It approximately takes anywhere between 4 & a 1/2 to 5 hours max to reach Muscat from Dubai, we started early morning on our 3 days escapade. We had been there in November of 2009, dawn of winter in the Middle East.
There are 22 petrol stations enroute & the road is as good as in Dubai, that is of top order if i may say so. But the petrol bunks in Dubai are very traveller friendly, what with each one of them having a mini mart which provides you with every concievable thing you would ever require on the road, but the petrol bunks of Oman leave much to desire.
We took Dubai -Hatta route to Oman, which is the best route to follow as well. Entire route is one straight coastal road. Hatta is a beautiful heritage city of Dubai situated approx 1 hr 15 minutes from the heart of Dubai . It is a mountaneous area , the mountains known as Hajjar mountains. It also has several Dune bashing areas where tourists or residents who want to ride on the dunes are given an hour or more (charged by hour) fun filled ride over dunes in the 4X4 vehicles driven by expert drivers who know how to drive over such terrain. This can then be followed by camping under the stars at night with dinner of traditional Arabic kebabs (Non veg and Veg both kinds of options are there) etc accompanied with Belly Dancing beside campfire for entertainment. Those who like to smoke can get the feel of smoking "Sheesha" which is a form of Hookah as we know it in India. You also get local costumes to dress into and get clicked if you so desire. Needless to say that we have enjoyed and took our guests also to enjoy all that Hatta has to offer on many previous occasions so we had no intention of any stop-over this time while going to Muscat- Oman.
For travellers of GCC residents the VISA process is very simple and convenient. Just after you reach Hatta border , there is check post of Dubai where you need to get your exit Visa stamped on your passport. After about another 2 KM looms large a gate of Oman check post where you need to fill in your immigration form and get your Oman entry Visa stamped. You need to have your Car insurance for Oman. This entire process can take anywhere between 15 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the rush at that given hour. While returning, though, it hardly takes more than 10-15 minutes for getting exit Visa stamped from Oman checkpost & getting entry visa stamped on Dubai checkpost.
On the way to Muscat, we stopped at Sohar port and witnessed a sunrise at the beach. Also caught an amazing view of Sawadi waters on a boat ride.
Oman (Capital- Muscat) is a very beautiful country where the government has taken care to beautify each and every roundabout with some novel structure and a lot of greenry and flowers . The roads all along have trees and greens in manicured fashion.
Muscat is a city dotted along the mountains. You can compare it to any hill stations you have been to India, minus snowfall ! The roads are winding up and down in and around Muscat.
On the first evening we went to Qantab beach and the drive down to the beach was superb with amazing roads. Just realised that I am using numerous superlatives! Also, drive along the coast is filled with magnificent scenes. Mutrah Souk in Muscat is also a must visit place.
We had kept aside one day to visit the Old Caves in Nizwa area of Oman, which is 3 - 4 hours drive away from Muscat. These caves are known as Al Hoota caves. They are said to be approximately 5-6 million years old caves. The natural beauty inside the cave sure took our breath away ! ( www.alhootacave.com ). Anyone who visits Oman and does not see these caves is definately missing out on a major scenic beauty of nature ! These caves have been opened for public viewing only from the year 2006 . They have also put up a small train which can transport the visitors till the (man made) door of the cave. The train was under repair at this time , so we went walking. A batch of 15 people is taken under guided supervision after taking entry tickets. The tour lasts 40-45 minutes inside cave, where one has to climb 265 stairs to reach various parts of the cave. It is lit internally with careful, shaded lighting so as to not disturb the chemical composition of the various rock formations inside. It was quite a humbling experience to stand there and feel such a small insignificant being in comparison to the huge , somwhat mammoth creations of nature inside. No photography allowed inside. And its not advisable to take naughty children inside :)
The drive to Nizwa was very interesting too, with huge mountains flanking our road on both sides all along and they changing colours every now and then.. Once you reach Nizwa, you have to climb all along for another 45 minutes to reach Al Hoota Caves and this stretch of road is a unique experience on its own. Snaking road, flanked with few farms on the way, some sparse dwellings here and there and breathtaking huge mountains ! Nizwa itself also boasts of a lone "heritage" fort which is under the care of Unesco. It also has an old souk (market) closeby to the said fort. Jabal Al Akhdar is a mountain closer to Nizwa and only 4 wheelers are allowed to get to the top.
Next time we plan to take another trip to Oman. There is a place in Oman, called SALALAH, which is considered the "Ooty" of Oman ! That time we will have to drive 1500 Kms from Muscat to our destination "Salalah" . This place becomes lush green during summers , and is compared then to "Kerala" of India ! It is an ideal place to escape in summers since it remains cold like our Indian hill stations.
Here are few photographs of various places that we saw on this trip :
