Where to find the tourist map of Oman, and an off-road guide
From time to time, people write to me to ask where they can buy maps of Oman. Well, you can now buy online from well-established companies such as Stanfords in London.
I'm giving a plug on behalf of a lady who I have known for a long time. She has worked very hard not only to produce the small-scale tourist map but also the gazetteers of Muscat and Salalah, on which I am sure so much online road mapping must be based.
The 1:1,300,000 tourist maps are "on sale in Dubai, especially at Magrudy's and at the airport. They're on sale everywhere in Oman at Family Bookshop, Turtles (a chain set up by Ajit Khimji with 4 shops alone at the airport and in almost every hotel), Al Batra Bookshops and others."
If you're looking online, buy the map here. It is published under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and sponsored by the National Bank of Oman, which is why you will see icons on the map showing where you can find branches.
On another note, she tells me that the Muscat Gold Souq in Ruwi has quietly closed its doors.
Another publication that I've seen announced today is the new Oman Off-road Explorer, published by Explorer Publishing of UAE and sponsored by Volkswagen. This will undoubtedly be the guide for tourists wanting to explore the wadis, deserts and mountains of Oman, with 26 routes supported by geographic co-ordinates to read in conjunction with a GPS device, satellite imagery and step-by-step instructions. The book also describes the closest First Aid centres and lists a complete directory of useful numbers and experienced warnings, according to the press release.
I've bought my copy for £13.20 at Amazon.co.uk, although it won't arrive for another 4 - 6 weeks. With 10,000 copies apparently on offer, I'm sure that you will find it in Dubai and at bookshops in Oman.
I'm giving a plug on behalf of a lady who I have known for a long time. She has worked very hard not only to produce the small-scale tourist map but also the gazetteers of Muscat and Salalah, on which I am sure so much online road mapping must be based.
The 1:1,300,000 tourist maps are "on sale in Dubai, especially at Magrudy's and at the airport. They're on sale everywhere in Oman at Family Bookshop, Turtles (a chain set up by Ajit Khimji with 4 shops alone at the airport and in almost every hotel), Al Batra Bookshops and others."
If you're looking online, buy the map here. It is published under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and sponsored by the National Bank of Oman, which is why you will see icons on the map showing where you can find branches.
On another note, she tells me that the Muscat Gold Souq in Ruwi has quietly closed its doors.
Another publication that I've seen announced today is the new Oman Off-road Explorer, published by Explorer Publishing of UAE and sponsored by Volkswagen. This will undoubtedly be the guide for tourists wanting to explore the wadis, deserts and mountains of Oman, with 26 routes supported by geographic co-ordinates to read in conjunction with a GPS device, satellite imagery and step-by-step instructions. The book also describes the closest First Aid centres and lists a complete directory of useful numbers and experienced warnings, according to the press release.
I've bought my copy for £13.20 at Amazon.co.uk, although it won't arrive for another 4 - 6 weeks. With 10,000 copies apparently on offer, I'm sure that you will find it in Dubai and at bookshops in Oman.
