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Oman, an ideal country for self-drive tours !
High level of safety, hospitable population, excellent road infrastructure, English widely spoken: this is why Oman is perfect for independent travel.
This said, tourism is not yet largely developed in the country and it can prove difficult to get reliable and detailed information. Public transportation is very limited, road signs sometimes unclear and GPS not always reliable, especially on dirt roads.
Travelling with Oman Self Drive Tours is to get the very most from your stay in Oman. Our travel documents provide all the information you need and, with the itinerary of your trip pre-recorded in our GPS, there is no risk of getting lost, even on the most remote areas!
Learn more about our travel concept.
This said, tourism is not yet largely developed in the country and it can prove difficult to get reliable and detailed information. Public transportation is very limited, road signs sometimes unclear and GPS not always reliable, especially on dirt roads.
Travelling with Oman Self Drive Tours is to get the very most from your stay in Oman. Our travel documents provide all the information you need and, with the itinerary of your trip pre-recorded in our GPS, there is no risk of getting lost, even on the most remote areas!
Learn more about our travel concept.
A safe country
Oman is a very safe country, a prerequisite for successful independent travel.
After a 4th place in 2017, it was rated the 3rd safest country in the world by the World Economic Forum in 2019 (The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019 – Appendix A, page 71). As for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, though always very alarmist in their “Travel Advices”, they classify nearly the totality of the country in the green zone (“normal vigilance level”).
And for good reasons: no armed conflict in the country for more than 40 years, good diplomatic relationship with neighbouring countries and a peaceful population. In power from 1970 to 2020, Sultan Qaboos, the father of the nation, used the oil resources for the benefit of his people and he will occupy a special place in Omanis' hearts for a long time. On his death in January 2020, he chose as successor his cousin Haitham - a guarantee of continuity and legitimacy assuring a peaceful transition.
No religious tensions either : the various schools of Islam get along well together as well as with the other religions (Christianity et Indian religions).
Regarding Yemen, Oman stayed true its peaceful values and refused to engage in the war beside Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. And even if the troubles occur in the west of the country, far from Oman, the border is closely monitored.
The risk of Islamic terrorism is very low, and clearly much lower than in Europe. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not even make any mention of it. For the United States Department of State, no terrorist group is to be found in Oman. The Institute for Economics & Peace gave the score of 0/10 to Oman in its Global Terrorism Index 2019 report (UK, Germany, the USA and France score between 4 et 6/10).
Observing every day life, you will readily realise that safety is greater than in Europe and crime nearly non existing, even in the capital. Believe it or not, in summer, to keep the air conditioning on while they go for some quick shopping, locals often leave their car unlocked, with the engine running. Ever dreamt of that? However, as there is no such thing as zero-risk, we advise you against doing the same… But, for instance, leaving your belongings in your locked car is no worry.
Wild camping and other off-the-beaten-path activities pose absolutely no problem.
Incidently, the US Department of State points out to their nationals that crime is limited to petty theft, which is not even mentioned by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
After a 4th place in 2017, it was rated the 3rd safest country in the world by the World Economic Forum in 2019 (The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019 – Appendix A, page 71). As for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, though always very alarmist in their “Travel Advices”, they classify nearly the totality of the country in the green zone (“normal vigilance level”).
And for good reasons: no armed conflict in the country for more than 40 years, good diplomatic relationship with neighbouring countries and a peaceful population. In power from 1970 to 2020, Sultan Qaboos, the father of the nation, used the oil resources for the benefit of his people and he will occupy a special place in Omanis' hearts for a long time. On his death in January 2020, he chose as successor his cousin Haitham - a guarantee of continuity and legitimacy assuring a peaceful transition.
No religious tensions either : the various schools of Islam get along well together as well as with the other religions (Christianity et Indian religions).
Regarding Yemen, Oman stayed true its peaceful values and refused to engage in the war beside Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. And even if the troubles occur in the west of the country, far from Oman, the border is closely monitored.
The risk of Islamic terrorism is very low, and clearly much lower than in Europe. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not even make any mention of it. For the United States Department of State, no terrorist group is to be found in Oman. The Institute for Economics & Peace gave the score of 0/10 to Oman in its Global Terrorism Index 2019 report (UK, Germany, the USA and France score between 4 et 6/10).
Observing every day life, you will readily realise that safety is greater than in Europe and crime nearly non existing, even in the capital. Believe it or not, in summer, to keep the air conditioning on while they go for some quick shopping, locals often leave their car unlocked, with the engine running. Ever dreamt of that? However, as there is no such thing as zero-risk, we advise you against doing the same… But, for instance, leaving your belongings in your locked car is no worry.
Wild camping and other off-the-beaten-path activities pose absolutely no problem.
