Bill Price

We had nearly 100,000 BA Miles, so looked on the British Airways Executive Club website, to see where we could fly to for free that we hadn’t visited before. Only 40,000 each to The Sultanate of Oman looked good.
Marjorie then surfed the net to find a hotel, and we settled on the Radisson SAS, then booked both flight and hotel for 13 November.
We took the shuttle down from Manchester to Heathrow and stayed at the Holiday Inn Heathrow, ready for early check-in on the Sunday morning. The flight departure was an hour late, at 10.30, due to “the incoming flight arriving late at the stand”.
We settled in to row 23 (yes, economy, but it was free). Touched down in Abu Dhabi, then a short hop to Seeb International to join the merry throng filling in visa application forms and queuing up to pay 6 Rials each.
7 rials for the taxi to the hotel (about a tenner) - and a really nice hotel it was. But arriving at nearly midnight, the only thing we could see was the bar – two Tigers please!

Monday morning saw us lounging by the pool, then at 4.30pm, we had a trip to the Mutrah Souk, famous for frankincense (and other smelly stuff) pashminas, Oman t-shirts and singing camels.
On Tuesday we went to the beach, a private one at the Civil Aviation Recreation Club, and paddled in the Gulf of Oman. In the evening, the hotel had a Jazz concert in the garden, with buffet meal and drinks. We sat and chatted with two Canadians, a Kiwi, a BPS member from London, and a young German lad.
On Wednesday we did the Tour of Muscat – We had to get a shirt and scarf for Marj to get into the As Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, and did she look a sight (photos available). Then we were driven past the Intercontinental, Embassies and Ministries, into the Mutrah Fish Souk to see the Tuna, round the Sultan’s palace and forts, past the giant Incense Burner; on to the Oman Dive Centre and beaches, and the Al Bustan Palace Hotel (where marj used the loo and I bought [but forgot to post]postcards)
That night we ate in Olivos restaurant all inclusive (except for the wine we didn’t finish, which was confiscated). Don’t get mad, get even.
Thursday was a dossing day, late breakfast, pool and fruit. In the evening we went to the Lulu Hypermarket and the City Centre Mall, where we had dinner in Chilis.
Friday saw an early start with Golden Oryx Tours, (the same driver, a nice chap from Kerala who didn’t listen and didn’t over communicate). At 8.15 we were on the road to Nizwa, and had a day of old and not-so old forts to clamber round. Lunch was very good chicken with rice – albeit a bit dry.
Saturday we lounged by the pool, packed and checked out. Flew out of Muscat at just after midnight, and arrived 30 minutes early in Heathrow Terminal 4.