Bandar Kharyan - endless snorkeling and trekking in 45 min drive from Muscat

When we arrived in Muscat, the country was still pretty much closed and movement was restricted what made the 2 weeks quarantine more bearable all together. Once our quarantine was over, the restrictions were slightly released and we could have short day trips. Our first was to Bandar Khayran, a beautiful beach area not too far from Muscat. Small islands, blue water, hills, hidden beaches everywhere - it is really stunning. Only downside - trash, which seems to be a serious problem in general. Easily accessible sites become very popular: people come to picnic and do not seem to be capable of taking their trash with them.. Shame. There are plenty of small more secluded beaches which are only accessible by foot or even just by boat - check the satellite view of the map for inspiration!

Bandar Al Khairan is also one of the most famous place to find petroglyphs - what are those and where to find them, click here.

Location: type Bandar Al Khairan Viewpoint on google maps 

Car: salon car ok

Kids: toddler friendly

Summer friendly 

We drove towards Shifa beach where there is a big development project but it was closed down - like a fancy Marina-type project. Little further away there was a super nice beach with stunning stones and corals, huge pieces lying around on the ground. And the road all of a sudden ended with a big turn and the a sign warning about water - it was kind of funny.