Batinah Region

The coast is heavily populated - villages sprawl one after another along the spacious beaches.  Forts and castles abound in the coastal towns of Barka, Al Musanaah, Tharmad, As Suwayq, Al Khaburah, Saham, and Sohar.

The sea is bountiful and fishing has always supplied the people with a healthy diet. Traditionally the people of the Batinah were farmers, fishermen, artisans, and herders.

The coastal highway is the main road to the UAE and other Arabian Gulf States.  The highway is being upgraded and modernized as we speak...new turnabouts, new bridges (replacing roundabouts), and improved on off ramps will make the drive easier and faster in the future.

We traveled along the highway to get back to Dubai on Friday, stopping along the way....

Our first stop turned into a hunt....to find the As Sawadi Beach between Barka and Al Musanaah.  The exit was not clearly marked and we almost missed it.  Then we could not find any follow-up sinage.  We rambled through some interesting neighborhoods until we accidentally ran into the road to the beach.  There were run down little homes, goats roaming the streets, and garbage everywhere along the dirt roads....then there would be a beautiful compound with a fancy home nestled in the midst every so often.  Maybe land is cheap and it is a changing neighborhood for those willing to live through it.

       So excited to see a camel "in the wild" or at least in it's natural setting with no fences.

  

       Goats everywhere

There were picturesque views of the sea and nearby islands from the beach.  It seemed to go on and on, but we didn't walk it because of the heat.  Seashells are abundant in all shapes, sizes, and colors.

There was a beach resort but it looked a little tired and dated.  I'm sure it is a great spot in the winter!

Sohar was our next stop.  At one time this was an important maritime trading link between Oman, India, and the Far East.  It is believed that merchants from the area carried goods, building materials and copper to Mesopotamia as early as 2300 BC.  (I remember studying Mesopotamia in 6th grade at Halstrom School in the 50s)

Trading through the years has included dates, figs, bananas, pomegranates, and quinces, along with cargos of ivory, beeswax, and tortoiseshell.

Sindbad, the mythical sailor of the Arabian Nights fame, is believed to have been inspired by the seafarers from Sohar.  Interesting history - I found most of this info in a little booklet called "A Concise Guide to the Batunah Region Sultanate of Oman".

We visited a large park and garden just across from the beach downtown.  It was well kept and I'm sure it is more colorful in the wintertime.  There was a pond, a bridge made to look like the sails of a boat, and pretty little Middle Eastern style covered picnic area.

We walked around the Sofar Fort...it was in the midst of a major renovation.  Pretty none the less.

Then we drove on a really beautiful road along the water, ending at the busy harbor with a huge Fish Market.  Since it was Friday there wasn't much going on there, but it looks like it would be a happening place ordinarily.  The entire town was pretty much closed up, but we did find the local mall open and had a late lunch there.

Our last stop was a quick drive through Shinas, just before the border. We stopped to see the restored fort in town and a pretty mosque.  

Then we made a turn and headed toward Dubai.  We got into The UAE, then dipped back into Oman, and then back into the UAE near Hatta.  There are some very pretty rolling hills of sand through that area.