Go with Henry: Holiday fun at Al Sawadi

Friday, 11 December 2009

Holiday fun at Al Sawadi

English Teacher in Oman

Beach camping - 2008

Staying at Al Sawadi Beach Resort - 2009

Oman

Background

Al Sawadi was one of my favorite places in Oman. There was a three-star Beach resort (recently closed) that had chalets close to the beach. It had a great beach with luke-warm pristine water. One could rent a boat to take you to the Sawadi islands to snorkel.

We also camped on the beach on another occasion.

Al Sawadi

About Oman

Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arab country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Holding a strategically important position at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the country shares land borders with the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest, and shares marine borders with Iran and Pakistan.

From the late 17th century, the Omani Sultanate was a powerful empire, vying with Portugal and Britain for influence in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. At its peak in the 19th century, Omani influence or control extended across the Strait of Hormuz to modern-day Iran and Pakistan, and as far south as Zanzibar (today part of Tanzania, also former capital). As its power declined in the 20th century, the sultanate came under the influence of the United Kingdom.

Historically, Muscat was the principal trading port of the Persian Gulf region. Muscat was also among the most important trading ports of the Indian Ocean.

Oman is an absolute monarchy. The Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said has been the hereditary leader of the country since 1970. Sultan Qaboos is the longest-serving current ruler in the Middle East, and sixth-longest current reigning monarch in the world.

Oman has modest oil reserves, ranking 25th globally. Nevertheless, in 2010 the UNDP ranked Oman as the most improved nation in the world in terms of development during the preceding 40 years. A significant portion of its economy is tourism and trade of fish, dates, and certain agricultural produce. This sets it apart from its neighbors’ solely oil-dependent economies. Oman is categorized as a high-income economy (Wikipedia).

Fishing boat

What does Lonely Planet say about Al Sawadi?

A popular day-trip an hour or so drive west of Muscat, Al Sawadi is a beautiful spot: two gorgeous, gently sloping golden beaches slowly elide into each other at a sand bar that, at low tide, extends to some islands scattered offshore.

There’s good snorkeling off the islands, and local fishermen line up by the sand bar to take visitors to the best sites. At low tide, you can walk to a watchtower on the largest of the islands, none of which are inhabited. But beware: the tide returns very quickly leaving a very strong chance of being marooned.

Camping at Al Sawadi - 2008

Fishermen - Al Sawadi

Our tents - Teachers from Ibri COAS who camped out on the beach for a weekend

Blair (Australia), still fast asleep in the early morning hours

Our tent

Salim, an Omani kid, who came to speak to us. I asked him what one
calls chocolate in Arabic, to which he answered Galaxy...
which is a brand of chocolate you find in Oman.

The fishing boat that took a bunch of us over to the island to do some snorkeling

The boat 'captain'

Some of the teachers enjoying the sun and snorkeling on the little island.
We stayed here for a couple of hours before we were fetched again to return to the mainland