3 Best Sights in Oman

Oman is famous for its Halwa, a confection made from sugar, butter, saffron, and cornstarch. The Oman Halwa Factory in the town of Barka, about 40 minutes from Muscat, has been making the signature sweet for 50 years and is the supplier of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. They usually don't let visitors inside the factory itself, but you can sample the various flavors of halwa that they make and buy some to take home.

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said opened the museum and plantarium as gifts to the nation for the 25th and 30th anniversary, respectively, of the reign. Both are wonderful, free exhibits that appeal to both locals and visitor. The museum explains the process of converting oil and gas to their usable state—from the underground formation of layers of organic matter deposited in oceans and lakes millions of years ago, to how they are brought to the surface, and then how they are processed—in a series of six interactive displays. The planetarium features a full-Dome digital system in which several projectors create spectacular panoramas of space, stars, galaxies, and comets with integrated lasers, videos, and sound. The shows are free but must be requested ahead of time and are not offered on Fridays and Saturdays. Stargazing events are also held monthly.

In the mountains of Jabal Akhdar, especially in the village of Saiq (just over an hour from Nizwa), more than 100 Omanis still use traditional methods to distill the Damascus roses that grow wild on the mountainsides. The resulting rose water is very different from the clear, fragrant stuff you have likely encountered before. Jabal Akhdar rose water is prized for its intensely smokey scent, which comes from the wood-fire distillation process, and it is extremely popular throughout the Arabian Gulf. Rose water distillers are happy to allow visitors to watch their process in season (typically in the springtime around April), and visits can be arranged through your hotel, by calling the Ministry of Tourism, or by talking to friendly vendors in the Nizwa Souq, where the smoky water is available to purchase year-round.