The Joke That Revealed My Love for Oman

Once, an Omani friend, Yahya, asked me, “Why are you always so obsessed with Oman and praising it everywhere?”

I proudly replied, “Because it’s my 9th favourite country.”

He paused, smiled, and asked, “How many countries have you visited?”

When I said nine, we both burst out laughing.

But jokes aside, Oman has a quiet magic that stays with you long after you leave. It feels like the introvert of the Middle East travel world; humble, calm, authentic, and effortlessly beautiful. While other destinations compete loudly for attention, Oman wins you over in silence. Mountains rise dramatically from the desert without warning, hidden wadis carve emerald pools through ancient rocks, and endless golden dunes stretch into horizons that make you feel wonderfully insignificant.

For me, Oman is one of the best road trip destinations in the world. If you have ever driven a Harley-Davidson through Oman’s desert highways, with rugged mountains on one side and the Arabian Sea somewhere beyond the horizon, you will understand what I mean. It is not just a drive. It is therapy. A meditation on wheels. The kind of journey that reminds you life is not meant to be rushed.

A Country I Never Get Tired Of

Jokes apart, I have visited Oman more than 100 times since my first trip in 2013, making it one of the countries I know best outside the UAE. Most of those visits happened during my years at Motorola, when work regularly took me to Muscat and across Oman, sometimes twice a month. Somewhere along the way, this beautiful country stopped feeling like a business destination and quietly became a second home.

Colleagues would often joke during meetings:

“If you need anything in Oman, just ask Shiju. He is probably friends with Sultan Qaboos.”

Of course, that was an exaggeration. But like most good jokes, it carried a little truth. Omani hospitality is among the warmest and most genuine in the world. Unlike many Gulf destinations where interactions can remain transactional, Oman feels deeply human. The people are grounded, proud of their culture, and remarkably welcoming.

Through years of work, friendships grew far beyond boardrooms and customer meetings. Many customers eventually knew my family too. During Eid celebrations in Oman, I found myself invited into Omani homes, sharing meals, stories, laughter, and traditions. Those evenings had nothing to do with business. They were reminders that travel is not always about landscapes. Sometimes it is about the people who make a place unforgettable.

There are countless Oman travel stories I could tell; desert adventures, mountain drives, hidden villages, moments of silence, and acts of kindness. But since this is my first blog about travelling in Oman, I wanted to begin with the story that first hooked me.

Because the truth is simple.

Oman did not give me one story. It gave me hundreds.

A Hotel That Became Home- InterContinental Muscat

If there is one place in Oman that feels less like a hotel and more like a permanent address, it is the InterContinental Muscat at Al Shatti.

After countless work trips to Oman, this became far more than just another luxury hotel in Muscat. My room would often be upgraded automatically, the staff knew me by name, and over the years, I eventually became an IHG Ambassador member. That is when you realise a hotel has quietly crossed the line from accommodation to familiarity.

Every time I checked in, the television welcome screen would play InterContinental’s promotional video with a line that stayed with me long after checkout:

“Travel is not a status symbol or a checklist. It is a collection of moments. Travel is not an escape from life, but life not to escape us.”

I honestly do not know if that exact message still plays in their rooms, but back then, it hit me differently. Because it perfectly captured something I had already begun to feel through my journeys. Over time, that sentence quietly became my personal travel philosophy.

The beachfront at Al Shatti, the restaurants, even the hotel lobby, stopped feeling like hotel spaces and started feeling familiar. Many staff members came to know not just me, but my family too. After hundreds of stays across the years, it genuinely felt like a second home in Muscat.

Just nearby sits Trader Vic’s Muscat, a place that became almost an extension of my office during my Motorola years in Oman. Officially, those were customer meetings. But anyone who has spent enough time travelling for work knows how that story goes. After 8 PM, when conversations drift beyond presentations and proposals, business dinners quietly become something else; friendships, laughter, stories, and the kind of memories no expense report ever captures.

Other places also became part of my Oman routine, including the Grand Hyatt Muscat and Grand Millennium Hotel Apartments Muscat, where repeated business trips slowly transformed into deeply personal memories.

Because sometimes, the places you stay while chasing work unexpectedly become part of the life you were actually building.

