Word: muscateers
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...Bedouin of Oman scorned the towns of the coast, preferring the desert sands and open skies. But the towns offer the best introduction. Muscat and its port town Muttrah, wedged between the coast and the imposing Jebel Akhdar massif, evoke an old-world flavor. Portuguese-style whitewashed mansions?remnants of the colonial era?crowd the harbor front. Ancient forts crown the heights, securing dominance over the lucrative spice trade between Arabia, Africa and India. From here Oman controlled an empire that stretched from Zanzibar, now in modern-day Tanzania, to Baluchistan, now part of Pakistan...
...Muscat's handful of museums give a good sense of Oman's history and traditional crafts. However, Omanis are proud also of their recent past and are just as likely to encourage a visit to the new towns of Ruwi and Qurm. Just beyond the mountains that enclose Muscat, they are testament to the measured development policy of Sultan bin Qaboos, who overthrew his isolationist father three decades ago. Ruwi is home to a number of five-star beach hotels, as well as scores of new government buildings and residential areas. The most impressive sight is the enormous Qaboos Grand...
...Omani delicacies include shrimp, dried fish, lentils and raisin-spiked basmati rice and tender spiced mutton, smoked for three days in an underground pit. But even that tradition is evolving. "We used to wrap the meat in banana leaves," says my host, a young Omani woman. "But now in Muscat we wrap it in foil...
...three-hour drive from Muscat to the foothills alone is worth the trip. A paved road winds through a dramatic landscape of wicked escarpments, jagged hills and further evidence of a geologically restless earth, before passing through the town of Birkit al-Mouz. The ominous check-post was in fact an old fort and jail turned museum. Built in 1640, it has been beautifully restored, and affords majestic views of the mountains and the picturesque town, known for its banana orchards. The necessary permit was a mere formality, and the guards waved us on with a smile...
...International Whaling Commission, dedicated to the conservation of whales. The waters off the coast of Oman are home to more than 20 species of marine mammals and provide both breeding and feeding grounds for sperm whales, dolphins and the endangered humpback whales. Head to the bluffs above Muscat to spot dolphins frolicking, or book a whale-watching cruise at Marina Bander al-Rowdha by calling...