Fourth Annual Arabian Adventure in Oman

A Unique Cultural Immersion Experience in the “Jewel of Arabia”

September 24 – October 9, 2022

Scholar escort: Professor Linda Pappas Funsch
Local coordinator: Panorama Travel, Muscat, Oman
Co-Sponsor: National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

 

Unique & customized itinerary	Professional guides	Small, select group
Private vehicles	Dine with local families	Sunset on the desert dunes
Briefings with government officials & private sector groups	Visit historical villages, castles, & forts	Privileged access to Omani artists & entrepreneurs
Sail in a dhow	Pristine beaches
Breathtaking vistas: mountains, deserts, & coastal regions
Marvel at the Arabian fjords, UNESCO World Heritage sites & archeological treasures

Jump to:

• Program Highlights
• Scholar Escort
• Watch “Destination Oman: Heritage, Culture, Adventure”
• Tentative Visit Itinerary
• Program Costs
• Terms and Conditions
• Pre-Departure Information
• COVID-19 Regulations
• Travel Insurance
• Contact for Questions, More Information, & Signup

Program Highlights

• Meet a diverse range of Omani people and organizations.
• Meet the “sons of Sindbad” and learn the real stories of their epic journeys.
• Explore the three seas of Oman and the maritime history of a great seafaring nation.
• Journey through Musandam Peninsula, famed as the “Norway of Arabia” for its majestic mountains that plunge into spectacular fjords.
• View the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, with five minarets, representing the fivepillars of Islam.
• Attend a performance at Muscat’s Royal Opera House.
• Explore Muscat with its lively Muttrah Souq and the state-of-the-art National Museum, featuring an extensive collection of historical and cultural treasures.
• Investigate the medieval port of Sur with its shipbuilding yard, where skilled craftsmen continue to build the traditional dhows and fishing boats.
• Explore the maritime museum in Sur and some of the well-preserved traditional dhows.
• Explore Sohar, the home of legendary Sindbad and wander through Sohar’s medieval fort with its 10 km long tunnel that served as an escape route in the event of a siege.
• Be transported through time at the impressive crenelated medieval fort of Nizwa, Sohar, and Khasab – featuring magnificent plasterwork, wood carvings, and elaborately painted ceilings.
• Experience Nizwa’s souq, famous for silver jewelry, Omani halwa, spices, pottery, and crafts.
• Visit the extraordinary beehive tombs of Bat, a UNESCO heritage site, the best-preserved Bronze Age settlement in the Middle East.
• Marvel at the diverse range of dramatic landscapes in Oman, including the deep-green wadis and ‘Grand Canyon’ of the Western Hajar Mountains, pristine white sandy beaches, and the monumental desert dunes at Al Sharqiyah Sands, where we overnight under the stars.
• Enjoy turtle-watching at the Green Turtle Sanctuary, located at Ras al Jinz, the easternmost tip of the Arabian Peninsula.
• 14 nights in the 4-5-star beach properties, where you will enjoy the breathtaking views of three seas of Oman (The Sea of Oman, Arabian Sea & Arabian Gulf). Two nights at the 1000 nights and 1 night in the Hajar Mountains where you will enjoy breathtaking sunrises, sunsets, and stargazing.

 

Scholar Escort

Professor Linda Pappas Funsch is a career specialist in modern Middle Eastern history and Islamic studies. She has studied, worked, and traveled extensively throughout the region. A freelance writer, teacher, consultant, and author, Professor Funsch’s latest book, Oman Reborn: Balancing Tradition and Modernization, published in 2015, has been translated into Arabic. She has taught at several colleges and universities in New York and Maryland. She is a frequent guest at scholarly symposia, including at the U.S. Department of State, Georgetown University, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, The World Bank, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, the National Defense University, and the Council on Foreign Relations as well as chapters of the World Affairs Councils across the United States. Professor Funsch has led several “learning on location” study visits for laymen and senior U.S. military officers to the Arab region, including to Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, and Oman.

 

Watch “Destination Oman: Heritage, Culture, Adventure”

In March 2022, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations hosted an online webinar that featured the visit’s Scholar Escort, Professor Funsch, and the visit’s in-country coordinator, Badar Al Yazeedi. It included background, context, and analysis on Oman as well as a presentation exploring some of the sites in Oman that inspire wonder.

 

