Write up dedicated to my sister, Malathi, who lives in Muscat and loves it as much as her original city of residence, Mumbai
Two things about Muscat really stand out – one that you cannot find a scrap of paper or any junk on the streets and two it is surrounded by mountains that are stark and bare and have no foliage. But even a short visit is enough to convince the tourist that this is a really nice place to live!
Among other things I liked Muscat for the availability of Indian food and the price of almost everything being quite reasonable compared to other towns we have been to. More on the food later, it’s a topic by itself! The mosques and places of interest we saw were also unique and pristine.
View of the stark surroundings One of the residential complex buildings
Muscat is quite socially advanced with women getting excellent treatment. The headscarf or any extra covering is optional though many do it to uphold their culture. Female drivers are quite commonly seen on all roads. We did not visit Muscat with a view to doing a tour. We were visiting relatives, my sister, niece and her husband. They are working in Muscat and have had an earlier stay there also. In between they were in India for some years.
My niece planned an excellent tour for us. Firstly the apartment and the complex they had chosen to reside in was lovely. The apartment was very large by standards of other cities, especially Mumbai! There were many balconies, passage areas and the rooms were in general, very large. The two building wings were multi-storied. The complex also provided swimming pools, walking areas, meeting room, a library and a children’s park. The population staying there, many of Indian origin, were also young and vibrant, celebrating festivals and organizing fun events for neutral days like Valentine’s Day with eye catching red décor and lights.
We were pleasantly surprised to find there were two full-fledged Hindu temples within short driving distances. On day one we visited the Shiva temple which was small but beautiful in an older section of the city. It was well maintained, only the parking being a bit difficult to find spots on weekends. Outside vendors were selling fresh vegetables like drumsticks and plenty of fragrant karipatta. For lunch or should I say appetizers, because my sister had already made a delicious lunch, we went to a place specializing in pani puris and it was delectable. The standard as good as India.
A lovely carved and decorated bull outside the Shiva temple
Our second day morning was reserved for a small shopping spree in a famous LuLu store nearby. Wow! We were impressed with the large selection of items and vegetables. In Muscat one need not go to an Indian store to get their daals, attas and other typical groceries. All the LuLu stores carried them. In fact some items like atta was even manufactured in Oman. Besides Indian items there was everything from A to Z from many parts of the world including imported chocolates in profusion from UK and Europe. There were always promotions and the prices seemed very reasonable. After lunch and some rest, we made our way to Qurum Beach which was a very clean and scenic area. Families came there in the evening to spread their sheets on the large grassy area a short distance from the water and the children could play and picnic happily. The sunset was gorgeous and we could view it as we walked on the built up pathway closer to the water with an uninterrupted view. The next day we set out in the morning for a tour of my neice’s hospital which is actually government owned. It did come with some perks like generous amount of vacation days and a schedule that was not overwhelming. We drove around in many areas of the petroleum development corporation (PDO) and saw the numerous villas owned by them and given on rental to the employees. Since the homes were built on the hillsides with occasional view of the ocean, it proved to be a scenic drive.
That evening we went to the Jumeirah Muscat Bay hotel and enjoyed viewing their outdoor landscaping and the beautiful lobby. This was followed by gorgeous views from the Al Bustan palace hotel which also had a lovely lobby area. That evening it was our plan to try out a idly-dosa place named Gokul and I still cannot stop singing praises of their quality and reasonable pricing.
Wadis are famous in the middle east. Basically it is a stream in a valley that flows when there is the rare rainfall and flash flooding happens sometimes. This day we visited Wadi Dayqah dam which was about an hour and a half drive away from Muscat city. The drive was pretty mountainous through the Hajer mountains. As expected there was a small garden with plenty of picnic tables close to the reservoir. The dam was nearby and we could walk the short distance to it. Given the pleasant sunny weather we enjoyed the outdoors and had our samosa snack there. And upon return home we saw the famous sign Wadi Adai in the turning near our complex and as always, had a little laugh because Adai is an Indian snack!
At the Wadi Dayquah which was a lovely out- of -town half a day outing
The Sultan Qaboos Grand mosque was on our itinerary the next day. It is a place of wonder not to be missed. Not because it was an ancient monument, but due to it being a modern architectural wonder with its beautiful golden dome, tall minarets and pleasing landscaping. Built over six years starting in 1995, it can accommodate 20,000 worshippers including its inner and outer areas. It is actively used. How such a big edifice could be accommodated in the heart of the city of Muscat is a wonder. It was the most generous gift to the city from the Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said. He enjoyed the popularity of the people during his half a century reign. We also heard that the Sultan had studied in India and had admiration for the people of India and their principles. The mosque reflects a combination of Islamic, Middle Eastern and Omani architectural styles. It is stated that 30,000 tonnes of pink sandstone purported to be imported from India were used as well as local granite and white marble. Five minarets at an imposing height of 90 meters add to its grandeur and symmetry.
