Muscat is the capital and largest city of Oman and is also the seat of government in the Governorate of Muscat. As an important port-town in the Gulf of Oman, Muscat attracted foreign tradesmen and settlers such as the Persians, the Balochis and Gujaratis. Since the ascension of Qaboos bin Said as Sultan of Oman in 1970, the city has experienced rapid infrastructural development that has led to the growth of a vibrant economy and a multi-ethnic society.

The landscape of Muscat is dominated by the rocky Western Al Hajar Mountains. The city lies on the Arabian Sea along the Gulf of Oman and is in the proximity of the strategic Straits of Hormuz. Low-lying white buildings typify most of Muscat’s urban landscape, while the port-district of Muttrah, form the north-eastern periphery of the city. Muscat’s economy is dominated by trade, petroleum and porting.

Muscat is a favorite holiday destination for many tourists and visitors world wide. Options for Sightseeing are the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Old Muttrah Souk in Muscat, Fish Market, Al Alam Royal Palace and Al Jalali Fort in Muscat.

Things to Do at Muscat also includes visiting a pub or a night club or a good restaurant. The hotels in Muscat offer babysitting services if you want to avoid the hassles while traveling with kids. There are the twin forts of Al-Mirani and Al-Jalali  and the Al Alam Palace for you to travel to. Al-Mirani and Al-Jalali are now museums and house military paraphernalia such as cannons and various weapons. Secret passageways and nooks and crannies add to the excitement of the visitors. Kids will find absolute joy while sailing in the harbor to see dolphins, or maybe a whale.

Shopaholics will have a great time in Muscat as the city is a shopper’s paradise and over a half-million visitors come to Muscat to do shopping. The shopping centers offer strollers, nursery facilities, handicap accessibility, and even male and female prayer rooms. Many well-known food bands sell their food products here. The Mutrah Souq market is famous for its jewelry, frankincense, clothing and antiques. In the City Centre Mall , you will find world’s best perfumes. Tourist Attractions in Muscat also includes various sports activities that feature cycling, volleyball, diving and camel racing. There are non-diving adventures like climbing, archery, and caving, trekking, bird watching, and historical tours.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at 11:32 pm and is filed under Coastal Holiday. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.