1 Day Family Itinerary
One day may not feel long to experience everything Oman has to offer but with some careful planning and clever selections you can certainly make the most of every minute.
Day 1
Muscat
Oman’s capital is very family friendly, with malls having dedicated fun zones and parks with play areas. It is, however, the beach that draws most families, whether it is for a picnic, to swim, a game of beach football, or just to stroll and enjoy the sunset. Water sports activities such jet skiing or banana boat rides are available at Qurum Beach and most beachfront resorts.
Frequented by locals as well as tourists
The Yiti Beach, located beyond the village of Yiti, is a small beach - about one kilometre long - that can be easily reached by car. Frequented by locals as well as tourists, it is a great spot to enjoy barbecues, camping, and fishing.
Jagged rocks formed by sea salt winds and waves stick out of the Sea of Oman creating the sheltered bay of Yiti Beach. Just 28-kilometres from the centre of Muscat, the beach is known as a place of solitude and relaxation – an escape from the hectic city. The sand takes on an orange hue and the water changes to a deeper blue as the sun sets and the light changes. Lay on the rocks overlooking the beach at twilight or find an area along the strip of soft sand.
requires special permission to visit
One of the largest underground caves in the world, Majlis Al Jinn is a natural wonder located on the Salmah Plateau. In 2007, Austrian sky diver Felix Baumgartner based jumped into the cave, a distance of about 120 metres. Exploring this cave requires a special permission from the Ministry of Tourism Oman.
Majlis al Jinn is one of the largest cave chamber in the world by surface area. The base of the cave is58,000 square meter. The only way to get in is through one of three tiny openings at the top, all of which have been formed over time as the accumulation of rainwater dissolved the limestone covering. This cave chamber, located 60 miles from Muscat, was discovered by Americans Don Davidson Jr. and his wife Cheryl Jones in 1983. They noticed the strange holes in the ground on aerial photographs, and eventually made the journey out via helicopter. When they looked down into the small openings, they saw the sandy floor below - over 500 feet down. Just days later, they rappelled down for the first time. In an attempt to find an appropriate name for the chamber, they asked the Omanis in the surrounding area if they had a local name for it, to which the response was no. They did, however, mention that they believed that the cave was filled with genies, which are prevalent in Omani mythology. In Arabic, the word for “genie” is “al-Jinn”, so hence, the American explorers named the cave is “Majlis al Jinn. “Majlis” means “meeting place,” making the cave name, “the meeting place of the genies.”
great for off-roading
Located close to the old village of Al Khoud, Wadi Al Khoud is great for off-roading, with its stony bed and small water pools. It leads to the village of Fanja.
“Wadi Al Khoudh” is located in Wilayat Al Seeb, and is considered one of the largest wadi basins in the Sultanate. Pools are formed in the wadi following heavy rain. It is well worth a visit, to enjoy the green salience, the beautiful rock formations surrounding and its clear water pools and springs of water of the valley
