Things to Do in Oman

The rugged lanscape of Oman offers a good choice of exciting outdoor activities, including:

Caving – Oman offers numerous caving adventures to suit all skill levels. Try the 178m rope descent into the vast chamber of the Majlis al-Jhinn – around 120m high and covering an area of around 60,000sqm – located 1600m above sea level on the remote Selma Plateau. Note: You need to climb back up the same rope to exit the cave!

For a less strenuous adventure, try the Al-Hota Caves, a 2.7km-long underground cavern linking several passageways beneath the Hajar Mountains near Al Hamra. Take a guided tour along pathways that hug cave walls crowded with stalactites, stalagmites and rimstones to the subterranean lake system – home to scores of blind transparent fish. Or explore the Tawi Attair, a 210m sinkhole surrounded by curtains of green foliage.

Hiking – With its dramatic scenery, friendly people and year-round sunshine, Oman offers the ideal setting in which to explore the countless trails crisscrossing the country’s mountains and meandering along the coastline.

Rock climbing – With rugged mountains, wadis (riverbeds), plunging canyons and towering cliffs, you’re never far from a great climbing adventure in Oman. The Hajar Mountains in particular offer a range of challenging climbs.

Horseback riding – Saddle up a pure bred Arabian horse for a riding adventure through the trails of the Al Kamil and Al Wafi region.

Scuba diving – Swim among a range of hard and soft corals, including table coral, black coral and teddy-bear coral. Look out for more than 900 species of fish and marine life that ranges from little cleaner wrasse to whale sharks, cuttlefish, barracuda, turtles and the rare frog fish.

Choose from several dive sites including Bandar Jussa, Fahal Island, Ras Abu Daoud and the Quiryat wreck. Dive walls, swim-throughs and reefs festooned with colorful arrays of coral and tropical fish. The Oman Dive Centre offers all PADI scuba diving courses.

Bird watching – At the Al-Ansab lagoons, Qurum National Park and the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary from October to April, you can spot migrating species from Europe, Africa and Asia, including green parrots, herons, ospreys, laughing doves and Egyptian vultures.

Turtle watching – Sign up for a tour to the beaches of Ras Al Had, Ras Al Junayz and Masirah Island – just some of the areas where several species of marine turtles come to lay their eggs. Watch out for green turtles, loggerheads, hawksbill and leatherbacks that swim back and forth across the Indian Ocean only to return every year to the same sites to lay their eggs.

Game fishing – Hook up a charter for marlin and tuna. Best off the coasts off Sur and Masirah Island.