Oman: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Oman feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 75 written places.
The Gulf's gentlest welcome; mountains, wadis and dhows over malls and towers.
✓ Considered polite
- Dress modestly - Oman is traditional and appreciates the effort
- Accept coffee and dates in any home or office
- Drive the mountains and wadis - a 4x4 opens the country's best days
- Greet with As-salamu alaykum - Omanis return warmth doubled
✗ Better avoided
- Photograph people without asking
- Swim in wadis in skimpy swimwear near villages - shorts and shirt is kind
- Drink alcohol outside licensed hotels
- Rush - Omani time is courteous and unhurried
Worth knowing
- Cards work in cities; cash for villages and souqs
- Tipping is not traditional; rounding up is kind
- Wadi Shab and the Sharqiya sands are the classic circuit with Muscat
- Summer heat is fierce - October to April is the window
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.