OmanPride: Watch this Indian expat's amazing video about Muscat

More sports Tuesday 09/January/2018 18:58 PM
By: Times News Service

While a lot of importance is being given to Oman’s tourism sector, residents of Oman too are doing whatever little they can to promote tourism in the Sultanate. One such person is Smit Sameer Shah, who grew up in Muscat and moved back to India for his higher studies.
On his last visit to Oman, he made a video of the interesting places of Oman and uploaded it on Youtube. It has garnered over 1,000 hits, so far.
Smit said that people in India had an inaccurate picture of Oman and thought it to be an endless desert. He wanted to change that perception. “One of my friends in India would often say that I lived in a desert and we had no water. But Oman has got both and also varying climates which I always found interesting,” he said.
The former resident is certain that through his video he has convinced many people in India, especially his friends, to visit Oman. “I’ve had people tell me that they will visit Oman at least once. The pictures intrigued them but the video has definitely convinced them to pay a visit to the Sultanate. I’m glad people liked the video,” Smit said.
Smit said that the project came about because of his love for photography. “There is this photographer whom I follow and admire. His name is Auditya Venkatesh. He made me interested in photography.
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“So, I decided to make a video of all the places I visit in Muscat during my winter vacation. This is besides the short video that I had made. I was so excited that I told some of my close friends about it,” he said.
Smit said that when he landed in Muscat in December he spent time with his old friends. However, when he went for dolphin watching he started recording videos and clicking pictures.
He also spent a memorable New Year’s Eve in Sharqiyah Sands and shot more videos. Shah said that while he would recommend many places to visit in Oman his personal favourites were Salalah, the wadis, and the sand dunes. “Salalah stands out the most during the Khareef season besides the beautiful wadis and the open desert,” he said.
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“All the beaches in the city are beautiful and peaceful. I love Corniche and Muttrah Souq for the culture and heritage. Apart from these, I would recommend the Grand Mosque and the Opera House,” Smit remarked.
The former expat said that he had plans to make another video, covering more tourist spots in the Sultanate. “I plan to shoot Grand Mosque, Jabal Shams, Jabal Akhdar, the sinkhole, and the forts for my next video,” he said while praising the Sultanate for being peaceful and diverse.
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Watch the original video here.