Travel writer Fiona Dunlop is smitten by Muscat’s charm…and she comes up with these ‘gems’ in a piece that was published in
The Telegraph.
What would you tell them to avoid?
Any hypermarket or shopping mall that a local tells you is fantastic: it won’t be.
Yours truly replies: Don’t compare Dubai to Muscat. Muscat City Centre is pretty neat, though not out-of-the-world.
Public transport or taxi?
With a distance to cover of about 25 miles from west to east, you really need wheels. Taxis are easy to come by, safe and reasonably priced.
Yours truly replies: Public transport? What is that? I’ve traveled frequently during my early months in Muscat to understand that taxis are not a safe option for women (and in some cases men), and also the drivers charge a bomb for short trips. Taxis in Oman are akin to autorickshaws in Bangalore –– they don’t follow traffic rules, they honk incessantly, they are rude, and they charge exorbitant fares.
Where would you meet friends for a drink?
The relatively central Grand Hyatt in Shatti Al Qurum (641234) is a local favourite for a discreet tipple, either in the calm recesses of the John Barry Bar (named after a local shipwreck) or the Safari Pub, which really buzzes later in the evening. For a more authentic atmosphere, I’d choose the rooftop bar of the Marina Hotel in Muttrah (711711/879), which has fabulous sunset sea views to the tunes of the muezzin.
Yours truly replies: The phone numbers given in the write-up are more than three years old. I wonder how a travel writer can indulge in copy-paste stuff (phone numbers) and mislead the readers.
A WORD OF CAUTION: Always take travel reviews appearing in newspapers and magazines with a pinch of salt. Behind every rosy travel write-up there is an airline company or a plush hotel that sponsors the trip. So you know what to expect. These days, I’ve surrendered to blogs for reviews. Nine out of 10 times, they are spot on and very original.
Read Fiona Dunlop’s ga-ga in detail.
