Muscat: The holiday for Prophet Mohammed's birthday will be Thursday, September 28, thereby ensuring a long weekend for citizens and residents of the Sultanate of Oman, especially those from the capital.
Domestic tourists can have a few options to explore not minding the prevailing high humidity and temperatures for outdoor activities at the moment.
It may be noted that the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism has upgraded facilities at many tourism destinations, including forts and castles, by handing over the management to the private sector or local SMSes.
According to the travel operators, one of the popular destinations certainly is the Jabal Akhdhar mountainous range, around 30 km from Nizwa, where only a four-wheel drive vehicle is allowed after a checkpoint.
The current maximum temperature in the region is 26 degrees Celsius and a minimum of around 19 degrees Celsius.
Jabal Akhdhar stands out as a unique tourist destination that boasts a year-round turnout of visitors, who set out, from their accommodations in modern hotel facilities, to explore the adjoining mountains and practice many types of related sports.
It is also unique in Oman in the sense that it is home to many agricultural crops like pomegranates, grapes, peaches, apricots, roses, and other farming products. The villages of the Wilayat house a number of ancient buildings that attract large numbers of tourists from various Arab, Asian, European, and American countries.
More than 79,000 people visited Jabal Akhdhar in the the first six months of 2023, reaching 79,034 visitors according to statistics issued by the National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
Jabal Shams is another destination. It is the highest peak that lies in the heart of the Western Hajar Mountains chain in the Al Dakhiliyah region. It takes around 2 hours from Nizwa and the highest range is about 3,000 meters above sea level.
On the way is Al Hamra, an old town that is 400 years old. It contains several villages showing the traditional life of Omani, known as Wadi Ghul, Wadi Nakhr, and Misfat al Abryeen; Al Hamra is famous for its bright color rugs and oriental design.
Al Hoota Cave is a cave located in Al-Hamra and is 5 km long. The cave was first discovered by locals several hundred years ago and was officially opened as a tourist destination in December 2006. The Omani blind cavefish lives in this cave system.
Al Hoota cave was formed as a result of the chemical and hydrographic erosion of limestone by acidic water and extends more than 5 kilometers underground.
Weather permitting, Marina Bandar al Rowdah is another option. It is known for its dolphin boat tours in the sea around the capital, but do take preventive measures to avoid the scorching sun.
As the majority of domestic tourists have not yet visited the Oman Across Ages Museum, it is just the time to do so.
The museum, built under the Royal orders of the Late HM Sultan Qaboos bin Said is the largest of its kind in the region, offering visitors an interactive experience of the cultural and geographic diversity of the Sultanate, the building includes galleries, a library, an auditorium, cafés, and social and research spaces.
The museum is located in the Wilayat of Manah, which is situated around 160km from the capital and is known for some of its old ruined villages.
The design of the building and the materials used in the project have been deeply connected with the local Omani landscape. It is around 15 km from Nizwa City center.
While beaches are certainly among the favourites, a lot depends on the temperature forecast during the weekend.
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