Muscat City
The Omani capital is dramatically located against the backdrop of dark craggy mountains on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other. The beaches are lovely, especially good for relaxing walks in the early evening when the weather gets a little cooler.
New Muscat suburbs
Muscat itself is technically the old port of Muscat, but today it is also used to refer to the greater Muscat area, including Mutrah, where the main souk and modern port area is and Ruwi,the central business district. Just north of these are several new neighbourhoods where many of the upscale hotels, foreign embassies and modern shopping malls are located. Each area has its own distinct character, the old walls and Sultan’s palace in old Muscat, the souk and old houses around Mutrah, the modern but traditional style homes in Medinat Qaboos and other new suburbs and the more western looking office buildings of Ruwi.
