How surprising this Sultanate of Oman is (page 4 of 8)

I think in his message 58 he highlighted his wishes in bold

I think in his message 58 he highlighted his wishes in bold

Don’t pile on either! It’s a great travel journal in every way, and it should stay that way!

This time, Christelle really lost it. Plus, I saw the photo without warning and got scared. 🤪

Yeah, I’ll admit it, Joel—I do enjoy losing it now and then; it’s relaxing 😄.

But from my place, I still hear Bruno and Kate: "Yeah, the sea, the desert, the wadis, the people, the old stones, the mountains, and the oases are all great, but what about those paradise islands? Are we just gonna skip those?" Nope, still not there—and it all starts right here, at the Sib jetty.



Okay, sure, you can forget about loungers under coconut trees with a mojito in hand, but to make up for it, this place is bikini paradise (nooo, Bruno, you won’t get a photo 😜).

For its Daymaniyat Islands, the god of the world turned artist: orange/red rocks, green bushes, white beaches, and water in every shade of blue depending on the depth.



Let me tell you, it hits you right in the eyes when you see this.

It’s a small boat that takes us, driven by Wesam and his buddy Suhaib, who are waiting for us at the jetty.



Two young German girls join us, all smiles: one has the same name as my good friend Karine’s daughter, and the other shares the name of Lulu’s grandma. So of course, we hit it off right away with Fanny and Léonie. After a 45-minute ride blasting Coldplay, we arrive on site.

Three or four boats are already there, with snorkelers scattered around. And right in front of us, a marine huddle of five or six swimmers in a circle. So we dive in!

If I didn’t already know what it felt like to say "Woooow" through a snorkel, now I do. Just ten kicks from the boat, we come across a "dormitory" of turtles resting on the seabed. Instead of counting sheep like at home, we count turtles... and it goes on... for a long time... because there are 24 of them!!! 24 turtles right under our noses, 2 meters deep, with perfect visibility 🐢!



Some small, some medium, and one huge one in the middle, over a meter wide. It looked like a mom with her teens, except here, just like above water, there’s a lot of different species.

Five of the seven marine turtle species, all threatened with extinction, frequent Oman’s sands: the green turtle, the loggerhead, the hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, and the olive ridley!! And there are 20,000 of them that come to nest here every year, or so the "little smarty" told me.

Shortly after we arrived, their alarm must’ve gone off because they started taking off one by one. And they brush past you on the right, then on the left.



At first, we were too scared to disturb them, but honestly, they couldn’t care less about you—even more than the guys in Nizwa (sorry, I think I’ve caught the rhyming bug 😄).

And they’re so sure they’re safe with us that we had to back-paddle several times to avoid touching them! That said, don’t think the underwater world is all sunshine and rainbows. We also saw territorial wars between big, colorful surgeonfish and turtles. The only difference is that instead of dropping bombs, they nip at each other’s fins... repeatedly if needed 😜.

Second snorkeling spot to look for sharks... which we didn’t see. We did see "just" a turtle having its breakfast at the bottom of the water, munching on coral. And here, on top of the sight, you get the sound: "Crunch, crack, snap...". Since I’d read the day before that turtles have lungs and need to surface regularly to breathe, well, we waited... again for a long time, because obviously, they’re way better at holding their breath than we are. But it finally happened. She slowly took off, rising toward the surface with a few flicks of her flippers. And you see her breathe, right under your nose—once, twice, three times—before diving back down to finish her meal.

And wow, I’m all emotional again 🥹.

We end with a last spot that wasn’t great: a Mars landing for a viewpoint over all these eye-popping colors.



So every day I tell myself, but this time I’m sure—this country, it’s really #neverseenanythinglikethisinmylife

But from my place, I still hear Bruno and Kate: "Yeah, the sea, the desert, the wadis, the people, the old stones, the mountains, and the oases are all great, but what about paradise islands? Are we just gonna skip those?

Oh, it was totally worth getting excited about! It’s stunning, and I wasn’t expecting this in this country 😮

No trip to Oman is complete without a snorkeling day! I was looking forward to it a bit, but I have to say, I'm blown away by the photos!! Proves there's more to life than just bikinis 😄

I wasn’t expecting this either, Kate! Despite all my research to prepare for this trip, I found very little info about these islands except the possibility of taking a boat trip there. And there was nothing mentioning this incredible abundance of turtles! I don’t know if there’s anywhere else in the world with so many of them!! For us, it’s been 30 years of snorkeling all over the planet, and we’ve never seen anything like it anywhere else. Have a great day! 😊

Yeah Bruno, turtles are just as great as bikinis too 😄. But I have to admit that the two underwater photos aren’t mine—they’re from our boatman. I would’ve loved to capture the "dormitory" of those 24 turtles, but since we never imagined stumbling upon that, we didn’t bring anything to take underwater photos 🤦‍♀️. I’m starting to think this might be a good excuse to come back 😏

Believe it or not, after this underwater escapade, I can still hear you all going, "Okay, okay, the sea, the desert, the wadis, the people, the ancient ruins, the mountains, the oases, and those paradise islands are all well and good, but come on—you’re not gonna tell us you also had APÉRO out there, are you?" ???

