Oman: A Typical Destination for a Honeymoon

The look of confusion on every single person’s face after I told them I was having my honeymoon in Oman continued to amuse me, all the way up until my wedding day itself. It’s a standard question people ask when you say you’re getting married; “are you having a honeymoon?!” The next question is then some variation on “oooo, lovely, where are you going?”.

I have then learnt that you are expected to reply with somewhere like the Maldives or the Caribbean and me answering Oman knocked everyone off their game. They would quickly try and recover from their look of shock and try and say something nice; dependant on what mood I was in I would either stare at them, daring them to question me, or I would just laugh and tell them not to worry, I looked like that too when it was first suggested to me.

Sunset at the Alila Jabal Akhdar luxury hotel in Oman
The view over the mountains at the Alila Jabal Akhdar hotel
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Who Chose to Honeymoon in Oman?

The truth is that it wasn’t on my list of places to go (which is a pretty extensive list), until my lovely travel consultant, Sam, presented me with a blinder of an itinerary for it.

I generally research and book my own travel as planning and travel are two of my favourite things. However, the demands of work can sometimes take their toll and every now and then I call Sam to sort out some of our more ambitious destinations, particularly when I can’t even choose where to go.

Related Post: Ultimate Oman Itinerary: Muscat, Mountains & Desert

My honeymoon is one of those times I knew I had to delegate; we were planning on leaving the day after the wedding and I didn’t want to put too much on my plate by trying to do too much. Sam emailed me her Oman suggestion with a proposed itinerary, cue frantic googling, I wasn’t even sure I knew exactly where it was. I had never been to the Middle East except to transit though it and to be completely honest, it wasn’t on my list, Dubai wasn’t my thing and with varying levels of unrest in several countries, it limits the options.

The more I looked into Oman though, the more intrigued I became; the landscapes were incredibly diverse with beautiful beaches, dramatic mountain ranges and Arabian desert all within a couple of hours drive from Muscat. In contrast to it’s neighbours, Oman has a no skyscraper policy so the overall look of Muscat is more low key and traditional, however you can still see signs of the wealth of the country through little details like the ornate street lights and beautifully intricate buildings.

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Related Post: Best Things to Do in Muscat, Oman

Overview of Oman

Oman was pretty much completely isolated and undeveloped until 1970 when Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said overthrew his father and began investing in the country.

Tourists only started arriving in the 1980s and it very much caters to the higher end of luxury travel, the hotels here are expensive. This might actually be an understatement, this is hands down the most expensive country I have ever been to (easily more so than Iceland). While the quality of the the accommodation and food was top notch, I have experienced similar quality in other countries for much less.

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The pricing actually took me by surprise, this was the first time I have ever got onto a plane to country I’d never been before having done zero research; I actually had a brief panic in Dubai airport and ran round trying to (unsuccessfully) find the Lonely Planet guide!

You can, however, work around it; restaurants outside the hotel are cheap; Danny and I did venture out one night in Muscat and spent a grand total of £30 on a two course meal, soft drinks and a return taxi. You’ll notice I said soft drinks; as per other Middle Eastern countries, alcohol licenses are few and far between outside the hotels.

Final Thoughts: Honeymoon in Oman

I loved Oman, it isn’t one of those places that you see advertised or plastered all over social media, therefore your expectations aren’t nearly as specific which allows you to be surprised (something I had forgotten); it is an absolutely stunning country and so unbelievably diverse in its landscapes. It was also, bizarrely, the perfect place for our honeymoon, there is enough to do to keep you busy but not so much that you are tempted to jam pack your itinerary and come home more exhausted than when you got there (something I have to manage carefully).

Related Post: Luxury Hotel Review: The Chedi Muscat Oman

However, it is for this very reason that it probably isn’t one of my destinations to return to though, although I would make an exception for the Six Senses Zighy Bay hotel on the northern peninsula (about a two hour drive from Dubai). I was disappointed we couldn’t fit this in the itinerary, they have an unusual transfer method for those that choose it; para-gliding into your hotel would have just been absolutely mind blowing!

If you are thinking of a honeymoon in Oman (or a regular holiday) and have any questions, feel free to get in touch!

Travel Resources

– Check flight routes and prices with Skyscanner. Oman Air fly direct from Manchester and London Heathrow on a daily basis and British Airways fly from London Heathrow three times a week between October and April.

There are currently no direct flights from the USA, but there are lots of connection options; Muscat is only an hour’s flight from Dubai.

– View and book accommodation in Oman with Booking.com, Agoda or Hotels.com.

– Click here to buy your Lonely Planet Guide for Oman.

– Apply for your Oman Visa here. Read my full Oman Itinerary for more visa information.

– You can check out my full list of tried, tested and recommended Travel Resources here.

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2 Comments

  1. Krystianna
    December 29, 2019 / 12:29 am

    Oman looks incredibly beautiful. I absolutely love your photos!

  2. Elsa
    December 30, 2019 / 1:12 am

    Funny expressions on their faces. I imagined it thru your words. Nice to read.

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