Oman Travel Guide
5/15/2008 at 9:30 AM
Tags: Oman, Animals, Ecotourism, Beaches, Summer Travel (all tags)
Although a rush on accommodation might mean going to Oman isn't instantly possible, we've just discovered yet another reason to try it. Sea turtles.
Turns out there are seven different species of sea turtles in the world, and Oman's got five of 'em. If you visit Oman's beaches in the evening between June and September, you've got a great chance of seeing a leatherback or a loggerhead or a bunch of other turtles laying eggs.
There are a few special rules for sea turtle viewing in Oman: You shouldn't get too close, never touch their eggs (we thought that went without saying?), you can't camp nearby and, most importantly, don't litter. Sea turtles aren't that bright and sometimes confuse plastic with jellyfish, which they eat. And we could certainly use fewer jellies on the beach.
Related Stories:
· Into the Azure [The Australian]
· Still Crushing on Oman [Jaunted]
· Come Back Soon, Oman Is Full [Jaunted]
[Photo: Mct-Enigma]
by amandak
3/21/2008 at 12:06 PM
Tags: Dangerous Travel, Oman, Mancations, Dick Cheney, Fishing (all tags)
We told you Oman would go mainstream, but we didn't know it would go right-wing. As part of a 10-day tour in the Middle East, Vice President Dick Cheney took some time in the gulf state to rant about Iran and the nuclear threat--and then borrowed the sultan's 60-foot yacht to go fishing.
A fishing trip with the VP sounds a bit safer than, say, going on a hunt--just mind all those hooks. Cheney's wife and daughter, who accompanied him on the outing, came back without suffering any impalements. Sultan Qaboos bin Said, however, apparently thought better of it and didn't go.
Too bad Cheney didn't have time to do any shark fishing before heading back to the States!
Related Stories:
· VP talks about nukes in Oman [WaPo]
· Oman coverage [Jaunted]
· Mancations coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Mathias M]
by benh
3/17/2008 at 1:00 PM
Tags: Oman, New York Times, Middle East (all tags)
Call it the curse of The New York Times. We recently talked about how Oman is just now opening its doors to tourism, but with the Times now dubbing this calm gulf state the "anti-Dubai" it looks like it's gonna be pushed into the mainstream. Hey, it happened to Bangladesh.
The lure of craggy canyons, barracuda-filled coral reefs and untainted streets teeming with history is enough to attract plenty of travelers. And no place can stay "undiscovered" forever. But with Oman's selling point being its authenticity, it seems only a matter of time before some entrepreneur offers "authenticity" in a vacation package.
Of course that doesn't mean we wouldn't go. Gotta get there before a Pizza Hut opens up, right?
Related Stories:
· The Anti-Dubai (for now) [NYT]
· Oman Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Middle East Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: ringogoingo]
by benh
3/04/2008 at 9:25 AM
Tags: Oman, Middle East, Tourism Boards, Tourism Board Travel (all tags)
It must be fun to be a country just opening up to tourism, with all the excitement of tacky souvenirs and tourists getting in your way still to come. That's the position the people of the Middle Eastern country of Oman find themselves in at the moment. The tourism ministry had been aiming to increase visitor spending to 3 percent of the GDP by 2015, but it looks like they'll meet that target by the end of this year instead.
But don't hurry to book your Oman vacation just yet. There are just 9,000 hotel rooms in the country, currently enjoying close to 100 percent occupancy rates, so there's not much room at the inn. The plan is to double the number of rooms nationwide in the next seven years.
Once there's a place to stay, you can count on all kinds of interesting experiences in Oman. There's cave diving for the thrillseekers, traditional souk markets for the shoppers and incredible wadis and desert landscapes for those who like to use a camera. And presumably they'll throw together some tacky souvenirs for us, too.