Oh yes, we did—cheers! 🍷🍺🍸😆



Okay, I’ll admit, not every single day… but mostly because we didn’t go out of our way to find it. When you spend your days like that, trust me, you don’t feel like drinking just to forget.

After diving in Omani waters, we headed to Jebel Sifah Marina, about an hour from the capital. Since you’re starting to know us, you’ll guess that marinas and beach resorts aren’t usually our thing. But there are some major Omani tourist spots here, and once again, our curiosity got the better of us.

It starts with this adorable little fishing port.



I climbed up to a viewpoint that had caught my eye and stumbled upon a super romantic little spot—totally unexpected in a place like this!



The three fishermen there were super friendly, responding to our "Salam Aleykoum," and just as we were heading back to the car, we suddenly heard these shrill animal cries??? And it kept going!! There was a big fight happening somewhere!! Of course, we looked around but saw nothing—until one of the fishermen pointed out three Arabian foxes scrapping on the mountainside right in front of us. Makes sense, right?!

A little further on, we stopped at a viewpoint overlooking the mangroves by a very local fishing village.



A young guy in a turban came up to us, offering a boat ride. He lived in the village and was born there. But when you’re traveling, you have to make choices—you can’t do everything. Still, to be nice, I asked for his contact info, telling him we’d think about it. And then the guy—who, to us, seemed straight out of the Middle Ages—handed me his phone so I could scan his QR code, which instantly added him to my WhatsApp contacts. That’s just how it is here!! So anachronistic!! Seriously, when it comes to technological Middle Ages, I’m no match for them!

A few kilometers down the road, at the very end of this dead-end street, we arrived at the marina.



Let’s just say we didn’t exactly run into many Omani tourists—apparently, they only come on weekends, and we were there on a Wednesday (but phew, it wasn’t closed 😆).

I can assure you that anyone who hates solitude should avoid this place during the week!



To give you an idea, it was like there were only 10 tourists (including 4 Westerners) in the entire Vieux Boucau resort!



But luckily, we were saved by the truly stunning setting





and by the presence of the many employees (and let’s just say you’ve got plenty of time to chat when you’re the only customer in the restaurant 😆).



In this country, 45% of the population are immigrants who keep the economy running (Indians, Bangladeshis, Nepalis, Pakistanis…). To exaggerate a little, Omanis are all bosses (and apparently often loaded, judging by the size of their cars and houses!), while immigrants work in pretty much every sector (shops, restaurants, hotels, fishing…).

And here’s the vacation scoop: apparently, you can survive the so-called "great replacement" just fine 😆.

We saw them interacting often, and honestly, it didn’t seem like the employees were being mistreated. But of course, we weren’t there long enough to say for sure (shoutout to Bruno 😜).

And so, for the 250th time on this trip, Lulu had a blast: "Where are you from originally?" "Ooooh, namaste! We loooove India! Which part of India? Ooooh, we loooove Kerala!" And 9 times out of 10, the guy in front of us would light up with a huge smile. The only time Lulu was a bit thrown was when they answered Bangladesh or Pakistan, but as usual, he adapted quickly: "Ooooh, I’d loooove to visit your country!" 😆.

Well, that’s it! But no, don’t cry— while this trip might end at Jebel Sifah in a movie, in Cricri and Lulu’s real life, it goes on!

Ahhh, the apéro—a big topic (sometimes discussed here too ;)) A sunset just isn’t the same without a glass of Meursault!

That said, QR codes for sharing WhatsApp contacts have been around for ages—2 years feels like forever, doesn’t it?

Still, the QR code for sharing a WhatsApp contact—no offense—has been around for ages (2 years, is that ages or not?)

Probably true, Bruno, but the guy looked way more like Jacquouille la Fripouille than a tech expert, hence my surprise 😄

Aaaah, I’ve got some great news for you, friends—I’ve finally finished my sentence in this hellhole now that I’ve been able to show you there’s EVERYTHING in this country. Because I could hear your thoughts before leaving: "What the heck are they gonna do over there???" Well, now you know 😏.

