miss b loves.........Oman

Grand Mosque, Muscat

After four days in glitzy Dubai (that's another story!) we took a forty-five minute flight to Muscat, Oman. A cloudless sky gave us clear views of Dubai with the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world) towering majestically above all the other enormous skyscrapers.....

The Burj Khalifa Lake in the foreground

From the moment we landed we were greeted by the welcoming smiles of the friendly Omani people. Muscat is made up of pretty low-rise white buildings with a backdrop of the rugged and barren Al Hajar mountains...... no tall buildings here!

         

We knew this was going to be a relaxing few days as soon as we stepped through the doors of our hotel...The Chedi.  The tranquil atmosphere of the beautiful lobby perfumed with frankincense had an immediate calming effect.....a very special hotel (which deserves its own post!!)

It was tempting to just stay in the hotel but we were keen to explore and on the second day our first stop was the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque ...just stunning.....

The interior was truly breathtaking and I'm not sure the photos of the magnificent chandelier really do it justice....

The world's second largest single piece hand-woven carpet and chandelier......14 metres tall, 1100 lamps and made of Swarovski crystals.....

A short taxi ride took us to Muttrah, an area of Muscat(the capital of Oman) and time for a short stroll along the attractive waterfront, the Corniche with its pretty cupolas where local teenagers were just chatting (they even gave us a wave as we passed by!) 

....and then it was into the traditional souk with its incense-perfumed alleys. The Muttrah Souk (Al Dhalam Souk) is very much a market for locals as well as a growing number of tourists....

So much to admire .....the colourful roof........ 

....traditional Omani embroidered men's hats(the kumma)

Frankincense, saffron...........

Ornate jewellery......

How could I resist one of these burners and some Omani frankincense .....you can imagine how long it took to choose the perfect size and colour!

The giant ornamental burner in Al Riyam park at the far end of the waterfront is the symbol of the Sultanate of Oman........

Before heading back to the hotel, we had to take a photo of the  beautiful Al Lawatiya mosque .....

and once back we were ready for a cappuccino and freshly baked cakes.........

Now we've had sugar stirrers before but not with delicious cinnamon sticks in the middle ......

P.S I almost forgot to show you the burner with a pot of frankincense (best quality they said!!) and a pack of charcoal to get us started......

Next post....The Chedi Hotel........

To learn more about Oman click here