We arrived off the port on a warm. balmy morning. The haze, much caused by wind-blown sand, had reduced the visibility and had also coated our exterior superstructure with a fine ‘dusting’. The itinerary mentions ‘Muscat’ however we enter the ‘As Sultan Qaboos’ port near the old town of Mutrah. Muscat itself lies over the other side of the steep, mountain passes.
Approaching the port, the MSC Splendida is already alongside
We have called here before of course and having ‘done’ the Souk and the sights before, we decided to play golf at the Al Mouj course, about 30 minutes drive away. I won’t bore you with photos, holding a camera while swinging a club is detrimental to photography; we had a wonderful time on a beautiful course though.
The pilot boat, (1 of the tugs) comes out to meet us. Arrival only, we didn’t take a pilot when departing
The 16th century fort, most built by the Portuguese, another can be seen on the peak to the left.
Foreground, another watch-tower, behind a Frankincense burner
The Sultan’s palace
4 days holiday in Oman and a dhow takes a party sightseeing.
And here is the short panoramic video…..
We have 5 days at sea, making for Aqaba, Jordan for Petra and Wadi Rum. We are paralleling the coast of Oman, then Yemen, passing through the Bab-el-Mandeb, (“Gate of Tears”) into the Red Sea, with Yemen Saudi Arabia to the east and Djibouti, Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt to the west.
Captain, in previous blogs you traveled to the Lost City of Petra. I am seeing many other comments that it requires walking 5 to 6 miles. In your post you mentioned that the Treasury building was 1 mile from the visitor center. Can you help clarify?
Thank you,
Bob
Hi Bob,
You can either walk to the ruins or take a horse drawn carriage for the return but make sure you get a receipt for the return as the operators there will deny you paid. It is a long walk on uneven paths from the entry gate.
Hello Bob, further to Noel’s reply, from the Visitors Centre it is approximately 3/4 mile to the ‘Treasury’. One can walk, or, as Noel mentions, take a horse-drawn buggy if it is too far to walk. Once there, one can get a guide and use one of the mules to take you around, (I can’t remember the exact cost, however about $30). The terrain is reasonably flat near and around the Treasury, however if one wants to go further afield, the terrain becomes rocky and steep, so good walking shoes and plenty of water are called for. The ‘city’ stretches for miles, however there is plenty to see within reasonable distance. The Monastery and Royal Tombs are accessed by a long climb and a ‘mule’ is definitely recommended. Admission price included a ‘horse’ ride, either to or from the entrance to the canyon. I suggest you take it on the way back, by then your legs will be requiring it! Hope this helps.
Captain, thank you for the information. Can we pay the $30 in US currency or local dollars?
Bob
Hello Bob, they accept US $ and that is usually the accepted currency. Make sure you make it absolutely clear of the price before you start
Glad to hear that they take credit cards. We enjoy your blog. They have been very entertaining, but now since we will be following in your footsteps, they are informative. We basically are doing world cruise 60 days at a time.
Hello Captain Jonathan. I enjoy reading your blogs. I know how much time and effort they can take. I show them to my friends when my friends ask me where my parents, Alene and Frank Andrijeski, are. Please keep the Pirates safe, my parents! 🙂
-Frank
Completely revised understanding of Oman terrain. Only the map is flat. Thank you!
Wonderful🚢. Enjoy reading about your adventures. John and I will be on board for the World 2020 ⚓️⚓️⚓️
Truly interesting… but I have to ask, “ what was the name of the golf course and do you think it is off limits to a single woman golfer?
Hi Charlotte, definitely no challenge with single lady. It’s just had PGA and LPGA tournaments. Al Mouj golf club. Quite challenging too .