Off to Oman!!

Tonight we leave today for 4 nights in beautiful Oman! 

We are so excited that we took the opportunity of adding an extra day to what was already a long weekend. We will be staying just outside of Muscat and have a busy itinerary. There is so much to do and choose from that I had a hard time narrowing it down. I really think you could spend several weeks there and still not see everything. There were also so many hiking/adventure sites that I would have loved to go to but wouldn't work with two little kids. 

Also, as preparation for our trip I have been reading about the history of the country and it is fascinating. Here is a link to Wikipedia on Oman if you interested but what struck me was how well they have balanced modernization while preserving so much of their culture and traditions. The love they have for their current Sultan is impressive and how much he has done for the country is commendable especially given that they don't have the oil revenues like their neighboring countries to rely on. I really enjoyed reading all about the history of the country and the various places we are visiting.

Here is what we have planned so far....however....as it is when you travel with kids, it is kind of up to them and how they are doing....

Wednesday - Explore Muscat, the Old Muttrah Souk, the Sultan's Palace and walk along the Coriniche to see the old Portuguese forts

Thursday- In the morning Peyton and John will taking a glass bottom boat tour of the coastline and looking for dolphins. Then that afternoon we will go to the Nakhal Fort which is 350 years old and is set in a gorge, surrounded by mountains. The carved master gate is believed to date back to the 1830's.

Friday- We are driving to the town of Nizwa and going to the market there in the morning where they have a famous livestock market by the souk. We are then going to visit the fort there, and one of the falajs (a water irrigation system) that were recently endorsed by the World Heritage Committee and then if we are up to it heading to a castle just outside of the town.

Saturday- We are hoping to visit a museum (either the heritage or modern art museum) before we head to the airport.

Look forward to sharing loads of pictures when we return!