Amazing nature, kind people

Liju Cherian -

“It is hard to say goodbye to Oman. This was an amazing holiday that I really didn’t want to return. But I will come back and will go everywhere we couldn’t and spend at least one night in the desert. I will come back just because of it! Wishing everyone a gorgeous weekend that you don’t want to go back to work…!”

These are the words of Rengin Vermin, a Turkish woman based in the Netherlands, who fell head over heels in love with the Sultanate.

She and her friend Nihan Arslan Aran from Berlin co-founded Tatilin Geldiyse, a new travel blog. The blog in Turkish means ‘when you need to go on holiday’.

The two ladies aviation and space engineers have one thing in common. They love to explore and share the world with others. They also travel sometimes apart, but mostly together and for over three years have been to over 40 countries.

Rengin blogs about her experiences from her visit to the Sultanate.

The online diary explains ‘everything you need to know before you go’ (to Oman) and includes tips on how to get Oman visa, details about the currency, transport, lodges and even electricity usage.

Rengin decided to visit Oman because her husband lived in Muscat when he was a kid due to his father’s work. And his memories were quite vivid.

From the moment Rengin landed with her hubby, the Sultanate amazed them. The couple had no expectations when they began their visit, but towards the end found Oman ‘astonishingly beautiful, different and an outstanding country.’

“With its unique architecture, low buildings, colourful details of mosques, delicious cuisine and last but not the least its unique nature, I got everything I would expect from an amazing trip. Oman is one of my best,” she explains enthusiastically.

They spent most part of their holiday at Muscat Hills Resort beach, situated within the idyllic private bay of Al Jissah, with its rustic barasti style, air-conditioned huts, along with its fully equipped dive centre.

“We wanted to share our travels with family and friends right from the beginning. We wanted to share with them the places we visited with pictures. Many who read through the blog are planning their travel with tips from what we write,” she says satisfactorily.

Rengin loved the emerald coloured waters of the resort beach which amazed her and enjoyed the dive.

About her experiences from the visit, Rengin says the moment they drove from Muscat International Airport to the hotel, she began to admire Oman with great admiration.

“Everything was so nice. The feeling continued during my holiday. I am amazed by the nature of Oman and how well it is managed and protected as well as the kindness of the people. I think it is very positive.

Everywhere we visited, we could speak English. I also could source detailed information about the tourist places online.”

The couple visited tourist spots like Bimmah Sinkhole, Wadi Shab, Nizwa castle, Muttrah Souq, Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Al Alam Palace, National Museum of Oman, Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) among others.

Their drive to Nizwa from Muscat was worth as they decided to get closer to Nakhl Fort which is surrounded by orchards of palm trees. “It was an amazing sight to see the castle among the palms which look much better than in the photos and snapped them for posting on social media.”

“My sincere advice to tourists travelling to Oman is to stay longer and see more of the country and relish Omani cuisines which are definitely delicious,” she adds.

Rengin likes to read, write and watch movies and documentaries or doing research about her travels when she is free. She uses every opportunity to travel and feels Oman is unique and is worth a visit a second time.

Determined to be back again she hopes that it will be very soon. But their next trip will be to Iceland in early March with Nihan.