Oman Part II: The best places to watch a sunset…

Many of you may not know this, but I have a wanderlust soul. I have this innate desire to want to travel and explore and immerse myself in different cultures to see how the other parts of the world live. The histories, the traditions, the food…it all fascinates me. I’be been fortunate to have traveled to some cool and not so cool places during my time in the military, and by far the best “deployment” I’ve ever had was when I got to work in Oman for a year. Last we left off, I was telling you what a wonderful, progressive, and vibrant culture that Oman has cultivated for itself and its reputation as a “mini-Dubai.” I frequently find myself missing something about Oman everyday, not just because it was such an unique experience to live among the locals, but because the values, the generosity, the kindness in the Omani’s has captured a piece of my heart forever. I think it’s time I start dusting off my trip planner and start looking at another adventure in Oman.

For this post, I really want to focus on the two things that made living in a foreign country bearable under Covid restrictions…SUNSETS & BEACHES. So I’ve put together this list of some of the best places to catch an unforgettable sunset over the water.

If you read back to the PART I post about Oman HERE…you’ll know that I was only supposed to be there for 6 months, but then a worldwide pandemic happened, and the country closed down, “trapping me” there for another 6 months under the countries border closure. I use the word trap loosely because it really was like I was placed on a forced vacation for 6 months. The downsides were curfews and restrictions from public places like restaurants, groceries store and even beaches and pools. The Royal Omani Police does NOT play about being somewhere you’re not supposed to be so restrictions were really tight. But on the rare occasion I did get to wander out, it was always during sunset and always near a beach. Having a hotel room with an ocean view, was also a bonus.

The W Hotel in Muscat, Oman

Shatti Al-Qurum Beach

Most of my time was spent in Muscat, Oman which is the country’s capital city. It is where the majority of my work was done, and where I lived, ate, visited and photographed. Being as this beach was so close to my work, I was able to take an hour each day to workout before my day was ended and really enjoy the ocean view during my run or walks. This strip is lined with lots of seaside cafe’s, benches and parks where you can take in a beautiful view with your loved ones.

One thing I loved about the sunsets in the Al-Qurum beach was seeing how many people were out there enjoying that special moment. I’ve mentioned before in my previous blog that Oman’s traditional values include spending time and caring for family. It is very common to see multi-generations of families enjoying the beach with food during sunset everyday.

One tribute I really enjoyed in the Al-Qurum area was this beautiful mosaic of Sultan Qaboos. A brief history can be found on the Sultan HERE, but to make a long story short, this man was responsbible for bringing Oman in to the future and capitalizing on it’s standing in the middle east. He not only brought much needed access to humanitarian functions and infrastructure like hospitals, running water and electricity to much of the nation, but also established a modernization policy, for education, communications, and economic development. As of a result of his rule, Oman is now one of the most powerful nations in the Persian Gulf, often acting as a conflict deescalation force and is considered to have a strong relationship with the United States. To say he was loved by his people is an understatement. I had the privilege of visiting Oman while he was still alive, but was also still in Oman when he passed from colon cancer. The country went through three days of mourning in which many of its people truly were mourning from the loss of his leadership. This tribute in Al-Qurum saw new messages and wishes everyday and I used to love to stop to read them during my walks.

The W Hotel

I spent a large majority of my time living in the W Hotel. Sounds really fancy, but there is no military barracks available to American service members in Oman. Housing is only available to those living there full time, so I got lucky enough that my stay was at The W Hotel. It’s a beautiful, modern luxury style hotel with an ocean view and you guessed it…beach access. I spent many of my restricted Covid days on the balcony imbibing on a drink just watching the red sun sink over the ocean. Each and every sunset was different (as were my drinks). Here are a few of my favorite shots:

The Mutrah Souk

You’ve also heard me mention the “Souq” as the place to do all your shopping. It’s a traditional bizarre where you can buy spices, local antiques, rugs, frankincense, Oud wood and local offerings. It’s also one of the best places to get traditional Omani food while you enjoy the old dhow boats pulling into the port to offload fruits, dates and fish. This area is very lively at night and the sunsets are unreal. You can see the layers of ice cream colors painted in the background while the Mutrah Corniche stands as a beautiful backdrop. You can even see some of the old forts on the smaller tips of the coastline.

Here are a few more images of the sunset in the Mutrah area.

Well folks, that about wraps up this post. I spent a lot of time at these locations taking in not only the views and the good food and drinks, but also taking in what life is truly like in Oman. Its people are some of the friendliest I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting, and the hospitality is unbeatable. Oman welcomes its visitors with open arms, a hefty plate of Shuwa and Halwa, and with a promise to show you a land of enchantment in the middle east. If Oman hasn’t made your travel list, you truly are missing out on the experience of a lifetime.