Travel Guides: All Countries, Middle East.
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| | | | A real slice of Arabia
I'm not Muslim, but the call to prayer now plays a big part of my life. Naturally a somnolent person who hits the snooze button as often as possible in the mornings, I am now woken, sat upright and immediately ready for the day thanks to my new mosque alarm clock, which shocks me awake with its Arabic wailing.
This was not something I had expected to buy during my trip to Oman. Dates, maybe, or some fragrant local frankincense, but not a tacky mosque alarm clock. The fact that the cheery stallholders in the Mutrah souk in the capital Muscat stack these clocks by the dozen shows how rapidly Oman is embracing its tourism future. It's also a country that's keeping a firm grip on its past.
I managed to resist buying a toy singing camel in the souk. But my powerlessness over the clock was almost definitely down to an earlier visit to the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat.
I haven't seen India's Taj Mahal, but I imagine this place evokes a similar wow factor. Seven years in the making, its domes and minarets are breathtaking and when you get inside – prepare for another gasp. Hanging from the ornate ceiling of the main prayer hall – which can hold up to 9,000 worshippers – is the world's largest chandelier, with 2,200 bulbs.
Using the world's finest craftspeople was a must for Sultan Qaboos bin Said who wanted to show his people how much he loved them by building the ornate mosque, opened in 2001. Iranian women took four years to craft the beautiful giant Persian rug that covers the floor. Pakistani artisans hand-carved verses of the Qur'an on borders inside and out. And only the finest Italian marble was used in the building of this magnificent place of worship.
Dubai may be the word on many people's lips, but if you want a real slice of Arabia, Oman in the place for you. It is one of the oldest civilisations on the Persian Peninsula and takes up a huge chunk of it, with a 1,700km coastline touching the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. Alleged to have been the home of Sinbad the Sailor, it's easy to imagine him amid its long beaches, feathery palms, citrus groves, mountainous backdrop or central desert plain.
The most obvious feature of Oman's environment is that desert, but shifting sand dunes account for only a small part of it – the majority is endless rock-strewn boulder fields, dried ravines, salt flats and wadis – where 'wadi bashing', negotiating the trails by 4WD, is a key tourist pastime. Particularly popular is Wahiba Sands, a stretch of dunes, up to 200m high running south for 200kms and still home to Bedouin tribes.
A closed country for many years, Oman has evolved significantly since Sultan Qaboos overthrew his hermit-like father in a bloodless coup at the palace. In the past 35 years, he has given the country a new lease of life and the diminutive sultan is highly regarded by his people, in the region and around the world, managing to be both traditional and forward-thinking. Witness the presence of a Starbucks on the lovely beachside-promenade of Qurum, in the Muscat's prestigious district of the same name.
Travel guide: Middle East
Service and smiles in Isfahan
When I told family and friends my plans to holiday in Iran, the reception varied from: "Is it safe?" to a stunned silence, writes Teletext viewer B Palmer, from the Vale of Glamorgan.
This reaction, which also greeted my fellow travellers, highlighted a commonly misplaced perception.
One of the safest countries in the world for women, I was welcomed in Iran with friendliness and smiles at every turn.
The dress code was much more relaxed than I expected. While a headscarf had to be worn at all times outside the hotel bedroom, long clothing was not needed.
I wore long-sleeved men's shirts that reached to mid-thigh over slacks.
Young Iranian women could be seen wearing make-up and tight mid-thigh tops with jeans rolled up at the ankles.
Iran's hotels are first class and well up to international standard, though service in the restaurants can be slow.
However, sitting in the sublime courtyard of the Hotel Abbasi in Esfahan, time ceases to matter.
With the smell of roses lingering in the warm night air amid the floodlit mosque and fountains, one could well understand why this was the late Shah's favourite hotel.
Local restaurants are clean with friendly staff and good service. Lunch always included a mountain of rice - a bit much at midday with the temperatures consistently in the 90s.
Iranian nightlife consists of walking, picnics in parks or eating out.
Everywhere is floodlit and many streets are like Christmas trees.
Iranians are very family-orientated. Groups of relatives are often seen out together.
The place is also a dream come true for culture vultures. From one of the world's greatest archaeological sites at Persepolis, to the incredible rock reliefs and tomb carvings of ancient Persian kings, to the mosques and palaces of Isfahan, to the fascinating wind towers in the desert city of Yazd... Iran is one long marvel.
The main archaeological sites are generally well looked after but lack on-site information. Museums are poorly labelled.
Gardens and parks are well kept though, with colourful flower beds and no litter. Roads are generally in good condition and the engineering was impressive over the high mountain passes with the hairpin bends.
I have come back to these shores with a thousand memories of a remarkable country with charming people. One day, I hope to return.
- Teletext viewer Julie Fahey, of Cheshire, is the latest winner of our My Holiday travel writing competition. Julie has bagged a £20 book voucher after her superb safari tales from Kenya. Have you got a travel story you'd like to share?
- We'll publish the best holiday yarns on Fridays on p174 and on our website at teletextholidays.co.uk. The best story each month will get a £20 book voucher. Send your story to: Travel Desk, Teletext, Building 10, Chiswick Park, Chiswick High Road, London, W4 5TS. Or you can e-mail it to us at: traveldesk@teletext.co.uk - please don't forget to include your name and full address.
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Travel guide: Middle East
A voyage into mysterous Qatar
Travelling 3,000-odd miles just to find a pair of 22-carat earrings for £35 may seem a trifle excessive yet Qatar lives up to its promise as a gift grotto.
There are, of course, other reasons besides for visiting the world's richest country, loaded on oil and gas.
