Previously regarded as the hermit of the Middle East, Oman is slowly coming out of its shell. One of the more traditional countries in the region, it has become more outward-looking in recent years. Once an imperial power that jostled with both Portugal and Britain for influence in the Gulf, its development since 1970 is striking, given that its oil reserves are greatly limited. An ever-increasing number of travelers are discovering its friendly people, dramatic mountain landscapes and vast unspoilt beaches.

Mid-October to mid-March, to avoid the monsoon season

Visiting the Omani-French Museum in Muscat Browsing through the early-morning fish market in Mutrah Bargain-hunting at Nizwa’s colourful souq Exploring the archaeological sites around Salalah Discovering Wadi, the Grand Canyon of Arabia Hiking and caving in the Hajar Mountains

Read Phillip Ward’s Travels in Oman: On the track of the Early Explorer, a combination of modern travelogue and historical traveler accounts

Listen to Symphonic lmpressions of Oman by Lalo Scifrin, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, which captures the mood, scenery and traditional of Oman

Eat balaleet-a popular breakfast dish of sweet vermicelli with egg, onion and cinnamon; machboos-show-cooked meat and rice with onion, spices and dried limes

Drink laban-salty buttermilk; cardamom-infused yoghurt drinks

Tasharrafna (nice to meet you)

Lmpressive; forts; sandy beaches; beautiful mountain scenery; vibrant bazaars; groves of frankincense trees; men in bright blue dishdashas (shirt dresses); ancient ruina; traditional dance and music; silver jewellery; desert motoring; emote villages

Camel racing is a traditional sport, as is bull-butting-pairing Brahmin bulls to fight (no injury or bloodshed is involved ); nomadic Bedouin tribes still live in the interior

Every spring the sultan spends several weeks driving around the country on a ‘meet the people tour’. This is covered extensively on Omani TV. A few minutes viewing one of the reports will show you the extent to which the day-to-day life of the average Omani living in a town in the interior or a fishing village on the coast is close to what it would have been centuries ago.