Tentative Visit Itinerary

DAY 1 SAT 24 SEP 2022	Departure from Washington, DC (IAD) Dulles International Airport
DAY 2 SUN 25 SEP 2022	Layovers & connecting flights through Istanbul, Turkey. Arrive in Muscat, Oman.
DAY 3 MON 26 SEP 2022	Welcome by Panorama Travel’s team. 10:00am hotel departure to visit Muscat including: The National Museum Tour historic Muscat (the official palace area, including the famous ancient port of Muscat, the 16th-century Portuguese forts, and Al-Alam palace, used for ceremonial occasions by the late Sultan Qaboos Sea trip in tradition Dhow to view Muscat from the sea – Lunch on board Visit Muttrah Souq
DAY 4 TUE 27 SEP 2022	Full day in Muscat to include: Visit the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque Meeting officials, organizations & people (TBD) Royal Opera Muscat performance
DAY 5 WED 28 SEP 2022	Full day in Muscat to include: Visit Oman Mall Meeting officials, organizations & people (TBD) Evening visit and dinner at the Wave Muscat (Muscat’s modern seafront project)
DAY 6 THU 29 SEP 2022	Visit the Botanic Gardens Meet Alia Al Farsi and visit her Art Gallery Afternoon flight flight Evening dinner with Zaree Khasab (Khasab women group)
DAY 7 FRI 30 SEP 2022	Visit Khasab Castle Full day sea trip in the traditional Dhow. Visit Kumzar (Oman northern most fishing village accessible only by sea and located in the Strait of Hormuz, 35km across the water from Iran)  Visit the stunning Sham fjord.
DAY 8 SAT 1 OCT  2022	Check-out and depart Visit Bukha Museum Visit the rock art in Wadi Tawi Travel through the Strait of Hormuz with the ferry
DAY 9 SUN 2 OCT 2022	Full City tour in Sohar including: Sohar fish Market Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar Sohar Fort Late afternoons visit to Sohar historical souq Dinner and evening at Sohar corniche with locals (TBD)
DAY 11 MON 3 OCT 2022	Visit Bat & Al Ain (Bronze age Beehive tombs) Visit Al Hamra ancient mud houses & Bit Al Safa Museum & lunch with the locals.
DAY 12 TUE 4 OCT 2022	Morning tour in Al Misfah village (Just awarded the world best village by WTO) Visit the ancient agriculture terraces at 2,000 m above sea level
DAY 13 WED 5 OCT 2022	Visit Nizwa Souq & Nizwa 17th-century Fort Drive to the desert
DAY 14 THU 6 OCT 2022	Full day tour in the desert including: Visit Bedouin family Exploring the desert Sunset or Sunrise Camel Ride (TBD by your guide)
DAY 15 FRI 7 OCT 2022	Visit the Triliths Explore Koor grama on traditional Dhow and sail to hotel. Afternoon at the hotel overlooking the Arabian Sea Short travel evening to watch the endangered green turtles nesting.
DAY 16 SAT 8 OCT 2022	Visit Sur maritime town, including the Dhow yard & the maritime museum at Sur Explore Wadi Tiwi (written about by Marco Polo and visited by Ibn Battuta) Visit Bimmah Sinkhole. The ground beneath sinkholes normally consists of easily dissolved rocks such as limestone, carbonates, and salt beds. When the roof of one of these caverns’ collapses, the land above it falls, leaving giant holes. Return to Muscat and check into the hotel Farewell dinner at the hotel
DAY 17 SUN 9 OCT 2022	Departure from Muscat (MCT) Muscat International Airport and Arrival at Washington, DC (IAD) Dulles International Airport

• The time and the order of the visits and meetings are subject to change. Flexibility is appreciated and updates will be provided as the program date approaches.
• There will be two pre-visit online sessions:
  • Before signing up to answer questions.
  • Two weeks before start of the visit for orientation briefings and travel/packing guidance.
• Participants will receive the final program documentation and tickets 30 days prior to departure.

 

Program Costs

Program Fee (Excluding International Air Tickets)
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY ROOM: 5,830.00 USD
SINGLE OCCUPANCY ROOM: 7,035.00 USD

Program Fee includes:

• All taxes and service charges (5% Municipality, 4% Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 8% service charges, and 5% VAT tax.)
• Domestic flights MCT/KHS in economy class.
• Ferry Khasab/Shinas economy class.
• All meals.
• Accommodation in hotels.
• Visa.
• All entrance fees to the National Museum, Royal Opera House performance, Bukha Fort, Khasab Castle, Sohar Castle, Nizwa Fort, and Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve.
• Sunrise/sunset camel ride & henna.
• Refreshments, including Arabic coffee, bottled water, tea, dates, & Omani halwa.
• Gratuities.

Program Fee does NOT include:

• International air tickets.
• Medical & travel insurance. Your insurance must cover death & Covid19 treatment.
• Any additional expenses that are not explicitly mentioned in the inclusion list.

 

Terms and Conditions

See: https://panorama.travel/terms-and-conditions/

1. PAYMENT

• A 30% down payment is required to reserve this adventure.
• The balance of 70% is to be received by us in full 5 weeks before the services we have undertaken to provide are due to start.
• Panorama Travels will invoice you for both the deposit and the balance
• Payment method: Bank transfer; we will provide you with the bank account details.
• The air tickets fluctuate around 1,000.00 USD; we will be able to confirm you the exact cost when you are signing up for the program. We will add the deposit and the balance of the tickets in the program invoices, so you will deal with 2 invoices only.

2. CANCELLATION

• Different terms and conditions are applied for international air tickets. Will be share via email when signing up.
• Cancellation fees of the program:

1. In the event of any cancelation by you – 10% of the deposit will be retained by us and it will be available at face value should you re-book with us later.
2. If you decide to cancel your booking the following charges apply:
3. Cancellation by you more than 35days before arrival we will refund 90% of the net program cost.
4. Cancellation by you 25-35 days before arrival we will refund 70% of the net program cost.
5. Cancellation by you 14 – 24 days before arrival we will refund 50% of the net program cost.
6. Cancellation by you within 14 days before arrival no refund will be made.

• If we are unable to provide the required services or any reason will be refunded in full by the method used by you to make payment.
• Force Majuro applied for both program fees and air ticket fees.

 

Pre-Departure Information

See: https://panorama.travel/pre-departure-materials/

 

COVID-19 Regulations

https://panorama.travel/covid-19-protocols-health-measures/

 

Travel Insurance

Panorama Travels requires all clients to have travel insurance. It has partnered with AXA to provide travel insurance for its clients. Let them know if you want to add the cost of travel insurance to your program fee. Every product includes 24/7 Emergency Travel, and Crisis and Medical Assistance services.

 

Contact for Questions, More Information, & Signup

SIGNING UP FOR THE PROGRAM:

Email Panorama Travels at info(at)panorama.travel

QUESTIONS:

Contact Panorama Travels or Linda Pappas Funsch at lindafunsch(at)gmail.com