Insight Guides Pocket Oman (Travel Guide eBook)

Insight Guides

Description

Insight Guides: Inspiring your next adventure

Insight Pocket Guides: ideal itineraries and top travel tips in a pocket-sized package.
� Compact, concise, and packed with essential information about Where to Go and What to Do, this is an ideal on-the-move companion when you're exploring Oman
� Covers the country's Top Ten Attractions, including spectacular Nakhal Fort and splendid Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and a Perfect Day in Muscat itinerary suggestions
� Offers an insightful overview of landscape, history and culture
� Contains an invaluable pull-out map, and essential practical information on everything from Eating Out to Getting Around
� Includes an innovative extra that's unique in the market - all Insight Pocket Guides come with a free eBook
� Inspirational colour photography throughout
� Sharp design and colour-coded sections make for an engaging reading experience

About Insight Guides: Insight Guides has over 40 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce around 400 full-colour print guide books and maps as well as picture-packed eBooks and apps to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture together create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.

Informations

• Publié par: Apa Publications
• Date de parution: 01 février 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781786718662
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 7 Mo

Extrait

How To Use This E-Book

Getting Around the e-Book
This Pocket Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration and planning advice for your visit to Oman, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip.
The guide begins with our selection of Top 10 Attractions, plus a Perfect Itinerary feature to help you plan unmissable experiences. The Introduction and History chapters paint a vivid cultural portrait of Oman, and the Where to Go chapter gives a complete guide to all the sights worth visiting. You will find ideas for activities in the What to Do section, while the Eating Out chapter describes the local cuisine and gives listings of the best restaurants. The Travel Tips offer practical information to help you plan your trip. Finally, there are carefully selected hotel listings.
In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.
Maps
All key attractions and sights in Oman are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.
Images
You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Oman. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.
About Insight Guides
Insight Guides have more than 40 years’ experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce 400 full-colour titles, in both print and digital form, covering more than 200 destinations across the globe, in a variety of formats to meet your different needs.
Insight Guides are written by local authors, whose expertise is evident in the extensive historical and cultural background features. Each destination is carefully researched by regional experts to ensure our guides provide the very latest information. All the reviews in Insight Guides are independent; we strive to maintain an impartial view. Our reviews are carefully selected to guide you to the best places to eat, go out and shop, so you can be confident that when we say a place is special, we really mean it.
© 2018 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd



Table of Contents
Oman’s Top 10 Attractions
Top Attraction #1
Top Attraction #2
Top Attraction #3
Top Attraction #4
Top Attraction #5
Top Attraction #6
Top Attraction #7
Top Attraction #8
Top Attraction #9
Top Attraction #10
A Perfect Day In Muscat
Introduction
Varied landscapes
Land of traditions
Islam in Oman
Building a future
A Brief History
Prehistory
Early civilisations
Arrival of Islam
Maritime trade
The Omani Empire
Creation of modern Oman
Historical landmarks
Where To Go
MUSCAT
Old Muscat
South of Old Muscat
Mutrah
Ruwi
Qurm
Madinat as Sultan Qaboos
Al Khuwayr
NIZWA AND THE MOUNTAINS
Muscat to Nizwa
Nizwa
Around Nizwa
Al Hamra region
Ibri and Bat
SOHAR AND BATINAH COAST
Batinah coast
Sohar
Wadi Jizzi
SUR AND THE EAST
Muscat to Sur
Sur
Turtle-watching
The Eastern Hajar Mountains
Wahibah Desert and beyond
SALALAH AND DHOFAR
Salalah city
West Salalah
East Salalah
MUSANDAM
Getting to Musandam
Khasab
Scenic coastal drive
Dhow cruise
Mountain tour
What To Do
SPORTS AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Spectator sports
ENTERTAINMENT
SHOPPING
ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN
Calendar of events
Eating Out
WHERE TO EAT
WHEN TO EAT
WHAT TO EAT
DESSERTS
DRINKS
Reading the Menu
To Help You Order…
Menu reader
Restaurants
Muscat
Nizwa
Sohar and Batinah coast
Sur and the East
Salalah and Dhofar
Musandam
A–Z Travel Tips
A
Accommodation (see also list of Recommended hotels)
Airports
B
Bicycle hire
Boat hire
Budgeting for your trip
C
Camping
Car hire (see also Driving)
Climate
Clothing
Crime and safety
D
Driving (see also Car hire)
E
Electricity
Embassies and consulates
Emergencies
G
Gay and lesbian travellers
Getting there (see also Tourist information)
Guides and tours
H
Health and medical care
L
Language
M
Maps
Media
Money
O
Opening times
P
Photography
Police
Post offices
Public holidays
Public transport
R
Religion
T
Telephone
Time zones
Tipping
Toilets
Tourist information
V
Visas and entry requirements
W
Websites and internet cafés
Recommended Hotels
Muscat
Nizwa and the mountains
Nizwa
Al Hamra region
Sohar and Batinah Coast
Sohar
Batinah Coast
Sur and the East
Sur
The East Coast
Salalah and Dhofar
Musandam


