Oman - Oman, UAE and Arabian Peninsula - page 403

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
In addition to the main Islamic holidays, Oman observes these public holidays:
Lailat al-Mi'raj (Ascension of the Prophet) The exact date is dependent on the sighting
of the moon - the date is never given until the last minute.
Renaissance Day (23 July) A day's holiday is given to mark the beginning of the reign of
Sultan Qaboos, generally credited for the modern rebirth of the country.
National Day (18 November) Marked by at least two days of holiday, camel-racing, milit-
ary parades and flags decorating the highway.
PRACTICALITIES
» Electricity The mains electricity in Oman is 220V to 240V. Adaptors are widely available at hotel shops and
from supermarkets such as Al-Fair.
» Magazines Oman Today is a monthly pocket-sized handbook, with listings and features of interest to the tour-
ist. It conducts a thorough and locally revered review of restaurants each year. What's On in Muscat gives a use-
ful listing of events.
» Newspapers The Times of Oman and Oman Daily Observer are local English-language newspapers. Foreign
newspapers are available (three days old) from hotels and major supermarkets.
» Radio The local English-language radio station broadcasts on 90.4FM (94.3FM from Salalah) from 6.30am to
midnight daily, with news bulletins at 7am, 2.30pm and 6.30pm. High FM (95.9FM) is Oman's most popular
English-language commercial radio station.
» TV Oman TV broadcasts the news in English nightly at 8pm and shows English-language films two or three
nights a week. Satellite TV is also widely available.
» Smoking A no-smoking policy is enforced in interior public places. This includes inside restaurants and on
public transport.
» Weights & Measures Oman uses the metric system.
RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL
Westerners are often seen wandering around supermarkets or hotel foyers in shorts,
dressed in bikinis on public beaches and skinny-dipping in wadis. These practices are
highly resented, though Omanis are too polite to say as much. In order to respect local
customs, knees, cleavage and shoulders should be covered in public.
It's tempting when exploring off-road destinations to drive straight through the middle
of villages. This is about as sensitive as taking a lorry through a neighbour's garden back
home. If you want to see the village, it's better to park outside and walk in, preferably
with permission from a village elder.