Omani adventure

A week or two ago, we decided to have sneaky mid-weeky getaway. Fly the coop and get out of Dubai for a few days, a place that can get a little suffocating at times. The kids and I hadn't been to Muscat in Oman yet (although Clint had been a number of times), so we made that our destination.

It's an hour's flight from Dubai, but we decided to be a bit adventurous and drive. We headed out of Dubai, through the big red sand dunes, over the rocky Hajar mountains to the coast of Oman, following it until we hit Muscat.

The only disappointment of the road trip was when we hit the Omani border and had to get our visas, Darbs cried out: "Hooray! Holidays! We are here!" and we had to inform him we still had quite a way to go. Oh and the 50 billion roundabouts along the way.

The Omani coast is spectacular and so different to Dubai. When I thought of a city like Muscat before I moved to this region I dreamt of the exotic, mystical middle east, of dhows and gold and old world traders. So far it hasn't disappointed. The locals and friendly and generally the people I have come across are not as brash as in Dubai. Traditional dress for Omani men in the white dishdash (similar to the Emirati men) and a distinctive embroidered hat (they way I've always been able to spot Omanis in Dubai).

Today, we've been lazing around our resort, swimming and playing and eating. We'll hit town and the souk tonight, where you can buy gold, frankincense and myrrh under the same roof. Hopefully pick up a few momentos and trinkets.

We haven't been here a day yet and I already feel recharged. There's nothing like an unexpected mini-break.