We stayed at the Grand Hyatt once again and thoroughly enjoyed it - sun, sea and sand, great food and friendly, helpful staff. Below is the view from our room. We did not use the pool but chose to swim in the sea, which was at a cooler temperature.
We drove to Nizwa, which is just over 100 miles from Muscat, and visited the souk. Here are some of the spices - lovely aromas. We bought some frankincense and an Omani coffee pot.
Nizwa was once the capital of Oman and its fort was built in the C17th. The enormous tower took 30 years to complete. The walls of the fort are thick enough to withstand the effects of incoming cannon fire. We had superb views of Ziwa town and the surrounding valley from the top of the tower.
Beyond Nizwa is the striking Jabrin Castle. It was built as a home in 1670. Its builder, the Imam Bil'arub Bin Sultan was killed in the palace in 1692 following a siege by his brother. Jabrin has been beautifully restored and its painted ceiling are particularly impressive.
Not far from Jabrin Castle is the town of Bahla, which was the capital of Oman before Nizwa. The town has a 13km wall around it, reputedly built around 600 years ago. There is evidence of a fort being built in Bahla in 1000BC. The current incarnation is massive and preserved as a World Heritage Site.
Al Hamra's mud brick houses are now largely deserted and the people have moved into new properties in the town.
Birkat Al-Mawz (The pool of bananas) has a great example of Oman's complex irrigation system, known as the falaj system. The channels were made to take water from underground springs to the fields but as you can see, they also make great swimming places.
We went dolphin watching but did not see any. However, Captain Khalid found us a great place to go snorkelling.
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