First feelings about Muscat and Oman

hey folks,

It has been 3 weeks I am here in Muscat.

Lets suppose that you have to come tomorrow in Oman, here you can find the essential things you will face here as a new comer.

- Weather: don't forget that Muscat is in Middle east... what does it mean?
if you can afford high temperature (almost 40 C during the day and we are in October) and if you can easily accomodate high humidity rate and agressive sun then it will mean nothing for you.
If, as me and most of people not originarly from the region, you think it will be too much: then You are right.
Just be prepared to feel bad during the first few weeks here.
And don't forget that this is not summer, this is just autumn ;-)

- Taxi : If you come here by plane, I think the next issue for you just after the weather shock will be the taxi.
unless someone arrange a driver for you , you will have to find a taxi in the airport.
Taxi here are easily visible : white and orange stripped car. I think there are enough taxi for all the potential clients.
Then, I am sure you are wondering what is the problem?
The problem is the price!
Here no counters, no rates, no charts, nothing. You are just subject to the appreciation of the driver. He will do his appreciation thanks to your face...

Concretely, what is going on?
Just a difference of price that can vary to a simple to 20 times the basic price.
here comes an example:
- if you are an occidental guy, preferably blond, you dont speak arabic, you take the taxi from an hotel to a point which can be 3km away and you don't care about the price because it is your first here: it will cost you 5 rials.
- if you are the same occidental guy, this is not your first time taking the taxi and/or someone already brieffed you regarding the situation. Then you will be able to lower the price to 3 or in very good situation to 2 rials.
- if you are can speak arabic : you will be able to get it for 1 rials or maybe less
- if you are Omani, then you will get for 0.5 rial
- if you are indian, or bangali ( typically the principal immigrant community here) you will get it for 0.2 or in the best case 0.1 rial.

0.1 to 5 rials : that's huge , isn't it?

But the positive here is that you will quickly learn some tips for taking a taxi not so expensive (dont try to dream: you will never get the "indian fares"). Basically , try to take the taxi with other people, then you will split the bill. also you can take , in the highway, a shared taxi van. Drivers seem to apply the same prices regardless the physical of the client. this is also cheap : you can go to the airport for several hundreds Baizas (1 rial = 1000 baiza) when a simple car taxi will take you several rials.

- cars : as the price of cars is really cheap here, you will only find big car and other luxury
cars here.Also I strongly advise you to forget the idea of walking. it seems that pedestrian here are like undesirable here, if you ride a bike (as me ;-p) you will be seen as an E.T. and it will be really dangerous.


Si then, just be prepared!!!

R

PS: Once I get a "normal" internet connection, I will try to past some pictures