Oman

Introduction PART ONE GENERAL INFORMATION Chapter 1 Background Information Geography, Climate, Natural history, History, Government and politics, Economy, People, Language , Religion, Education, Culture Chapter 2 Practical InformationWhen to visit, Highlights, Suggested itineraries, Tourist information, Tour operators, Red tape, Embassies and consulates, Getting there and away,Health, Safety, What to take, Money and budgeting, Getting around, Accommodation, Eating and drinking, Public holidays, Shopping, Activities,Photography, Media and communications, Cultural etiquette, Travelling positivelyPART TWO THE GUIDEChapter 3 MuscatHistory, Getting there and away, Orientation, Getting around, Tourist information, tours and tour operators, Where to stay, Where to eat and drink,Entertainment and nightlife, Shopping, Other practicalities, Sports and activities, What to see and do, Excursions beyond MuscatChapter 4 Al Batinah Coast Getting there and away, Exploring Al Batinah, Where to stay, Where to eat and drink, Activities, Barka, As Sawadi and around, As Suwayq to Suhar, Suhar, Al Batinah Plain, Liwa, Shinas and region, The Rustaq Loop Chapter 5 MusandamGetting there and away, Getting around, Tour operators, Activities, Bukha, Qida and Tawi, Khasab, From Khasab to Wadi Bih, Kumzar, Daba, Lima, MadhaChapter 6 The Adh Dhahirah and Al Buraymi Getting there and away, Getting around, Where to stay, Ibri, Bat, Al-Khutm and Al Ayn, Wadi Fida, Yanqul, Al Buraymi, From Al Buraymi to Mahadah Chapter 7 Ad Dakhiliyah Getting there and away, Tour operators, Where to stay, Activities, Fanja, The Samail Gap, Birkat Al Mawz, Wadi Muaydin, Sayq Plateau, Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Nizwa, South of Nizwa, Tanuf, Al Hamra and around, Bahla, SalutChapter 8 Ash SharqiyyahGetting there and away, Tour operator, Where to stay, Where to eat and drink, Activities, From Sinaw to Al Rawdhah, Ibra, the Wihibah Sands and region, Along the coastal route from Muscat to Sur, Sur, Ras Al Had and Ras Al

Tony Walsh has written extensively about Oman for local and international media as well as for Oman government publications. He has lived in Arabia since 1986, for most of that time in Muscat. Though initially managing retail businesses in Oman and Saudi Arabia, he has also worked in tourism since 1993, exploring Oman from the Straits of Hormuz to the Yemen border and beyond. His Arabic can justifiably be called 'street Arabic' as, although he learnt to read and write in a class, it was the man on the street who taught him the language. His coffee table book on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Oman covers each of the thirteen locations which are spread throughout the country.ABOUT THE ORIGINAL AUTHORDiana Darke has known Oman for over 30 years when she first worked there for the Omani government in 1980. She still has many Omani colleagues and friends in the country. With a BA in Arabic (Oxford) and an MA in Islamic Art and Architecture (SOAS, London) her in-depth cultural background knowledge is second to none, and is rarely found in guidebooks. She is the author of sixteen guidebooks on Turkey and the Middle East.