The Sea of Oman

I stood on the bow of the vessel catching the oncoming wind and the salty seawater splashes, feeling like I was flying on the sea of Oman. The desert heat was forgotten. The Omani coast was rugged with wondrous caves and rock formations, natural rock arches where our boat cruised through, secluded private beaches, and the 1000 rooms Shangri-la Resort hotel. Back to the Muscat coast, the boat went into the bay and we could see the Al Jalali and Al Mirani forts and the rock graffiti below the watch towers up close. The grand finale of the Omani trip was this cruise on the sea of Oman. It was a fantastic scenic way to say goodbye to the Sultanate of Oman.

This trip was definitely one of the best I've taken and it ranked very high on my travel list. From the cosmopolitan all man-made Dubai to the mountaineous more natural Oman, these 2 weeks couldnt have been more culture shock. But I had planned it this way to get the maximum effect. I've wanted to see the skyscrapers and the modernity of Dubai with my own eyes. And the natural wonders of Oman. Perhaps the only 2 remaining arab countries which are still safe to visit. One I still cant decide if I liked. The other had exceeded my expectations. Not very long ago both were still nothing more than bedouin rival tribes in the desert. Now both have amazing cities, skyscrapers, bottled water, coca-cola, mobile phones, internet, and had caught up in the 21st century. What a bit of oil could do to a country!

See Muscat photos