But where is it? That was the standard question to my announcement that I was Qatar-bound. Smart answer: it's a tiny peninsula bordering Saudi Arabia.
As recently as year 2000 the Emir of Qatar launched his country as a tourist and international conference hot spot.
It gained recent prominence as one of the US's principal launch pads for its invasion of Iraq. And journalist Yvonne Ridley has added to its fame.
She was sacked by the Qatar-based al-Jazeera TV channel. But she can't sue for constructive dismissal because her salary was a "gift" from the Emir.
Mystery is the country's major asset. You simply don't know what to expect. First impression at its airport (at capital Doha) is that of a vast building site.
Then as you drive towards the city centre you spot stunning examples of fusion architecture — Arabic/Western-styled corporate and public buildings.
Vast, palatial hotels promise respite from heat and sand while you gaze longingly at the Persian Gulf.
Planning is key to making the most of your stay in Qatar. You want to be driven at great speed up sand dunes?
Then seek out the many desert adventure companies through your hotel and enjoy four-wheel-drive hell.
Travel guide: Middle East
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| | | | Coastal cruising
One of the country's greatest assets is its coastline. For someone prone to turning green and weak at the mere thought of a boat trip, pelting through the Gulf of Oman at top speed was filling me with dread. Then again, the chance of spotting dolphins managed to change my mind. We didn't see dolphins on this trip – although I had seen them by the bucket load on a previous visit – but there was lots of other things to see.
The boat hugged the coast, giving a glimpse of old Portuguese forts, the sultan's rather grand palace and in the port of Muscat, his beautiful traditional sailing dhow, although much like myself, his sea legs are said to not be too strong.
Further round the coastline, the boat continued to stunning inlets, such as Bandar Koran, with tiny beaches and magnificent snorkelling. It's now wonder that Oman is said to be one of the next big things on divers' radars.
Back on dry land, we made a trip to Nizwa, two hours outside Muscat. Found in the heart of the Dakhaliyah region, Nizwa is an oasis settlement and former seat of the imams who once ruled the country's interior, but tourists now head here to see the Nizwa Fort. What is it they say about mad dogs and Englishmen? While I clambered around the fort in the midday sun, the guide sensibly stuck to the shadows and the inside of the fort's many cool rooms.
One of the country's other big draws is the southern city of Salalah, capital of the province of Dhofar and birthplace of the sultan. It gets drenched with monsoon rains every year from June to September and makes for spectacular viewing, lush and green whilst the rest of Arabia swelters in the heat.
Frankincense, the fabled scent borne by the Three Kings in the bible, was Dhofar's most famous export for thousands of years and the best place to buy it today is the Al-Husn Souq. Also intriguing about this region is the varied mix of people including many black Omanis, descendants of immigrants from Zanzibar.
Back in the north and nestled between the shadow of mountains and the waters of the Gulf of Oman, the hottest place to stay in Oman is Shangri-La's new Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa. About half an hour from Muscat, the last 2.5km of the road was built specially to reach the resort – before the road was finished, everything had to shipped in to start construction on the $207 million-project. It now boasts three separate hotels, each one as comfortably extravagant as the next and each designed very much in local style, with the resort's boutique hotel, Al Husn, particularly reminiscent of an Arabian palace. The other hotels are Al Waha, the largest of the three and great for families, and Al Bandar, a five-star pad and the heart of the resort.
An Omani Heritage Centre will open soon and uniforms at the hotel are interpretations of the dishdasha, a collarless ankle-length gown worn by most Omanis. The resort will also boast craft stalls selling rugs, silver, local breads and henna hand painting and a 1,000-seat amphitheatre for shows of local culture, as well as an amazing spa, a dive operation and a marina.
Oman is an important nesting ground for five species of turtle and the resort has had to take on a 'turtle ranger', given the shell-backed creatures' love of Barr al Jissah's beach. The best place in Oman to see turtles is actually at Ras Al-Jinz, the eastern most point of the peninsula, where up to 13,000 greenback turtles come to nest every year. A night safari is the best way to witness this spectacle and is just one more reason to visit this fascinating and beautiful country.
- Stay at Shangri-La's new Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa, £149 per room. Fly with Gulf Air from London Heathrow. Flights start from £373pp.
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Dhow trips and the search for red gold
After being driven at 100km/h up South Downs-sized sand dunes, my tum was not entirely ready for a Bedouin dinner.
Fiery torches guided us to a makeshift desert camp where burgers awaited us. Disappointingly, our Bedouin hosts were just local office lads dressed up in the part for us gullible tourists.
The country is fairly liberal on non-Muslims drinking alcohol, but we have to make do with Diet Coke that night.
Other Qatari adventures include dhow trips out into the sea of the Persian Gulf where you may meet the "world's oldest pearl diver", aged 80 at least.
On another day, there's a visit to Doha's gold souq in search of "red" gold earrings — a requested gift.
Brochures advise you to barter but the trader stubbornly sticks to the asking £35 for the 22-carat jewellery, a good and typical bargain in any case.
For a glossy slice-of-life experience you could do worse than explore Doha's Corniche — a long, colourful waterfront that mixes ancient and modern styles.
Try out the shisha (or water pipe) at The Paradise cafe before gazing up at the hallucinatory Barzan Tower, its upper levels as blue as the sky.
Other highlights along the 13.5kms include a fountain made from huge ceramic jars, as well as many restaurants.
Tourists hoping for a Faliraki-style holiday need not visit Qatar. Skimpy clobber won't be welcome in the malls and public snogging is ill-advised.
- Five nights at the five-star Ritz Carlton Doha, flying with Qatar Airlines: one double room £570 per adult; two children at £405 per child. Prices vary by season.
- Tel 0845 061 6255. More information: www.experienceqatar.com
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