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Most Shocking McDonalds / Most-Shocking-McDonalds-Locations / McDonalds / Fast Food Travel / Oman Travel / → All Tags

Order Up A McArabia At The McDonalds In Muscat, Oman

It's a new year and you know what that means? Time to continue discovering the world'smost shocking McDonalds locations, and with the help of a Jaunted reader, we're heading back into the Middle East.

Last time we hit up a shocking golden arches, it was in the middle of Israel's Negev Desert, and this time it's in Muscat, Oman. Accompanying this photo, the reader shared her shock:

I snapped this picture while touring through Muscat, Oman in the Middle East. Strange sight indeed!

We just hope she opted to try the McArabia sandwich! Apparently this McDonalds was the third McDs to open in the Middle East, way back in 1994 after Ronald stepped into Riyadh and Jeddah first.

Got another shocking McDonald's location we should know about? This is going to be a running series, so email us your suggestions!

Related Stories:
· The Most Shocking McDonald's Locations In The World [Jaunted]
· More McDonalds Locations That Make You Go 'Hmmm' [Jaunted]
· Fast Food Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: L. Loverro]

Airplane Lavatories / Airlines / Airline News / Oman Air / Toilets / → All Tags

Oman Air's New Toilet Is Set To Flush The Competition

If there’s one sign that the economy is on the rebound, it’s probably not the fact that the market topped 10,000 yesterday. The true test of economic recovery comes with crazy luxurious lavatories aboard commercial airliners. Back before the bust, Emirates was all about promoting their shower for the classiest of first class flyers lucky enough to travel the world on the A380. However, now Oman Air wants a piece of the action, and they’re going to do it with their toilet.

Details are limited at this point, but we’re suckers for their trap, and we want to know more already. The airline is ordering up some new Airbus A330-300 aircraft and they’re planning to install the swanky bathrooms aboard the new planes. Only the pilot and first class customers will have access to the lavatory that sits right behind the cockpit. Besides the toilet there will be a bidet, Amouage products, and plenty of other lotions, colognes, and perfumes to keep passengers so fresh and so clean.

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Pirates / Pirate Travel / Dangerous Travel / Cruises / Nautica / → All Tags

Anatomy Of A Cruise Ship Attack

On Sunday, the luxury cruise ship Nautica got closer to Somali pirates than any ocean liner since the Seabourn Spirit came under grenade attack in 2005. Though bandits fired eight shots at the Nautica, she managed to outrun her attackers, escaping any damage or injuries to the 684 passengers and 386 crew aboard.

How'd it go down? After spotting two small boats on an intercept course, the Nautica accelerated beyond its normal top speed of 20 knots (23 mph) and prepped its defensive long range acoustic device, a gizmo that channels a shrill sound loud enough to rupture eardrums and cause temporary vision loss. As one of the pirate skiffs closed to within 300 yards, a cruise line spokesman told the LA Times, eight shots were fired in the direction of the Nautica. The attackers broke off the assault after all the shots missed.

The next port of call for the Nautica is Salalah, Oman. The ship is on a 32-day voyage from Italy to Singapore, and it continues on to Muscat, which doesn't front the Gulf of Aden, on December 3. Until it gets there, you can help keep watch for further pirate attacks via the Nautica's on-board webcam.

Related Stories:
· Pirates Fire at Cruise Ship Near Somalia [LAT]
· Somali Pirates Strike Again Near Nascent Tourist Hotspot [Jaunted]

[The Nautica in Kobe, Japan: Wikimedia]

Sharks / Tourism Board Travel / Diving / Islands / → All Tags

Oman's Daymaniyat Islands, Where The Sharks Are Friendly

Marketers at the tourism board of Oman keep talking up the country in a way that makes us want to go there, and the latest attraction is the Daymaniyat Islands, a bit more than an hour by boat from Muscat.

We already knew that sea turtles are a big deal in Oman, but apparently near the Daymaniyats you can also find hawksbill turtles, clown fish, stingray, moray eels and barracuda. With dive tourism just starting up the locals are advocating "hands-off" interaction with the local wildlife:

Most notably with moray eels, sea snakes and sharks that inhabit the waters (though the sharks do not attack humans).

No wonder Oman has such great tourism potential--they've even trained their sharks not to eat us. We're on our way with our tanks and flippers.

Related Stories:
· Oman Ministry of Tourism [Official Site]
· Oman's Beautiful Daymaniyat Islands [eTravel]
· We Love Oman, Because You Can See Sea Turtles [Jaunted]

[Photo: boens]

Dubai Travel / Oman / Dubious Destinations / → All Tags

Dubious Destinations: Smugglers and Tourists Mingle in Khasab

"New" tourist destinations are popping up all the time--new to us, that is. Recently we've seen the Omani town of Khasab being promoted as a relaxing break away from the ultra-urban Dubai, less than three hours' drive away. According to the tourist brochures it's a relaxing spot with towering mountains and easy access to the Fjords of Arabia.

Cue Wikipedia for another view. Khasab, according to the internet bible:

Is known for fishing and smuggling in small, fast boats, to and from Iran.

To be fair, even Wikipedia admits that Khasab is "evolving" into a tourist destination and mention that diving is another popular activity there. We're just wondering if the smugglers will wise up and start offering speed boat smuggling tours.

Related Stories:
· A Perfect Arabian Getaway [eTravel]
· Khasab [Wikipedia]
· Oman Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Wikimedia]

Oman / Animals / Ecotourism / Beaches / Summer Travel / → All Tags

We Love Oman, Because You Can See Sea Turtles

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]

Dangerous Travel / Oman / Mancations / Dick Cheney / Fishing / → All Tags

Dangerous Mancations: Fishing with Cheney in Oman

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]

Oman / New York Times / Middle East / → All Tags

Oman's Great, But...

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]

Oman / Middle East / Tourism Boards / Tourism Board Travel / → All Tags

Come Back Soon: Oman Is Full

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]

Hot Destinations / → All Tags

Still Crushing on Oman

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]

Muscat / Oman / → All Tags

More Muscat, Please

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]

Flickr / Oman / Amazing Race / → All Tags

Muscat's Not Just a Grape

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]