in many cases passengers must line up all of their luggage in a long line, which is subsequently scrutinized by a police dog sniffing for any forbidden substances.
[url=http://www.omanair.aero]Oman Air[/url] is the national carrier and flies regularly between the two airports in the country (Muscat/Seeb, and Salalah). Air Arabia now offers flights to Salalah and Muscat from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
There are regular, daily bus services connecting the bigger cities within Oman ([wiki=ac6a6d52cb1827030753631c1285e1ec]Muscat[/wiki], [wiki=fdd1fb3ec357b44e150ef837051d86d9]Salalah[/wiki], [wiki=43258b8ccf5519f8736be3d12c0ff6a8]Sohar[/wiki], [wiki=d5b78d68d5d08a8e72650113226e381f]Sur[/wiki] and [wiki=05174a5e645c4a635ad401e92155a8f6]Nizwa[/wiki]). There are several, daily bus services from Muscat to Dubai. There is one bus a day from Muscat to Abu Dhabi. For details see the pages of th [url=http://www.ontcoman.come]Oman National Transport Company[/url].
All taxi drivers in Oman are Omani nationals as this is a protected profession. In Muscat there are call/telephone Taxi services. Whilst safe and generally turn up when you want them to the costs are comparatively high. Look for "Hello Taxi" and "Muscat Taxi" amongst others.
The orange-badged taxis are usually owner-operated, these are unmetered with negotiated fares before departure. If you get a very cheap price, then do not be surprised if the Taxi stops to add extra passengers unless you request for it to be private. You may ask for engaged, just say 'engaged taxi' to the driver, and you will pay for all the seats (4) and now have the taxi to yourself. Women must always sit alone in the back. This is for your own safety and comfort.
There are also mini-buses (Baisa buses), the principle is you share the bus or car with others and pay a lower price as a result. This is how women living in Oman travel if they must use public transport. Women should sit next to other women if there are any in the bus. Men should move to other seats. If they do not move immediately, simply stand at the door, looking at them expectantly. They will take the hint and move. Although this might feel strange to foreigners, it is expected behaviour for Omanis. Not sitting next to a man will avoid any unfortunate situations of mixed signals.
Driving around Oman in your own (rented) car is quite easy. A four-lane road connects Muscat and Nizwa and a recently constructed four-lane highway goes from Muscat to Sur.
There are still large parts of the Sur - Muscat route that has no mobile phone signal. If you break down be prepared to wait it out. Or hitch a ride to the next town and find a mechanic to bring back to your vehicle.
Lovely seaside camping can be found between Muscat and Sur. Best to take the paved route to SUR, then over to Wadi Shab to find your way safely into this coastal road. If you intend to drive in wadis (unsealed valley roads in river beds) a 4x4 is highly desirable. You can never be sure how the road will be and if it starts raining the wadis will turn into rivers quickly.
If at all possible, hire a 4 wheel drive. There is spectacular off-road driving to be had in Oman, and you will want to veer off the tarmac again and again.
Since about 2001 Oman has been experiencing severe flash flooding annually. The force of the water rushing down the rock hard treeless mountains do push even landcruisers off the road and upside down. Beware. If you see dark clouds or rain starts. Find high dry ground, shelter and stay put. You can put a call into the local authorities to see if they can advise you better. The problem is the flash floods move quickly from town to town, it is easy to get trapped by washed out roads. Many wadi crossings have white and red poles to indicate when it is safe to cross the wadi in case of a flood. These are painted white on the bottom and red on top. If the water level reaches the red-painted part, do not attempt to cross, even in a 4x4.
If you managed to get a map of Oman regard it as how Oman would like to have the roads. Some roads might be drawn as well-built streets but are not even paved. Roads not being visible on the map might just end and may even be painted till the end!
Distances in Oman are relatively long. The problem is the limit of kilometres of the typical rented car of 200-250km per day. Prepare to pay and negotiate for extra kilometres. Monthly rates sometimes include unlimited kilometres.
Petrol in Oman is very cheap by European and even North American standards. As of December 2012 the price for regular petrol was approximately OMR0.120 per litre.
Since 2006, in order to try and limit the rather frightening road death toll, the motorways/dual carriageways are littered with speed cameras. In the centre of Muscat they are every 2 km, not all look like they are active - but be warned. According to locals, the tolerance on the speed cameras is 15 km/h.
The currency in Muscat is the Omani rial (OMR). One rial is made of 1000 baisa and is officially tied at 2.58 US dollars per 1 Omani rial making the Omani rial one of the most valuable currencies on the planet. Exchange rates on the streets are 1-2% lower.
There are ATMs at the airport and many other in Muscat and every main town, but not all of them take foreign cards. You can change foreign currency at the counters inside the airport and at money exchanges throughout Oman.
The Omani national symbol is the silver-sheathed dagger known as the khanjar. These vary widely in quality and cost, but almost every shop will stock several different models. Most of the modern ones are made by Indian or Pakistani craftsmen under Omani direction, while many are actually made in India or Pakistan. There is a large variety in quality, from the handles to the sheath. The best handles are made of silver-adorned sandlewood, while the lesser quality handles are made of resin. Look carefully at the sheath to determine the quality of the silver work. A good quality khanjar can cost upwards of OMR700. Typically, those will come in a presentation box, and include a belt.
Another reminder of the country's tribal past is the walking stick known as arsaa. This is a cane with a concealed sword in it, which can prove quite a talking point at home. Unfortunately, in many countries, it will prove a talking point with customs officials rather than friends and family. In Musandam, the khanjar is frequently replaced by the Jerz as formal wear, a walking stick with a small axe head as the handle.
Omani silver is also a popular souvenir, often made into rosewater shakers and small "Nizwa boxes" (named for the town from which they first came). Silver "message holders" (known as hurz, or herz), often referred to in souks as "old time fax machines" are often for sale as well. Many silver products will be stamped with "Oman" on them, which is a guarantee of authenticity. Only new silver items may be so stamped. There is a large quantity of 'old' silver available which will not be stamped. Although it may be authentic, stamping it would destroy its antique value. Caveat Emptor are the watch words. Stick to reputable shops if you are contemplating buying antique Omani silver of any sort.
There is a wonderful selection of Omani silver available as jewellery as well. Items for sale in the Muttrah souk may not be genuine Omani items. Instead visit Shatti Al Qurm just outside of Muscat or the Nizwa Fort.
The distinctive hats worn by Omani men, called "kuma" , are also commonly sold, particularly in the Muttrah Souk in Muscat. Genuine kumas cost from 80 OMR.
Frankincense is a popular purchase in the Dhofar region as the region has historically been a centre for production of this item. Myrrh can also be purchased quite cheaply in Oman.
As one might expect, Oman also sells many perfumes made from a great number of traditional ingredients. Indeed, the most expensive perfume in the world (Amouage) is made in Oman from frankincense and other ingredients, and costs around OMR50. You can also find sandalwood, myrrh and jasmine perfumes.
Opening hours during the holy month of Ramadan are very restricted. Supermarkets are less strict, but don't rely on being able to buy anything after iftar. At noon, most shops are closed anyway but this is not specific to Ramadan.
Using credit cards in shops is hit or miss. It is better to get cash at an ATM. Small denomination notes are hard to come by but necessary for bargaining. Unless you are in a supermarket, restaurant or mall bargaining is recommended, and this should be conducted politely.