Some of the unique features that attracted me personally were the intricacies in every inch of architecture, the huge open verandahs and the beautiful and endless courtyards beautifully decorated with flowering plants. A hall, especially dedicated for women to pray and the main hall certainly deserves mention. A 24 carat gold plated chandelier decorated with 600 Swarovski crystal is at the center of the main prayer hall. Smaller versions could be found in other parts of the mosque. But what wins the main mention is a huge hand-made carpet that was, believe it or not, a gorgeous piece that took 600 Iranian women four years to complete. Amazing intricate designs, color and uniformity are its hallmark. Visitors are allowed at specific days and times to visit this must-see modern edifice that quietly competes with other beautiful monuments seen in India and other parts of the world. The visitor activity is conducted with utmost order and precision. The only requirements are modest clothing and head covering for women. Footware is to be removed and stored. Inside the main prayer hall, all was quiet as people took in its beauty and one could feel a divine connection contained within its beautiful walls and ceiling. When one leaves, it is with great reluctance.
The Grand Mosque building and grounds and the famed carpet
This was another day to eat out. We had lunch at Kailash Parbat in the mall. It was not a full-fledged restaurant, just a take-out place where we could carry the food to the tables set up nearby inside the mall. The food was delicious, including pani puri and warm jilebees. In the evening we visited the second Hindu temple in Muscat. It was the Krishna temple, serene and beautiful as expected. Muscat was quite a food fest! Not only did we try many eateries big and small but brought home delicacies chief among them being the delicious baklava. Busbusa was another delicacy more cake- like and slightly sticky and very tasty. The pistachio version was the best and sold fresh at LuLu’s “bakes and cakes” promoting Omani delicacies. Of course we splurged on the various mini bars of chocolate that were very attractive by way of two bags for the price of one! At home too we were bent on making “godumai halwa” a south Indian speciality and had to jump through the hoops to get Indian wheat which always has a higher gluten content, very essential for this halwa. While every other item was from India at LuLu the wheat being promoted was exclusively of Omani origin. Anyway we succeeded and the result was delicious and more cholesterol of course, being made with fresh ghee! And anyone feeling the overload of sweets could turn to the cilantro chutney also made at home with locally sourced ingredients. We celebrated my sister’s birthday which was later in the same month with a delicious ” Aapam meal at a special restaurant, Woodlands, and cake at home.
Some yummy edibles: Crispy dosa at a local restaurant, the famous pistachio Busbusa, a cousin of the Baklava and homemade wheat halwa
The LuLu stores are quite a legend in Muscat city. The word is supposed to mean “a rare pearl”. They were first started by Yusuff Ali Musaliam Veettil Abdul Kader, born in Thrissur, Kerala, India. It is the largest employer of Indians in the region. He started his import business in Abu Dhabi and the first LuLu store in 1990. There are LuLu stores in India as well. By the end of our stay we were referring to the one nearby as “namma LuLu” in Tamil which means “our own Lu Lu”. I found it very amusing that they were all called Hypermarkets instead of Supermarkets! Indeed there was hyper activity in each store between the aisles of groceries, fresh fruits and vegetables and even clothing and home use articles, appliances and furniture! Per the internet the 78th store was recently opened in 2001 in the area surrounding Muscat. No wonder it won the award as the “Retail company of the year” award and features in the top hundred super brands in the Gulf.
In our jam packed itinerary and food tasting spree, we were yet to visit some notable spots and we covered these the day before we left. The Al Alam palace and the National museum we drove by or stopped briefly without going in, although the outside was quite impressive.
Al Riyam Park and the Palace courtyard
Al Riyam park was made unique by a huge incense burner look-alike cement structure. Since our time was limited we could not get closer to it to verify if one could actually climb up within it. The park itself was beautifully landscaped with many green picnic areas and benches and play-yards for children at two levels. From certain higher locations the sea is visible too. Muscat residents are constantly encouraged to go out into the open to get fresh air and exercise and this is done with beautifully maintained parks and sea face walking areas. Even on a drive around Muscat there are many roundabouts that featured quaint colorful teapot structures symmetrically placed or some other piece of art!
Beautiful mosaic artwork as the Grand Mosque
All in all it was great to visit Muscat! If one needs a quiet, clean and reasonably priced get-away this is the place. With a small recommendation from me, my neice will give you guidance! She is a great doctor as well as a foodie whose enthusiasm and tireless energy are simply amazing!
travelswithshamla 