Monday 23 / December / 2024
Friday
09.00 Turn on your music, grab a takeaway coffee, and hit the coastal road south to Sur.
11.00 Take the exit for “the ancient city of Qalhat” for a short stop at the unassuming historic monument. Walk around Bait Maryam, the only building left in the ruins of the “city.” It might not look like much now, but even Ibn Batuta wrote about the place in 1330.
12.00 Stop in Sur at the Sur Beach Restaurant (+968 2554 1396/ +968 9565 3676) for a fresh seafood lunch, then stock up on picnicking supplies at the hypermarkets before getting back on the road.
15.00 Reach the cosy town of Ras Al Hadd where you can rent a private villa in front of the sea (+968 9468 3017) and pass the afternoon playing football, swimming, and fishing in the sea. Barbecue your fresh catch (or hypermarket finds) before the sun goes down.
21.00 Before turning-in for the night, try to catch a glimpse of female turtles laying their eggs on the beach and baby turtles scurrying to the sea.
Saturday
09.00 Get back on the road and drive south for an hour-and-a-half to the quaint fishing village of Al Ashkharah, well known for its rough waves and for the local tradition of drying sardines.
11.00 Stop at any one of the casual restaurants or coffee shops along Al Ashkharah’s main road and order grilled cuttlefish or cuttlefish masala with paratha. The local specialty is fresh and delicious and unlike squid you’ll get anywhere else in Oman.
13.00 Drive past town and pull off the road at the beach to watch fishermen prepare the nets and dump their hauls of sardines on the sand. Walk down the beach and collect some seashells.
18.00 When the sun starts to go down, it’s time to make the four hour drive back to Muscat. Don’t forget to stop for coffee and provisions along the way, and be sure to watch the sunset over the sea as you go. —[email protected]