Incidently, the US Department of State points out to their nationals that crime is limited to petty theft, which is not even mentioned by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A peaceful journey
In so far as you show respect to them, local people, particularly Omanis, are hospitable. While women are quite reserved, men will be eager to know where you come from and what you think of their country. They probably will not invite you in their home, because home, here, is a private place, but you may have the chance to be offered a cup of Omani coffee along with dates, all of which are traditional symbols of Omani hospitality.
Most Omanis enjoy a fair standard of living and you will never be harassed by persons in need, as is unfortunately the case in some other countries. Even in the souks, merchants are in no way aggressive with tourists and prices are not immoderate (even if bargaining is the rule).
Likewise, while police can be a pain to visitors in certain countries, Omani policemen are very professional, often nice to tourists and baksheesh is unknown. By the way, their presence is very discreet as may be justified by the general high standard of safety.
Regarding health care, no special precaution before or after your stay in Oman. Health services are available all over the territory and the level of health care is quite satisfactory.
Lastly, mobiles work almost everywhere (we provide you with a phone and a local SIM card).
Most Omanis enjoy a fair standard of living and you will never be harassed by persons in need, as is unfortunately the case in some other countries. Even in the souks, merchants are in no way aggressive with tourists and prices are not immoderate (even if bargaining is the rule).
Likewise, while police can be a pain to visitors in certain countries, Omani policemen are very professional, often nice to tourists and baksheesh is unknown. By the way, their presence is very discreet as may be justified by the general high standard of safety.
Regarding health care, no special precaution before or after your stay in Oman. Health services are available all over the territory and the level of health care is quite satisfactory.
Lastly, mobiles work almost everywhere (we provide you with a phone and a local SIM card).
Road safety constantly improving
If you searched for information on Oman road safety, you maybe came across rather poor statistics. This does not mean that driving in Oman is particularly dangerous, because these figures are biased by several factors:
This said, driving in Oman poses the same risks as anywhere and we can but advise you to strictly observe the driving rules (very similar to Western driving regulation) and be constantly vigilant. Needless to say, the travel documents we provide include all the details and advice for safe driving.
- Statistics often date a few years. But the measures recently implemented by the Royal Oman Police have had a very strong impact: 66% decrease in accidents et 44% in mortality between 2012 and 2018 ! (especially thanks to the implementation of speed cameras and a stricter application of penalties).
- The general underuse of safety belts and child seats dramatically increases mortality in accidents.
- Statistics are plagued by other local habits: crossing flooded wadis, night driving on unlit narrow roads where cattle and pedestrians move along, very long drives across the central desert plain without rest breaks.
This said, driving in Oman poses the same risks as anywhere and we can but advise you to strictly observe the driving rules (very similar to Western driving regulation) and be constantly vigilant. Needless to say, the travel documents we provide include all the details and advice for safe driving.
High standard road infrastructure and little traffic
Oman is a rich country and its infrastructure, continually being developed, are generally in excellent condition. Many roads are recent and widening to four lanes is becoming the rule between the main towns. Even in mountains, tarmac roads and shoulders are of high quality.
Most dirt roads are very well maintained and repaired after heavy rainfalls. However, a 4x4 is required to travel on them safely, especially in mountains where they can be rather steep.
You should know that, generally, traffic is flowing freely in this country with only 5 millions inhabitants. Traffic jams may occur only in Muscat (at peak hours) and they are much less extensive than in many big towns in Europe or in the world.
In most places, locals show respect to other drivers and pedestrians. Even if their driving habits are different than in Europe, they halt at red light and comply with right-of-way rules.
Most dirt roads are very well maintained and repaired after heavy rainfalls. However, a 4x4 is required to travel on them safely, especially in mountains where they can be rather steep.
You should know that, generally, traffic is flowing freely in this country with only 5 millions inhabitants. Traffic jams may occur only in Muscat (at peak hours) and they are much less extensive than in many big towns in Europe or in the world.
In most places, locals show respect to other drivers and pedestrians. Even if their driving habits are different than in Europe, they halt at red light and comply with right-of-way rules.
English, the lingua franca
Of course, Arabic is the language spoken by Omanis and it is the official language of the country. Nevertheless, English is widely spoken all over the country. For sure with varying levels of fluency, but you will at all times manage to make yourself understood!
For non Arabic-speaking people, no problem to find your way: road signs are always written in both languages, so are shop signs. Remember that nearly half the population are foreigners and mostly come from non Arabic-speaking countries…
Only in remote small villages, during working days when the young have left to work in the cities, may you experience some communication problems. This may be a great opportunity to use the small phrasebook that we provide! And be sure your efforts will be highly appreciated by locals!
For non Arabic-speaking people, no problem to find your way: road signs are always written in both languages, so are shop signs. Remember that nearly half the population are foreigners and mostly come from non Arabic-speaking countries…
Only in remote small villages, during working days when the young have left to work in the cities, may you experience some communication problems. This may be a great opportunity to use the small phrasebook that we provide! And be sure your efforts will be highly appreciated by locals!
