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MuscatMuscat'''Muscat''' is the capital of Oman and the country's largest city. ==Understand== ==Get in== ===By Air=== Oman and Gulf air have daily flights from Madras and Bahrain. While Emirates connects Muscat with Dubai. Change very little currency at the airport. 100 USD will fetch you 35.2 Rials at the airport, it will fetch you 38 rials outside in the city. ===By Bus=== There are daily bus services from Dubai to Muscat. ===By Car=== You can reach Muscat by road from Dubai ==Get around== Maxi taxi's (Mitsuibishi vans) ply the highway from Seeb to the corniche area. The charge is 100 baisa from corniche area to the church round about and another 100 baisa from the church round about to Wadi Adai. The (mostly orange and white) taxis are a bit pricier, and they hang around the hotels where they get juicy fares from unwary travellers. They will charge 8 Rials for and airport trip if you don't haggle, but you should be able to barter for 5 Rials. THey always say they will give you "good price" but its best to figure out what you want to spend then agree before you get in (CP) The Maxi Taxi's ply the main routes through town, and they go where they want so you might have to find one going your direction, once you are on one, they will make sure you get there. THe place to wait for them is on the on-ramps of most of the main highway junctions, you'll usually see a few people waiting around for one. A journey within the Muscat area should not cost more than 300 Baisa each, but if you look like an experienced traveller and hand them 200 baisa then you can usually get away with that. (CP) ==See== * Al jalali Fort * Corniche Area * Grand Mosque * Mirani Fort * Mutrah Souk * Qasr Al Alam Royal Palace * Wahiba Sands ==Do== * Walk down the water front in the Corniche area for some cool sea breeze and treat yourself to some sandwiches and Halib (Tea with Milk) / Sulaimani (Black Tea) at one of the wayside restaurants. The tea cost about 50 baisa. * From the water front enter the Mutrah Souk and bargain for some arab headgear (costs 1 rial), garments, nuts and spices, incense, earthen ware etc. *Before getting back to your hotel have dinner at one of the wayside restaurants on the waterfront. * Night Safari ==Learn== ==Work== ==Buy== *'''Carrefour''', City Centre, Seeb, Tel - 522140 / 141 *'''Godiva Chocolates''', Sabco Centre, Ruwi, Tel - 562367 *'''Lulu Shopping Center''', Ruwi, Tel - 7711449 *'''Mont Blanc''', City Centre, Seeb, Tel - *'''Muscat Duty Free''', Seeb International Airport, http://www.muscatdutyfree.com Oman's own Duty Free Wide range of choices and Great Offers *'''Safeer Hyper Market''', Athiaba (Azaiba), Tel - 502461 *'''Select''', All Shell Petrol Bunks, *'''Sultan Centre''', , Tel - 567666 The Al Fair chain of supermarkets sells just about everything you want (including lots of English products for a fraction of the price you can get at home) Many of them are on the Main Sultan Quaboos highway making them an easy place to spot.(CP) ==Eat== Food is cheap in Muscat and for about a Rial you'll get a meal for two persons. Budget *'''Al-exandria''', Fanja House, Near Sabco Centre, Ruwi, Tel - 561611 :The best Rotis (Indian Bread). Try the chicken Jalfrezi and Paneer aloo (potato) *'''Automatic''', (Cuisine - Lebanese) :Try the Hummus (Chickpea paste), Fatoosh (Salad), Mutabel (Egg Plant paste), Falafel and mint tea. Even the waiters are not sure why the restaurant is named automatic. *'''Al-Haikal''', Near Bus Stand, Ruwi (Cuisine - Pakistani) *'''Al-Hanan''', Ruwi (Cuisine - Indian) *'''Al-Shaheen''', Honda Road, Ruwi (Cuisine - Pakistani) *'''Anand Bhavan''', Off Ruwi High Street, Ruwi (Cuisine - Indian) *'''Gujrat Bhojan Shala''', Ruwi High Street, Ruwi (Cuisine - Indian) *'''Oman Express''', Tel - 7731329 :Delivers Lunch - 18 rials for a month including Fridays or 15.6 Rials excluding Fridays *'''Subway''', City Centre, Seeb, Tel - 542225 Mid-range *'''Haffa House Hotel''', Ruwi Splurge *'''Costa Coffee''', Oasis by the Sea, Tel - (Cuisine - Coffee) *'''Mumtaj Mahal''', (Cuisine - Indian) *'''Passage to India''', PO Box 385, Jibroo, Wadi Adai, Hatat House Compound, Tel - 568480 (Cuisine - Indian) *'''Starbucks Coffee''', Jawharat Al-Shati Plaza, Tel - 601406 (Cuisine - Coffee) *'''Samarkhand''', Oasis by the Sea, (Cuisine - Indian Peshwari) ==Drink== Budget Mid-range Splurge ==Sleep== Budget Mid-range * Haffa House Hotel Splurge ==Contact== Global calling card 'Global One' does not work in Muscat. Though the global one website lists the rates for calls from Oman there are no numbers listed along side. The nearest 'Global One' help line is located in Dubai. Pre-paid telephone cards called '''Jibreen Cards''' are available at most stores. It's available in denominations of 5 Rials and 1.5 Rials. A 5 Rial card gets you 11 minutes of talk time. The '''Hayak''' card is the pre-paid card for cellular phones. ==Stay Safe== Its advisbale to drink bottled water while in Muscat. '''Jabal Akhdar''' and '''Masafi''' are the most recognisable brands of mineral water and is available in most convinience shops. ==Cope== ===ATM's=== ATM's are very common now, especially in the Embassy district and near most shopping malls and larget hotels.(CP) ===Beauty Parlours & Hair Salons=== ===Bus Routes=== ===Car Rentals=== The cheapest car rental is about 14 UKP for a day, but thats not a 4-wheel drive. So don't think that you are going to go up in the mountains for that price. For local travel its far more fun using the buses (CP) ===Gyms=== ===Hospitals=== ===Laundry=== ===Money Changers=== ===Newspapers=== *'''Times of Oman''' *'''Khaleej Times''' ===Pharmacies=== ===Post & Telegraphs=== ===Shoe Repair=== ==Get Out== *Salalah *Dubai {{stub}} First page | Prev | Next | Last page |
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