To wrap up this trip, Lulu wanted a good soak in local life, and I had to solve a mystery. So we head south, toward SOUR as promised.



For local life, we’re off to a great start: the sun sets on guys rowing in a *trainera* on the lagoon!



Though we still don’t know if they were coming back from fishing or training for the next Bilbao race 😄.

That evening, we happily return to the restaurant from last week, where 14 Omanis are seated right next to us.



Just a group of friends getting together for a feast—nothing out of the ordinary! Except for the small detail that they arrive one by one, and every time, they all stand up to greet the newcomer (yes, the first one stood up 13 times), waiting until the last one is seated before sitting back down!!! We’re basically savages compared to them.

I really enjoyed watching them—so many calm gestures and soft voices. At the very end, one of them approaches us to ask where we’re from and if we like his country: "Oh yes, it’s so varied and beautiful." To which he replies, "But it’s your presence that makes it even more beautiful"!!! And there, #neverheardthatbeforeinmylife!! (No, no, I swear, he wasn’t trying to sell us anything 😂).

Anyway. Beyond this warm welcome, Sour is known for being a site for building and repairing *boutres*—big, sturdy wooden boats that, if you don’t know anything about them, look like Christopher Columbus’s caravels. Okay, so they build them here (2 a year), but where do they go after? Because we haven’t seen a single one since we’ve been walking by the water?? I imagine them as "tourist boats" docked in a bay in Muscat or elsewhere. But I want to get to the bottom of it.

Well, the mystery was easy to solve—you just have to get up between 6 and 8 a.m., because after that, you won’t see anything. So we head to the mouth of the lagoon at sunrise, and right away, I spot 2 in the distance (right next to a catamaran and a massive "Love Boat" cruise ship).



Quickly, they start moving—yay!!! Except instead of turning toward me, they head straight out!! Panic mode—I run back to the car, and as usual, Google Maps saves the day. I discover a big port at the entrance of the city. So I go there... and I’m blown away!! There are wooden boats EVERYWHERE,



full of fish that they unload at the port.



Just before selling them at the auction right next door.



By 8 a.m., once the unloading is done, they all head off to park until the next night.



That’s why you don’t see them sailing around...



But Omani *boutres* are very much alive 😊👨✈️.

In the foreground, people chatting, then behind them the boat, followed by the mosque, and in the background, the mountain. I really like it! 😉

I have to admit, I really love this one too, Kate 😊.

We continued our day at the Clothing Souk, where we went a bit crazy shopping given the local fashion 🤯😂. You should know that here, even more than elsewhere, women are like black shadows. They wear the niqab or the burqa. But not the Taliban-style "grilled" version—just a very thin black veil that sways with the wind. And they rarely go out... maybe because they’re afraid the wind might be too strong, right? 😂

So, it was a rare moment at the souk this morning. We were alone with them while they shopped, often in groups of two or three.



And then, my poor little self woke up: "Oh nooo, I left my cardigan in the car!" 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️. For once, my dress was the perfect length, but my shoulders were bare!

Well, at least if they give me a dirty look, I won’t see it 😏. But just in case, I headed back to the car with my husband-bodyguard when we spotted a tiny 3-year-old girl watching me arrive with a huge smile, waving to say hi (yes, Lulu is invisible—she only has eyes for me... or maybe my shoulders 👀). So of course, we stopped and chatted with her. I crouched down to take the hand she offered, still beaming with her big black eyes. And just then, her mom appeared... also with her face veiled!! In my head, it was like this 🤯 (I’m basically touching her half-naked daughter by her standards)... but I acted like I was talking to my neighbor: "Aww, she’s so cute! What’s her name?" Lulu asked how old she was, and I swear—even if we didn’t see the mom’s smile, we definitely heard it! After asking our nationality in perfect English, we quickly realized she had better things to do when she told her daughter: "Yallaaa, let’s go!" 😂

Turns out, maybe I didn’t need to panic... just over a cardigan 😊.

Have a great evening!

Well, that's it, folks, this is the end. We're wrapping up this trip just a few kilometers from Sour, with a beach day local-style: you look for the beach, you plop into translucent water, you splash around for a loooong time because it's nice and warm (yes, I know, I can be mean sometimes, especially when I'm writing from the return flight 😜), you dry off, and you do it all over again.



Like everywhere else, it's a "desert"—there are at most 5 or 6 of us sharing these stunning beaches!



