Category: Other

Tourism needs to focus on local initiatives to support local people

The world is experiencing transformative change with technology developments, demographic changes, changing consumer habits, environmental and climate change. So to build for the future a new emphasis is needed. Local initiatives to support local people

Frankincense Tree - Dhofar - Oman
Frankincense Tree – Dhofar – Oman

These together with continued inequalities and the immense impacts of the COVID-19 have created a new approach, the Continue reading “Tourism needs to focus on local initiatives to support local people”

Sinaw Hoard of Silver Coins

In September, 1979 just west of the date oasis in Sinaw a glazed clay jar was dug up at a building site. The pot, with its green glaze, was a common variety of what is called ‘Sasanian-Islamic’, found in eastern Arabia and Persia during the period covering the end of the Sasanian period and its eclipse by Islam.

Al Sawafia old village - Sinaw - Oman
Al Sawafia old village – Sinaw – Oman

However, inside the pot Continue reading “Sinaw Hoard of Silver Coins”

BUS FROM DUBAI TO MUSCAT revised options from Mwasalat

The Mwasalat Bus  from Dubai to Muscat now has a couple of extra pick-up points in Dubai, making travel even easier. Here are details of the Three locations you can get your Mwasalat Bus from in Dubai, with Map and timings.

The timings are from the main terminus at Continue reading “BUS FROM DUBAI TO MUSCAT revised options from Mwasalat“

Oman’s Orange and White Taxi Fares to be metered by a new government decision from mid 2019

Oman Taxi Fares for the vehicles coloured orange and white, maybe metered from 2019. There are apparently 36,000 of these taxis in Oman with around 20,000 operating in Muscat.

Taxi Oman
Taxi Oman

This will mean that all taxis in Oman will have a type of metered fare system.

The proposal is that the fares will be 300baisa (Omani Rial 0.300) for the initial hire and 130baisa (Omani Rial 0.130)per kilometre; with a minimum fare of Rial Omani 1.000. No detail was given regarding the mini-buses which carry up to 13 passengers.  A waiting fee of 50baisa per minute will be levied, though as most journeys are simply flagged down this is unlikely to need to be calculated. As most journeys are made sharing the taxi with other passengers, with passengers getting out and joining throughout the journey, the taxi fare is expected to be shared amongst passengers. This sharing will be extremely difficult to operate by meter as few journeys are made with the same passengers from start to finish, people flag the taxi down to get in or off at random places.

The minimum fare is 5 times higher than that for an individual passenger on a short journey.
UPDATE 6th Feb 2019
The government has announced (clarified) that although the taxis must have the meter activated at the start of a hire (journey) it is possible for passengers and the driver to agree the fare by negotiation, presumably done before the journey starts.

Therefore the situation is that while meters must by turned on for each journey  (it’s not clear if this is reset each time a person enters a shared taxi) – the actual fare can be negotiated.

Muscat Airport Taxi charges revised by Mwasalat as another price drop is announced

Mwasalat Taxi has announced more reductions to its Muscat Airport Taxi charges.

Oman Taxi Mwasalat
Oman Taxi Mwasalat

Sunday to Thursday 06:00-22:00
The base fare will be Omani Rial 2.500
with a kilometre charge 300 baisa for every km (from 1 km to 30 km)

Sunday to Thursday 22:00-06:00
and weekends (Friday & Saturday) and Public Holidays
The base fare will be Omani Rial 3.000 with a kilometre charge 300 baisa for every km (from 1 km to 30 km) which is the same as normal charges.

OMAN EDITION 5 NEW
OMAN EDITION 5 NEW


Bradt’s 5th guide to Oman 2022 has completely rewritten regional chapters and maps. These cover Oman from the tip of Musandam’s peninsula, through to the hotels near the border with Yemen. Available from June 2022 at most online book stores incl Bradt and Amazon. (my earlier 4th Edition of the guide is still available at Bradt and Amazon)

Talk by Stuart Laing on Tippu Tip

I had planned to go to listen to a talk about Tippu Tip by Stuart Laing at SOAS London. It turned out to be a full day for me of, amongst other things, an East African experience. Passing through the British Museum on my way to a talk at SOAS; Zanzibari artefacts seemed to call out ‘ look at me’.

British Museum - Kofia mens cap - Zanzibari Kofia mens cap
British Museum – Kofia mens cap – Zanzibar

One was very familiar as the Continue reading “Talk by Stuart Laing on Tippu Tip”

Holidays in Oman 2018 and 2019 dates you need to know for your visit

When visiting Oman, Holidays in Oman such as public holidays and the weekend are different from those in ‘western’ countries. Read on www.TonyWalsh.me

Mosque interior
Mosque interior

The weekend is on Continue reading “Holidays in Oman 2018 and 2019 dates you need to know for your visit“