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Khmazera Castle
Buried in the heart of town (brown signs show the way), this small fortified house sports two cannons at the doorway, a renovated well in the courtyard and giant oyster shells in one of the rooms. Its underwhelming after Khasab Fort but worth a pause during a walk or drive around
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Al Riyam Park
Beyond Mutrah Fort, the corniche leads to the leafy Al Riyam Park, with fine views of the harbour from the giant, ornamental incense burner. There is a small fun fair popular with local residents at weekends. The park is on the path of a popular hike that used to link Mutrah with M
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Womens Souq
Once per week this souq, opposite the main souq, attracts women-only buyers and sellers from all over the region, selling a variety of handicrafts such as baskets, woven cushions and camel bags. Men are not welcome and photographs are prohibited in the only souq in the country dedi
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Natural History Museum
The Ministry of National Heritage houses the small but quaint Natural History Museum. The museum is illuminating about the local flora and fauna, and there are some excellent displays on Oman’s geography and geology, together with information about environmental protection. Entry i
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Al Mintirib Fort
In the days before the housing of Al Mintirib encroached on its space, this solid-walled fort with its sunken door must have been an impressive sight, holding back the dunes in one direction, and repelling marauding tribes from the mountains. Timings are posted outside the fort but
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Watchtower
The restored Portuguese watchtower on a promontory out to sea, halfway along Mutrah Corniche, affords a view of the ocean and the grand sweep of Mutrahs waterfront. The area is a popular place to catch the evening breeze and is decorated with colourful fountains at night. Free bike
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Bayt Nua’man
Barka is home to the 18th-century Bayt Nua’man, a fine merchant house that has been restored and now doubles as a local museum, with a small collection of typical household items. The turn-off for the house is signposted off the Muscat–Sohar Hwy, 7km west of the main Barka junction
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Nizwa Fort
Built over 12 years in the 17th century by Sultan bin Saif al Yaruba, the first imam of the Ya’aruba dynasty, the fort is famed for its 40m-tall round tower. It’s worth climbing to the top of the tower to gauge the scale of the surrounding date plantations and to admire the view of
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Plantations
Salalah is famous for its plantations of coconuts, papayas and bittersweet, small bananas. Stroll through the plantation roads near the corniche (2km from the town centre) and its hard to remember Salalah is Omans second city. For refreshment, stop off at the many colourful fruit s
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Planetarium
The Planetarium offers a free show on the first Saturday of every month but book one day ahead and the website (under community) lists any additional public shows on offer. Star-gazing parties are also available. To reach the Planetarium from Qurm, follow the signs for the Crowne P
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Sohar’s Municipal Park
Sohar’s glorious beach, with glossy-smooth strands of sand, runs without interruption into the distance. Access to the beach is easiest from a car park next to Sohar’s municipal park. Look under the hedges for the mighty minotaur, the largest beetle in Arabia. This nicely maintaine
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Tourist Service Centre
For a panoramic view of the wadi plantations, stop at the Tourist Service Centre on the approach road to Moqal Cave. The centre has been closed for years but it overlooks a sea of palm trees and is blissfully peaceful at sunset when most day trippers have gone home. You can bring y
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Ibri Castle
Currently the more interesting and complete of the towns two forts, this imposing building has been restored and has brought the old quarter of Ibri to life. There is not too much to see inside but the views from the battlements are grand and the neighbouring gold souq and livestoc
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Traditional Handicraft Souq
Only half the workshops in this modern arcade are open but there’s a few mat-weaving establishments and an apothecary, where you can pick up some bukhorr hassad , a mixture of natural ingredients to ward off the evil eye. Try sage for sore throats, frankincense for constipation and
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Bilad Sur Castle
Built to defend the town against marauding tribes from the interior, 200-year-old Bilad Sur Castle boasts unusually shaped towers. It has been closed for an extended period for restoration, but you can wander around the outside. To reach the castle, turn left off Main St, 1.3km fro
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Bani Bu Hassan Castle
This solid, squat castle in Bani Bu Hassan has been well restored and deserves a quick visit if youre passing, though youre unlikely to be passing unless youve followed the plethora of brown signs taking you into the suburban outskirts of town that have sprung up in the castles hon
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Safaiq Grave Site
They are easy to miss but the 300-year-old grave site at Safa’iq, just inland from the island road, is something of a unique sight, given the location. Look for small standing stones up the hill, 6km north of Sur Masirah. Two rocks are usually the only indication of a grave for men
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Al Husn Souq
Head for this souq to rub shoulders with the jovial Dhofari people who have been assembling in this spot, albeit under different awnings, for centuries. The souq, spread over a number of alleyways next to the sultan’s palace, flap with colourful cotton headdresses, smoke with aroma
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Jaylah Tombs
The 90 or so tombs scattered across the hilltops of Jaylah date back to the Umm an Nar culture of 2000 to 2700 BC and, if you’ve been to Bat, you’ll recognise the meticulous stone towers, carefully tracing the ridges of the high ground. Local belief has it that they were built by t
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Bahla Old Souq
Bahla has a traditional souq with homemade ropes and fadl (large metal platters used for feeding the whole family) for sale, and a beautiful tree shading the tiny, central courtyard. To find the souq, turn off Hwy 21, the main Nizwa–Ibri road, opposite the fort; the souq entrance i
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