Oman (Bradt Travel Guide Oman)

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About Oman

Product Description Oman Guide Book  4th edition ( 2017) by  Bradt's is the most up-to-date and informative guide to Oman, the Arabian peninsula's most welcoming destination, f ully revised and updated by Tony Walsh who lived in Oman and Arabia between 1986 and 2016. CONTENTS P001: General Information P003: Background Information P039: Practical Information P073: The GuideP075: MuscatP137: Al Batinah CoastP169: MusandamP189: The Adh Dhahirah & Al BuraymiP203: Ad DakhiliyahP239: Ash SharqiyyahP269: Al WustaP289: Dhofar P327: Language P332: Glossary P334: Further Information P339: Index The regional chapters and numerous maps are new to reflect Oman's rapid changes since the 3rd edition of this guide. Oman is finally reaping the economic benefit of its location between Europe, Africa and Asia with substantial investment in major shipping ports and significant expansion of the national airline with new routes to Western Europe and East Asia. Despite being at the crossroads of great trade routes and empires, Oman has remained an independent country through much of its long history, and today tourism and travel are a major focus for Oman's government. This new edition covers the recent substantial investment in new airport facilities and upmarket accommodation and also features the historic UNESCO towns of Samharam and Al Balid. If you want to live like a local, the guide also tells you how to slow cook the traditionally spiced meat shuwa and how to be a perfect guest if invited into an Omani home. Oman is not merely a desert. While it has the classic sand seas - Wihibah Sands - home to the nomadic Bedouin and their camels, this sultanate also boasts lush monsoon-soaked valleys near Salalah, mountain villages surrounded by green terraced fields of fruit trees and rose bushes, and the reef-fringed Ad Dimaniyyat Islands. With such a varied wilderness there is huge scope for adventure. Oman is increasingly perceived as a high-end cultural destination. The new Opera House is directly supported by the Sultan, with international performers such as Placido Domingo. New hotels such as Anantara and the refurbished Sheraton are included. With advice on cultural etiquette, basic Arabic phrases and political history - as well as full practical information on where to stay and eat, and what to see and do - this fully updated edition remains the essential guide for travellers looking to discover the real Oman. From the Author Oman Travel Guide 4th Edition by  Bradt Guide to  is an almost completely rewritten guide to Oman. During late spring, through the summer and into fall 2016 each chapter received attention with all the regional chapters eventually being completely revised. Hotels and restaurants that have been included range from 5* to 0*; this was decided upon not only to fit the budget of any reader but simply because in many areas a 0* was all that would be available. Each of the numerous maps are new, this means that they include as much as possible of Oman's rapidly expanding infrastructure as well as taking into account the extensive text revisions to the entire book. Though, as the author, I was very familiar with the country having spent so many years living there, this proved to be almost an obstacle. Simply put, unwritten assumptions by me regarding background needed to be put into black and white so that a new visitor would be able to understand more. However perhaps the most challenging area was in the English spelling of place names. There may be many variations used in English for a single place name and I decided the current naming authority's English spelling should be used even where a different one was more used by locals, and other guide books. Using this approved spelling version will mean that all new visitors can easily refer between the guide book and government produced maps. About the Author Tony Walsh has written extensively about Oman for local and international media a