Oman Guide

Arabia's hermit Oman is coming out of its shell. From seas of shifting dunes and slender minarets to date-palm oases and crystal-clear wadis, this country captivates with quiet charm and friendly locals. An untouched Middle Eastern enclave, it won't be long before this Bedouin beauty bowls you over.

Muscat's jumble of narrow streets lead to Persian forts, labyrinthine souks and the almighty Grand Mosque – its 70-metre Persian carpet is the world's largest. Seek out Sur's arabesque architecture, palm-strewn Nizwa's mud-brick houses and southern Salalah's coconut groves. Gaze up at Bahla Fort's blushing bricks, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Unravel the Batinah Coast's never-ending beaches and spot bottlenose dolphins and whale tails on the Fahal Islands. Go east to camel ride on the rippled Wahiba Sands and stroll past date palms to gawp at Wadi Shab's velvet-green gorge. Escapists hop over to Masirah Island, nesting ground for loggerhead turtles, for big Indian Ocean waves.

Fill your suitcase with sweet-smelling frankincense, jasmine oil and rosewater from Al Jebel al Akhdar's slopes. Weave through Muscat's Mutrah and Nizwa souks to buy Bedouin jewellery, silver khanjars (Omani daggers), hand-woven carpets and camel straps (in case you have the hump!). Be prepared to haggle hard.

Aromatic Omani cuisine whets appetites with flavours like tender shuwa (spicy meat slow-cooked in an underground clay oven), maqbous (yellow saffron rice) and mashuai (spit-roasted kingfish). Thin rukhal bread baked over a palm-leaf fire is delicious with honey or curry. Sip strong, cardamom-flavoured kahwa (coffee) with fresh dates and sticky halwa .

What lies above the ground is only half the story. Dive into Oman's translucent waters to spy brightly-coloured coral reefs and shoals of angel fish. Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve comes first for dolphin and hawksbill-turtle spotting.