Actually, I read that there are only 3,000 tourists per week, scattered across an area equivalent to half of France!! More than enough space to avoid stepping on each other’s flip-flops. And you should know that in this part of the world, it’s way easier to find turtles than shade! Sure, those veiled women aren’t stupid—they do just enough to avoid ending up like old, wrinkled apples 😄.

A rare moment of affection 🤗

Besides, the sun is pretty much the only real danger in this country (tied with unmarked speed bumps, maybe). For everything else, crime here is just a figment of the imagination. The Sultanate of Oman is one of the safest countries in the world, including for women traveling alone—so respectful (if you're interested, ladies 😉).



But it’s time to leave Sour and its locals, who, without even trying, have found a much-sought-after secret: the antidote to mass tourism! Because honestly, this place is so beautiful that it would’ve inevitably turned into another Pattaya... if it weren’t for the women in burqas. But as it is, we don’t think they have much to worry about—it should stay peaceful! Even the "cruise ship having fun" that stayed in sight for 48 hours didn’t have much fun 😄.

Next, we’re heading to Muscat to catch our flight, and we really hope you’re proud of us, friends: we’re probably the only tourists this year—or even this decade—who didn’t visit the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat!!



Just one of the most beautiful mosques in the world, with its 8-ton chandelier! It was planned for the first day, when we missed our flight. And guess what? When we finally got the chance to go back... well, yeah, it was closed 🤦.

Hellooooo, is anyone there??

See you for the recap 😊

Thanks for this lovely and really enjoyable travel journal—it made me appreciate this country even more! 😊

You’ve introduced me to a place that’s really piqued my curiosity now. And I laughed several times at your expressions 😉

Thanks to both of you! 😊

I must admit, after traveling the world for over 30 years, this trip to Oman brought back the same emotions we felt during our very first journeys:

- Seeing incredibly unique and diverse landscapes every day: white cities, brown mountains, green oases, blue seas, and ochre deserts,



- Never checking the weather because the sky is always blue and warm (30°C in the air and water in December!),

- Feeling completely safe since this country is one of the safest in the world (for example, in Nizwa, thousands of pottery pieces are left outside all night!),



- Always being welcomed with respect and restraint. They won’t approach you much, but they’re always friendly and helpful when you ask, - Feeling like an explorer because you’re almost alone with the locals,



- Traveling independently without any worries, even with a sedan, because the road network is just perfect (3 or 4 lanes, sometimes 5, with very few vehicles), and the tracks to tourist spots are completely manageable,



- Looking for crosswalks and not finding any because everyone stops to let you cross as soon as they see you on the side of the road,

- Bathing in silence as soon as you leave the cities—the kind of silence you desperately seek at home but never find,



- Eating incredibly varied, fusion, and high-quality food,

- Staying in hotels with unbelievable luxury for the price of an Ibis in France,

- Beyond the vast landscapes, also taking a journey through time in typical markets, ancient cities, or fishermen’s dhows,



- Traveling on a budget by eating at Indian restaurants instead of hotels,

- Parking wherever and however you want because there’s always space everywhere,

- Being amazed at seeing so few boats on the water... but sooo many turtles underneath! #neverseenthatbefore!

- Admiring the stunning architecture perfectly integrated into the environment everywhere,

- Truly understanding the meaning of refinement, given their exquisite taste in garden and home design,

- And above all, within the limits of respecting local laws, enjoying the incredible freedom this country offers—no fences, no barriers.

And that’s it, this is the end! Hope this travel journal has inspired you to discover this magnificent country full of surprises and beauty in every form!

And here’s what you call perfect timing. I’m leaving you with Oman as I take off for Nairobi in 2 hours! 🥂🍻🧳😊



So, ADISHATS, friends, and see you soon for new adventures! 😊

Thanks Christelle for this travel journal that brought back great memories and made me want to go back with my girlfriend.

Still Solene’s touch with good spirits and great humor!!

Good and bad news at the end: The journal is finished, but another one is coming up!!! And Kenya 🇰🇪 with a Landes twist—I can’t wait!

Because you already hear us: “Come on, Oman’s all well and good with its sun, mountains, beaches, paradise islands, and even the aperitif, but Kenya, hey, Kenya—when is it happening?”😁😆

I won’t go into detail about our journey to Muscat with a first delayed flight and a second one missed! So we arrived in the capital 18 hours late—no small feat, as you can imagine 😅.

You’re skipping the story of what could’ve been the most interesting part—super lively and informative for travelers and curious folks like me who love those kinds of details.

I see your photo issue mentioned elsewhere. Postage stamps !