Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
• Manama
• Doha
• Dubai
• Muscat
Negotiate an hourly
rate with local fisher-
men or book through
the local marina
Common catches include yellowfin tuna (weighing between
25kg and 60kg), sail fish, barracuda and shark. Fishing li-
cences are not needed on the Peninsula.
Fishing
• Manama
• Doha
• Dubai
• Muscat
See country directories
for details
Designer golf courses with grass are becoming a signature fea-
ture of modern Gulf cities.
Golf
Oman has an established network of walking paths but sign-
posts are limited. Most hiking in the Peninsula is ad hoc
passing through small villages. Allow 1L of water per person
per hour, wear light-coloured clothing and stay out of wadis
during and after rain.
• Oman
• Yemen
• Saudi Ara-
bia
Book through local
tour agencies
Hiking
Pick up a locally-pub-
lished off-road guide-
book for routes and
their challenges
Off-Road
Driving
• UAE
• Oman
Beware flash floods, soft sand and salt flats and stay on tracks
to protect the fragile desert ecology.
• UAE
• Saudi Ara-
bia
• Yemen
A great antidote for aching muscles, the hammam is otherwise
known as a Turkish bath. Women should call ahead for a fe-
male assistant.
Turkish
Baths
Ask at your hotel for a
local recommendation
Organise through any
of the region's sea-
board five-star hotels
and resorts
• All sea-
board cities
in the region
Water sports on offer include jet skiing, kite surfing, windsurf-
ing, sailing and kayaking. Avoid southern Arabia during the
summer when currents are ferocious.
Water
Sports
Customs Regulations
Customs regulations vary from country to country, but in most cases they don't differ significantly from those in the
West. All luggage is X-rayed and sometimes opened too. That said, with greater numbers of tourists arriving and in the
drive to appear more tourist-friendly, many of the old customs nightmares (like long queues while officials check the
contents of your soap box) are things of the past.
Alcohol It is strictly forbidden to take alcohol into dry or semi-dry regions (Kuwait, Qatar, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and
Saudi Arabia). Alcohol can only be taken into Oman by air. If you're caught attempting to smuggle in even small quant-
ities of alcohol, punishments range from deportation and fines to imprisonment. In most other countries, foreigners (but
not Muslims) are permitted a small duty-free allowance.
Drugs Those caught in possession of drugs (including ecstasy, amphetamines, cannabis and cocaine) can face the death
penalty, which in Saudi Arabia, with its policy of zero tolerance, means what it says. Note that syringes and needles, and
some medicinal drugs are also banned (such as tranquillisers and even some antidepressants and sleeping pills), unless
you have a doctor's prescription to prove that you need them.
Israel & 'Incendiary' Material Books critical of Islam, Peninsula governments or their countries, or pro-Israeli books
may be confiscated (though the days of removing labels from M&S underwear are thankfully now gone).
Money There are no restrictions on the import and export of money (in any currency) in and out of Peninsula countries.
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