Oman’s Top 10 Attractions




Top Attraction #1
Chris Bradley/Apa Publications

Nakhal Fort
A soaring structure in the Western Hajar Mountains. For more information, click here .



Top Attraction #2
Chris Bradley/Apa Publications

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
A beautifully designed and decorated contemporary mosque with a capacity for 20,000 worshippers. For more information, click here .



Top Attraction #3
Oman Tourism

Al Hoota Cave
Spectacular underground formations. For more information, click here .



Top Attraction #4
Elvis John Ferrao

Bait al Baranda
This excellent museum traces Muscat’s history. For more information, click here .



Top Attraction #5
Chris Bradley/Apa Publications

Dhow cruise
Enjoy tranquil bays and stunning views. For more information, click here .



Top Attraction #6
Chris Bradley/Apa Publications

Land of Frankincense Museum
A fascinating and fragrant history. For more information, click here .



Top Attraction #7
Shutterstock

Ras al Jinz Turtle Reserve
Nesting site of endangered green turtles. For more information, click here .



Top Attraction #8
Chris Bradley/Apa Publications

Sumhuram
The site of an ancient port in a beautiful setting on the banks of Khawr Rawri creek. For more information, click here .



Top Attraction #9
Chris Bradley/Apa Publications

Mutrah Corniche and Souq
The exotic sights, sounds and smells of an authentic Arabian souq. For more information, click here .



Top Attraction #10
Chris Bradley/Apa Publications

Nizwa Fort
A majestic fort with excellent views. For more information, click here .


A Perfect Day In Muscat



8.00am

Breakfast
Join the power-walkers and joggers for an early-morning stroll along the quiet beach at Shati al Qurm, followed by a well-deserved outdoor breakfast at D’Arcy’s in Jawaharat a’Shati Complex.


9.30am

A mosque visit
Visit the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque for a look around this beautifully constructed and exquisitely decorated building, one of the most famous in Arabia. Women must remember to take a scarf to cover their heads.


11.00am

Local history
Head for Mutrah and spend an hour at Bait al Baranda, a fascinating history museum. Have a hot drink at the Kargeen Caffe before moving on.


12 noon

Coastal drive
Drive along the sweeping corniche and through the Muscat Gate into Old Muscat. Admire the facade of the Sultan’s Al Alam Palace and take in the latest art exhibition at Bait Muzna Gallery.


1.30pm

Scenic lunch
Drive down the coast to the world-famous Al Bustan Palace Hotel for a superb buffet lunch. The Al Khiran Terrace restaurant offers indoor or outdoor dining with stunning views along the coast, and features ‘live cooking stations’ for personal freshly cooked dishes.


4.00pm

Dhow cruise
Return to Mutrah Corniche to board a pre-booked sunset dhow cruise. Glide out of the harbour and along the coast into the bay of Old Muscat, often accompanied by dolphins, and take in views of the Sultan’s Palace and the Portuguese forts of Al Mirani and Al Jalali.


6.30pm

A short stroll and an aperitif
Disembark and walk along the Corniche for early-evening drinks on the tiny top-floor terrace of the Marina Hotel. Enjoy fabulous views along Mutrah Corniche to the fort and beyond.


8.00pm

Dinner with a view
Reserve a table at La Brasserie, next door to the Marina Hotel, for exquisite French cuisine specialising in fish dishes. This small restaurant is spr