Family holidays to Oman

Nestled against Ras Al-Khaimah on the country’s northern tip, this spectacular coast is one of the loveliest places to discover Oman for the first time. Unspoiled and traditional in many ways, this is a place where life runs at a slow pace, and even the exquisite resorts look more like traditional villages than luxury hotels. Sailing, climbing, walking and exploring are the themes here, and it’s best for outdoor-loving, adventurous kids and complete escapism.

• Closer to the UAE than Muscat, the peninsula is just over an hour’s drive from Ras Al-Khaimah and two hours from Dubai.
• It’s famous for a dramatic coastline which resembles Norway’s fjords – only with hot, sunny weather year-round.
• Visit lively little Khasab. It’s the biggest town on the peninsula, built by the Portuguese in the 17^th century, and the coastal route is sensational.
• Don’t miss: trekking and climbing in the mountains, dolphin-spotting, dhow cruises, snorkelling and tiny fishing villages.

Oman’s cultured and lovely capital is far from the high-rise extravagance of Dubai or Abu Dhabi. It’s no less fascinating, it just tends to work to a slightly more graceful scale, gently cares for heritage and is better known for ancient architecture than glittering modern monuments. This is a city of souks, evening strolls along the promenade, cleaner-than-clean streets, gorgeous mosques and large, peaceful parks and gardens, though it can be lively and bustling, too. Kids will like the easygoing atmosphere and they’ll never be short of something to see or do.

• Muscat is good for five-star city centre hotels and luxury family-friendly resorts on Qurum Beach.
• Take the Muscat/Muttrah Geotrek guided tour through the city –it’s fascinating, and a great introduction to the capital and Oman itself.
• Don’t miss: the silk souks, Al Mirani Fort, Qasr Al Alam Palace, the Grand Mosque, Al Riyam Park, snorkelling and swimming at Al Khayran, Wadi Mayh and Al Jabal Al Aswad.

Just under two hours south of Muscat, Sharqiya is the entire landscape of Oman encapsulated in one region: beautiful coast, soaring mountains and endless desert sands. Historically, this ancient land of ship builders, slave traders and merchants was one of the country’s most prosperous areas and traces of the past are a fascinating counterpoint to the natural magnificence. Sharqiya is an unforgettable adventure for older children and could easily forge a lifelong passion for Oman.

• The coast here is turtle-rich, with five of the world’s seven marine species recorded and opportunities for gentle observation at Ras Al Hadd, aka Turtle Beach.
• The Wahiba Sands are Oman’s most accessible dune-strewn desert.
• Trekking in the eastern Al Hajar Mountains is fantastic in this region.
• Masirah Island is known for its green-turtle nesting sites and just over an hour by ferry from Shanna on the Sharqiya coast.
• This is not the region for five-star resorts, but that is more than made up for by amazing desert and beach camps – as luxurious as hotels, but a lot more memorable for kids.

Almost as far south as you can go without crossing the Yemen border, Dhofar is a summer-holiday favourite with Omanis. The region is world famous for the spectacle of the ‘blooming desert’ during monsoon season, and home to the town of Salalah, one of the most historic and lovely ports in the country.

• Monsoon season or Khareef runs from mid-June to late August, and transforms the desert into a lush green garden almost overnight.
• Visit for Indian Ocean beaches, the Frankincense Trail, desert tours and archaeological marvels.
• Don’t miss: Ash Shuwaymiyyah, the Queen of Sheba’s Palace, Tomb of Job, Mirbat Castle and Al Baleed.

Look for four- and five-star international hotels in Salalah and Mirbat, and desert camps and beach resorts to the north.