Muscat Travel Guide - Activities

Eating out: Muscat is a delicious melting pot of local, Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine with Western and other Asian flavours thrown in for good measure. Restaurants are generally centred round the Ruwi area but can be found in any neighbourhood. If you want to enjoy a beer or a glass of wine with your meal, then your best bet is to head to one of the large hotels.

Shopping: there are an ever-growing number of large, gleaming malls in the Omani capital but still the best shopping experience in the city has to be Matrah Souq.

Swimming: when temperatures soar above 37°C, the only thing for it is to head to the beaches close to Muscat and cool off. The Gulf of Oman is the perfect venue to relax on the sand and for bathing, its waters remaining crystal clear year round.

Bird-watching: Oman is home to more than 450 species of bird and Muscat sees many of these colourful varieties throughout the year. The steppe eagle is perhaps the most dramatic bird species that can be viewed close to the capital, along with exotic purple sunbirds and little green bee-eaters. Bird-watching trips are available and can be arranged through travel companies in the city.