Oman

Al Alam Palace, the ceremonial residence of the Sultan, sits flanked by twin Portuguese-built forts guarding the harbor entrance. The Royal Opera House Muscat, a striking addition to the city’s skyline, hosts performances in a setting that blends traditional Omani design with modern acoustics. Muscat’s setting between rugged mountains and the Gulf of Oman gives the city a dramatic natural backdrop unlike other Gulf capitals. Its relatively low-key development has preserved a traditional character increasingly rare in the region.

Nizwa Souq sells Omani silver jewelry, khanjar daggers, and dates grown in the extensive palm groves that ring the city. The nearby Jabal Akhdar mountains, known as the Green Mountain, offer terraced rose and fruit orchards and cooler air than the coastal plains. Nizwa’s role as a historic center of Islamic learning and trade gives it a cultural depth distinct from the modern capital. It remains one of the best places in Oman to see traditional Omani fort architecture and craft.

The ruins of Sumhuram, an ancient port once central to the frankincense trade, sit along the coast near Khor Rori, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Salalah’s beaches, backed by coconut palms rather than desert, give the city a tropical character distinct from the rest of Oman. Nearby wadis and waterfalls, especially active during the monsoon months, draw visitors from across the Gulf seeking cooler, greener scenery. Salalah’s frankincense heritage and monsoon-fed landscape make it one of the Arabian Peninsula’s most unusual destinations.