When Sales, Travel, and Legacy Meet

During my years working across Oman, I was fortunate to build relationships with customers across some of the country’s most respected institutions; from airports, defence organizations, ministries, and landmark hospitality destinations like The Chedi Muscat, one of Oman’s most iconic luxury hotels.

But doing business in Oman teaches you something quickly. Success here is not built on speed. It is built on patience, trust, and persistence.

Unlike the fast-moving commercial pace of Dubai or Qatar, Oman’s business culture moves thoughtfully. Decisions are rarely rushed. Projects can take months, sometimes years. For many, that pace feels frustrating. For those who understand relationship-driven sales, it becomes an opportunity.

Many competitors never had the patience for that journey. Back then, even Motorola did not have a direct office in Oman. Most vendors would fly in from Dubai for a quick meeting with distributors or system integrators, shake a few hands, present a deck, and fly back the same evening.

My approach was different.

I believed the real story was with the end users themselves. I spent time with them. Sat across the table. Understood operational pain points. Ran proof of concepts, demonstrations, technical workshops, and countless conversations that had little to do with immediate orders and everything to do with long-term trust. Slowly, that trust converted into approvals, brand transitions, and major enterprise accounts for Motorola at the time.

And that creates a different kind of satisfaction.

Years later, when I drive past Muscat International Airport, The Chedi, the Royal Opera House, or other places connected to those years, I feel something far more valuable than the memory of a sales target achieved. I feel pride. Because those are not just impressive buildings in Oman. They are reminders that persistence leaves fingerprints.

Sales is one of the most misunderstood professions in the world. People assume it is about targets, incentives, quarterly pressure, and commission cheques.

That is only the surface.

Real sales is about trust. Real sales is about relationships. Real sales is about building something that continues to create value long after your business card changes. That is legacy.

And strangely, travel works exactly the same way.

You visit a country. Meet people. Share conversations. Move on with life. Then years later, you hear the name Oman, meet an Omani somewhere else in the world, or see a familiar road in an old photo. Suddenly, the memories return with unexpected force.

Because the best journeys do not end when you leave. They become part of your identity.

That is why I have always believed this:

Travel is not just about visiting places. It is about collecting experiences, relationships, and moments that quietly shape the person you become.

The Lost Mumbaikar says:
“The best salespeople do not just close deals. They open doors that remain open long after they leave.”

When Customers Become Family, and Oman Feels Like Home

One of the most beautiful things about Omani hospitality is that business relationships rarely remain just business. In Oman, customers often become friends, and friends eventually become family. Meetings that began in offices in Muscat would often end with a familiar line: “Next time, you must visit my village.”

One such invitation came from my friend Mubarik during Eid. He did not just invite me; he welcomed my entire family. Along with my friend Bala and his family, we drove deep into the mountains, nearly 100 km beyond Rustak, far from the polished tourist routes. But before taking us to his village, Mubarik decided to show us the real Oman.

He took us through Snake Canyon in Wadi Bani Awf, one of Oman’s hidden gems, where towering rock walls, turquoise pools, and complete silence make you forget the outside world exists. This is the kind of offbeat Oman travel experience no luxury brochure can sell.

At his family home, Eid celebrations were in full swing. Relatives had gathered, preparations were underway for traditional Omani Shuwa, and within minutes, Julius and Jordan were running around with local kids like they had grown up there. That night, under the mountain sky, traditional Omani music played around a fire while families laughed and talked until nearly 3 AM.

The next morning, Mubarik took us through his family’s organic mountain farms, showing us fresh vegetables, dates straight from the trees, and before we left, gifted us bottles of pure wild Omani mountain honey. No transaction. No formality. Just generosity.

That is Oman.

A country where people quietly go the extra mile, where hidden places like Wadi Bani Awf, Jebel Akhdar, Wadi Shab, and Oman’s mountain villages still feel untouched, and where strangers can make you feel like family.

Living in Dubai, crossing into Oman always feels like entering another world; one of mountains, wadis, Arabian Sea drives, and golden silence.

The Lost Mumbaikar says:

“Because the best journeys are never just about landscapes. They are about the people who make a place impossible to forget.

Your Turn

1. Have you ever visited Oman, or is it still on your travel list?
2. If you had to choose one experience, what would excite you more; a desert road trip, swimming in a hidden wadi, or exploring mountain villages?
3. If you had one week in Oman, would you rather explore the mountains, deserts, or coastline?