United Arab Emirates or Oman?
The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.
Places written up here 20 20
UNESCO listings among them 2 3
Cost level High Mid-range
Busiest month in our write-ups January January
Currency UAE dirham (AED) Omani rial (OMR)
Plugs and voltage G - 230 V G - 240 V
Everyday languages Arabic Arabic
Driving side right hand side right hand side
Region Western Asia Western Asia
Capital Abu Dhabi Muscat
United Arab Emirates
Glass-tower modern atop deep Bedouin courtesy; public decorum is the deal.
What we have written up
- Al Ain Oasis forest
- Al Fahidi Historic District old town
- Emirati and Gulf Cuisine dish
- Emirati Falconry tradition
- Hatta lake
- Jebel Jais mountain
All 20 places in United Arab Emirates →
Worth knowing before you go
- Cards work everywhere
- Tipping is 10% if no service charge
- Taxis are cheap and metered; ride apps work too
Oman
The Gulf's gentlest welcome; mountains, wadis and dhows over malls and towers.
What we have written up
- Bahla Fort fortress
- Jebel Akhdar mountain
- Jebel Shams canyon
- Misfat Al Abriyeen old town
- Muscat and Mutrah old town
- Nizwa Fort and Souq fortress
Worth knowing before you go
- Cards work in cities; cash for villages and souqs
- Tipping is not traditional; rounding up is kind
- Wadi Shab and the Sharqiya sands are the classic circuit with Muscat
Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely; check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.