Monday 25 / November / 2024
Muscat: A travel blogger who recently spent about a month and a half in Oman has listed his five favourite places to visit in and around Muscat, until he returns for another visit, that is.
Adam Sciarro, a videographer from Arizona in the United States, has called Oman one of the favourite countries he’s been to so far, because of the really friendly people and diverse landscapes he experienced in the Sultanate. Adam has created an 11-video album of his time in Oman, and wants to return to shoot more content across different parts of the country.
“We have experienced some amazing things and really met some of the greatest people that I think I’ve ever met,” Adam told Times of Oman. “This country is so underestimated and it’s so hidden, that’s it’s not really very touristy, so that is one of the reasons it is my favourite country out of all the countries I have been to so far. The first place on my list would be the Bimmah Sinkhole. It was actually one of the first places that we went to. It is about a two-hour drive from Al Seeb in Muscat to the sinkhole. It’s located in a park area, and it is really neat, the water is crystal clear, super blue.
“One of my favourite things is that it has this amazing view of the mountains behind it. It is free to get in when you go there, and you typically spend about an hour there,” he added. “There is also a beach that is close by, so if you want to bring a lunch and go eat at the beach, you can also do that. It is an amazing view.”
Although Adam’s trip only took him to the areas around Muscat, he is hoping to explore all Oman has to offer, so that he can share Oman’s landscapes with his online subscribers.
“The second place to visit would be the Grand Mosque,” added Adam. “The Grand Mosque is amazing, it’s huge, and it actually had one of the biggest carpets in the world. There is a humungous chandelier, which I believe weighs about 8.5 tonnes, it contains 600,000 crystals and is plated in 24-carat gold. The mosque is also free to enter, so you can walk around. Number three would be the souq in Muttrah. It is super-amazing. You have the view of the sea on one side. Also in the market, they have household goods, antiques, spices, just about anything that you’re looking for, so go shop around there, but make sure you bargain, because some people will charge you a high price, but you can get them down pretty low. Maybe you want to go around and try to get some food. They have a lot of local food that is right there, you guys can try it out.”
“Location number four? That would be Wahiba Sands,” explained Adam. “It is a humungous desert, easily about 300 kilometres long. The dunes are amazing, I would definitely recommend it if you come during the winter time. You can camp out there and there is also a hotel, I believe, where you can ride out in the desert and get a tour. Or if you are staying with someone local, like we did, we camped and stayed there. It was freezing cold at night though, so just be aware of that. Bring some sleeping bags and warm clothes, because it got really cold at night. You’ve also got an amazing view of the stars. Another cool thing would be the camels there, so you actually can get a camel, and get a camel tour through the desert if you like to do that, or if you are just driving through the desert, there are a lot of cool camels that you just see running wild, so that was also something that was really cool about it.”
Oman was actually one of the first places Adam decided to visit. Among the places and events he’s catalogued are the Wahiba Sands, the 2019 Oman International Drift, the Bimmah Sinkhole, what it’s like to wear the traditional Omani dress, and the Grand Mosque, among others.
“Number five, the next place, would be Jabal Sifah,” revealed Adam. “It was about a two-hour drive or so, and honestly, it is super amazing. You can go there, enjoy the sunset, hang out there, do a little day trip, it is a long day trip if you are going to do a day trip. I would definitely recommend doing that.
“Oman never fails to let me down from the amazing people, landscapes, and overall culture of the entire country! This time I travelled to Oman with my girlfriend Gen, and we stayed for a month and a half, really getting to explore and experience Oman and its entirety. Throughout the entire trip I created a total of 11 videos all on my YouTube channel, which I just started at the end of 2018! I am so glad I chose Oman as my first destination of travelling for a year and I can’t wait to come back again and meet even more people and create more amazing content.”
Adam’s videos can be found on his YouTube channel (Adam Sciarro), and he can also be reached on Instagram at @adamsciarro_. You can also contact him on www.adamsciarro.com
