Weather
Oman has a hot and humid climate most of the year. The best time to visit Oman is in winter, between October to March, when the temperature is between 25oC and 35oC during the day and about 18oC to 22oC at night.
The interior regions are usually hotter than the coastal areas.
Rainfall in Oman is infrequent and irregular and occurs between November and March.
In high mountains the night temperature during winter can fall to -1oC with a light dusting of snow.
One of the most peculiar features of Oman weather is the ‘Khareef’ season in Salalah between June and September when the region becomes lush green and receives monsoon rains.
Tourism
Oman is known for its popular tourist attractions. Wadis, deserts, beaches, and mountains are areas which make Oman unique among its neighboring Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) nations (wadis in particular). With a coastline of 2,092 km, Oman offers clean beaches popular with visitors. Wadis are green, lush oases of palm trees, grasses, and flowers. Some wadis have year-round running water, with deep, cool pools in which it is quite safe to swim if the currents are slow. A Falaj is a system for the distribution of water and is commonly used to describe irrigation channel systems downstream of water sources.
Numerous forts and castles are included among Oman's cultural landmarks and, together with its towers and city walls, have historically been used as defensive bastions or look-out points, as well as the seats of administrative and judicial authority. There are over 500 forts, castles, and towers in various architectural styles, built to defend more than 2,092 km coastline from potential invaders.
Souqs can be found in many of the towns throughout the country. One of the oldest preserved souqs in Oman is Muttrah, on the Corniche. Today the capital area also has a number of Western European-style Shopping Malls where a variety of shops, ranging from boutiques to chain stores, can be found.
Other popular tourist activities include sand skiing in the desert, scuba diving, rock climbing, trekking, surfing & sailing, cave exploration, birdwatching, and camel races. The Muscat Festival is usually held in January and February, where traditional dances are held, temporary theme parks open, and concerts take place. Another popular event is The Khareef Festival held in Salalah, Dhofar, which is 1,100 km from the capital city of Muscat, during the monsoon season (August). During this latter event the mountains surrounding Salalah are popular with tourists as a result of the cool weather and lush greenery, rarely found anywhere else in Oman.
The Royal Opera House Muscat is Oman's premier venue for musical arts and culture. The opera house is located in Shatti Al-Qurum district of Muscat, Oman. The Royal Opera House reflects contemporary Omani architecture, and has a capacity to accommodate maximum of 1,100 people. This opera house is first in the world equipped with Radio Marconi's multimedia interactive display seatback system, Mode23. The opera house complex consists of a concert theatre, auditorium, formal landscaped gardens, cultural market with retail, luxury restaurants and an art centre for musical, theatrical and operatic productions.
Dress Code
Lightweight clothes are suitable for summer whereas slightly warmer clothes may be required during the winter season.
Beachwear and swimwear is suitable at the beach or swimming pool areas only.
For women it is preferable to wear sleeved shirt and long skirt as Oman has a conservative Islamic society.
Short, revealing and tight clothes should be avoided.
Driving Tips
In Oman driving is on Left hand side. The driving speed on main city roads and highways is between 80km/h to 120km/h. There are pedestrian crossings and overpasses and drivers here are generally courteous and will stop to let you cross, but make sure their vehicle has completely stopped.
Visitors with valid European, American, GCC or International driving license can drive only Rent a Car in Oman.
In case of any minor road accident, if the person at fault has accepted it, then the two parties should fill up the minor accident report themselves and approach the Rent A Car and the insurance companies directly instead of going to the police.
In case of an accident where injuries and/or damage to property is involved, or more than 2 vehicles are involved or if a major accident, then a police report is a must, and the vehicles should not be moved till the police arrive. At the most they can be moved towards the side of the road after marking the accident spot.
The roads are monitored by radars and if the vehicle is over speeding, a traffic violation is noted by the ROP and an appropriate fine levied, with a minimum of RO 10. The fine amount will increase depending on the over speeding and other penalties could also be imposed. Jumping a red light is a major traffic violation and can result in heavier fines and penalties.
It is prohibited to drive while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, etc.
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