Oman doesn’t require much in terms of preparation. It is a developed country where you will find readily available many travel essentials. It does however require some prior thinking about how you plan to move from one place to another or even within the same city.

Vaccines: About a month before travel, check your vaccines and those of your child. If you travelled before in Asia, you will probably not need anything extra but you should be up to date with tetanus boosters and Hepatitis A. If you travel with children, they will most likely need the Hepatitis A jab. This is not part of most countries mandatory vaccination schedule. On the other side, Oman is not at risk of dengue or Zika so it is a fairly safe destination even if you plan on getting pregnant.

eVisa: about two weeks before travel you will need to apply for an eVisa. You will have to enter Oman within a month from its issuance.

An eVisa is required for all EU countries, US and a few other countries. You will find the complete list here: http://www.rop.gov.om/old/english/countrylist1.asp. Children also require one, no matter the age. The form is quite straightforward. The biggest headache will be scanning a photo and uploading it in the system. The size of the file allowed is very small so cutting the photo and maybe saving as pdf should do the trick. You will pay 5 OMR for a 10 day visa.

Once the eVisa is accepted ( you will get an email within 24 h from application) check that the photo is visible. My husband and son had ok photos but mine was barely visible. I did not realise until too late and went with the printed eVisa to the airport as issued by the eVisa system. They had to check if this is still acceptable without a visible photo. Luckily all the rest of the info was correct and finally they let me board the plane. This is only likely to be an issue in your departure country. Once in Oman, the border police just took another photo. They had all the info in the system.

Car rental: Many couples and families choose to discover Oman with a rented car as the roads are very good and signing is ok. A rented car is a good idea if you plan to stay within larger cities or the Hajar mountain and are a confident driver. There are many roadworks on the inland road between Muscat and Sur. Also, try to avoid driving on Thursday PM. That is the beginning of the weekend and many Omani head to their home cities from the capital leading to km long traffic jams.

If you want to reach Jebel Shams, the canyon or desert, you will need a 4 WD. For the desert, it is better to call the accommodation in advance and arrange that they pick you up at the main paved road. Do not try to reach the desert camp with your own car unless you have driven on sand before. It requires some skill and a bit of practice. If you do decide to go yourself, ask one of the “Tire repair shops” at the main road to help you let the air out of your tires and follow the main car tracks. In high season (Jan-March) the car should be booked at least two weeks in advance. Also, you will need to obtain an international driving license in your home country to be allowed to drive in Oman.

If you do not fancy driving, you can arrange for a car and driver to accompany you. You would usually get in touch with a local travel agency and they will provide you the service. We went for this option via Desert Camel Tours and were very happy and relaxed throughout the entire trip.

Accommodation: you should also book your accommodation in advance if travelling in high season. All the hotels/guesthouses we used (5 different ones) were fully booked during our stay. Hotels would usually provide bottled water in the room. It is recommended that you do not drink the tap water.

What to bring: thin, breathable long sleeve shirts, a long dress or skirt and scarf that can double as a headscarf when visiting mosques for women, t- shirt and mid- length swim pants or leggings for bathing in wadis for both men and women, a mosquito repellent.

If you have any questions, post them in comments below. Thank you for reading and happy travels!

CGK