Related Stories:
· Oman Tourism Week to Create Awareness [Khaleej Times]
· More Muscat, Please [Jaunted]
· Still Crushing on Oman [Jaunted]
[Photo: Parvinder Singh]
by amandak
5/10/2006 at 5:21 PM
Tags: Hot Destinations (all tags)
Ok, so we have quietly become the biggest cheerleader on the Internet for Oman. We are over Dubai, and we only have eyes for Oman these days. Turns out we aren't alone, as we told you before Tony Wheeler, of Lonely Planet fame, is on the bandwagon. He visited Oman back in 2005, saying:
Nizwa had become our favourite Omani town - busy, energetic and with a great souq, even if it was clearly aimed at the tourist trade.
What is it about this place that is fueling our recent obsession? The mysterious constant traffic jams created by sultans? The fact that the place looks like a futuristic Tatooine and comes complete with its own Grand Canyon (Wadi Ghul)? The promise of 4x4 dune ride alongside Bedouins? Or the fact that according to a Jaunted tipster:
The sea is frequently full of hundred of Dolphins feeding on the sardines and other small
fish not far from the harbour entrance at Muscat.
Sounds like Fisherman's Wharf in SF, without the annoying Sea Lion barks.
Who are we kidding, we just get a reallly safe feeling when message board after message board says we are unlikely to be kidnapped in Oman.
Most folks recommend visiting Oman between October and April to avoid the treacherous heat.
image via erratic/Flickr
Related Stories:
· Tony Wheeler Blog [Lonely Planet]
· Oman Trips [Omanholiday.co.uk]
· Oman Coverage [Jaunted]
by markj
4/21/2006 at 3:02 PM
Tags: Muscat, Oman (all tags)
Didn't we promise you some Omani blog action? We're too good to you folks. If you got interested in the country (which is on the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula, between Yemen and the UAE) like we did because of the Amazing Race's pit stop there, this post is for you. Of course, Tony Wheeler of Lonely Planet thinks Oman's going to be next big thing, as well. It's probably one of the few things that he and Phil from the Amazing Race agree upon.
The
Muscatis covers the vagaries of life in Oman. It's perfect entryway into the world of Muscat, (the capital) and the daily life of a resident there. The blog is pretty in-depth; there's stuff about the higher education system and zoning, for example, but don't let that scare you off. There are posts about iPods and toothpaste, too. Anyway, check it out, so that when you get to Oman, you'll know a lot more about it than the Amazing Racers did.
Related Stories:·
The Muscatis [muscati.blogspot.com]
·
All the Great Thinkers are from Oman [Jaunted]
by AVB
4/20/2006 at 4:13 PM
Tags: Flickr, Oman, Amazing Race (all tags)
Inspired by the brief Amazing Race touchdown in Muscat, Oman, during last night's episode--the city universally impressed the racers as they sped away from it at top speed--we thought we'd check it out on Flickr. More on the country itself tomorrow, but here's a teaser pic from
SaLMan.UTD's photostream. Pretty sleek, no?
[Image via SaLMan.UTD/Flickr]
by AVB
4/20/2006 at 9:23 AM
Tags: Amazing-Race, Google Maps (all tags)
Click Here To Go Straight To Chasing Racers Map
Since the Amazing Race returned to its "Classic Coke" format, we figured we would give the show a proper mashup. his map will update every week in the days after the show. Send along tips, rumors, gossip, locations and spoilers to our map editors, become a member and comment on the stories below, and add to the Jaunted-Flickr photo pool to get in on the fray. Enjoy.
Episode 8
Enough of Eric & Jeremy's secret love affair with the Hippies. Their combined act has grown tiresome. Thankfully, the other three teams sufficiently entertained us this week. Ok, we admit it, we get some sick satisfaction out of watching Frankenbarry nearly drop dead every week and then miraculously rising like a phoenix to finish surprisingly high. Monica is definitely a screamer, 'nuff said, and team MoJo is bound for inner turmoil, trust us. Oh and Yolanda? When she told Ray he flipped the script we decided right then and there we wanted Phil to allow Yolanda to race solo the rest of the way. We bet our girl would bring it home. On to Oman.
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by markj
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