MUSCAT
Unearth the Middle East’s hidden gem, where grand hotels, spectacular scenery and adventure at every corner awaits
Few near(ish) neighbours are as starkly contrasting as the unsubtle bling-fest that is Dubai, and Muscat, a four-hour drive east along the Gulf of Oman. Where Dubai is all skyscraping phallic extensions that Freud would have had a field day with, the capital of Oman is low-rise, low-key and a charming alternative. The port city is also the perfect launchpad for exploration of a country that once had a maritimebased empire stretching down the east coast of Africa centuries before Dubai was even a one-camel fishing village. Tom Barber is a founder of the award-winning travel company originaltravel.co.uk