Travel Times - Issue 8 - English

Jabal Shams

Travel Times Issue No:8, April 2021

A monthly newsletter loaded with interesting facts, figures and anecdotes from around the world, for you to explore and enjoy….

INSIDE...

2 -3.Destinations of the Month 4.News 5.Feature of the month 6.Promotional Offers .Campaign of the Month .Did you know?

Jeju Island, South Korea

Travel Times

Destinations of the Month

Jabal Shams

Jabal Shams is the highest mountain in Oman, right in the heart of the Western Hajar Mountain chain in the Dakhiliyah region, which also hosts Jabal Akhdar. Jabal Shams is one of the must-see attractions for any visitor in Oman, with views of Al Nakhr Canyon - so spectacular that it is labelled the Grand Canyon of Arabia. The temperature up in the mountain is mild and usually 10 to 15 degrees cooler than sea level in Oman, making it a pleasant destination in summer and cold during winter with bouts of snowfall. Jabal Shams offers various activities for all kinds of people – night sky watchers, photographers, geologists, trekkers, hikers and off-roaders, people wanting to explore abandoned villages, or simply camp under the stars.

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Travel Times-April 2021

Travel Times

Jeju Island South Korea

Jeju Island in South Korea is well known for its beach resorts and volcanic landscape of craters and cave like lava tubes and thronged by locals as well as tourists.

The dormant volcano Hallasan Mountain offers several hiking trails besides featuring a crater lake at 1,950 mtrs and the nearby Gwaneumsa Temple. The Geomunoreum Lava Tube System includes 7km-long Manjanggul Cave, created centuries ago when Hallasan was still active.

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Travel Times-April 2021

Travel Times Skysouq.com moves to new premises The offices of Skysouq.com and Bahwan Travels Online- B2B office of Bahwan Travels - have been relocated to nearby Al Marafi building, Behind Masjid Al Zawawi, AL Khuwair. In addtion to providing easy online booking of flights, hotels and packages to thousands of destinations, Skysouq caters to the

Global Travel Industry update aOman Travel news 4The Oman Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has introduced several COVID-19 control measures including the suspension of entry of people from 10 countries, where the new strains of coronavirus have spread, including Sudan, Lebanon, South Africa, Brazil, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Ethiopia.

4The CAA has also suspended all direct flights from the United Kingdom except freighters, and prohibited travelers and those who have transited United Kingdom territory during the past 14 days to enter the Sultanate starting from 12 PM on Friday, 19th of March 2021 until further notice. Omani citizens excluded aAviation News 4The IATA initiated a two-week pilot trial of the digital travel pass on Singapore Airlines’ SingaporeLondon route. The carrier said it would offer travellers heading from the city-state to London between 15 March and 28 the chance to participate in the pilot programme.

4Fly Dubai will be operating three weekly flight to Entebbe.

4Qatar Airways resumed flights to Moscow effective 2nd March 4Sri Lankan Airlines have started Muscat Colombo flights from 15th March on Mondays.

Prior approval from Sri Lankan Embassy or Sri Lankan ministry of foreign affairs is mandatory. aAir passenger market analysis (Source IATA) 4As per IATA annual report 2020, there was a drop of over 60% in passenger flight operations in 2020 compared to 2019, with an estimated loss exceeding $118 billion at the post-tax net level in 2020.

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travel requirements of more than 500 travel agents in Oman through its cutting edge online travel technology. The new numbers of the office are - +968 24990100-111/800-8000-8.

Airlines Update 4Ethiopian Airlines – GSA Bahwan Travel Agencies LLC: Ethiopian Airlines offers E-Visa facilities to Ethiopia for nationals of African States, who can’t make e-Visa payment online. They can apply online and make cash payment on arrival at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. The validity of Ethiopian e-Visa starts from the date intended to enter Ethiopia, not from the date of issue. For more details, please visit the website (https://www.evisa.gov.et/) 4Royal Brunei Airlines – GSA Bahwan Travel Agencies LLC: Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) has temporarily waived fees for reissuance or refund of tickets, due to uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 situation. As COVID-19 vaccines have recently been approved for use, RB expects a gradual lifting of travel restrictions. The waiver period has been reassessed by the airlines and the waivers will end on 31st December 2021. The travel can be rebooked up to 31st December 2021 only.

Bahwan Travels Update

Bahwan Travel Agencies LLC has relocated its Biman Bangladesh Airlines GSA Office to Makha Business Center, Ruwi. The new office is strategically located on the Ruwi High street which is in proximity to Hamriya, where many Bangladeshi nationals work & stay. The new numbers of the office are +968 24830071 / 24830072 / 24830073 Travel Times-April 2021

Travel Times

Feature of the month

Unique Wadis of Oman

If you are a nature lover and looking for visiting some spectacular Wadis, then Oman is the right place. Wadis form a distinctive environmental system characterized by variety, diversity and a wealth of natural attractions. Ubiquitous to the Sultanate, people have been living for thousands of years in the fertile landscapes surrounding the Wadis that can be described as a synonym of Oasis. These Wadis cut through mountains made of igneous rocks from the Ophiolite sequence that Oman is famed for.

At Wadi Al Abyad, north of Nakhal – Rustaq road, there is another special Geo-heritage feature, the Mohorovicic discontinuity or ‘Moho’, is the boundary between the earth’s crust and the mantle. Wadi Mistal, 15 kilometers south of Nakhal, opens out into the vast Ghubra Bowl (a depression) over which Wakan village gazes from 1400 meters. Overlooking Oman’s highest peak Jabal Shams, Wadi Nakhur (Grand Canyon of Oman) is an extraordinary sight, with a 1000 meters deep from top to the bottom.

Weaving up across the Eastern Al Hajar mountains, the spectacular Wadi Bani Khalid, is one of the fertile valleys in Oman. Along the Muscat to Sur coastal road, Wadi Shab (meaning gorge between the cliffs), contains several fresh water pools cascading from the top of the mountains along its route until it meets the sea. Other most sought after Wadis in the Sultanate visited by the travellers are Wadi bani Awf for off the road adventure, Wadi Al Arbiyeen, Wadi Tiwi, Wadi Dayqah, and Wadi Darbat in the Dhofars, to name a few.

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Campaign of the Month

Promotional Offers

8 Oman is one of the few countries where frankincense trees are grown naturally especially in the southern part of the country.

8 Dagger as a weapon originated in Oman and was used by other Arabic countries especially by the Ottoman empire. Originally meant to defend one, over time it lost its significance as a weapon and is currently carried around as a ceremonial dagger.

8 The total length of the world’s coastline is the roughly the same distance as the earth to the moon, 350,016km

Fun facts

8 Italy has a free, public wine fountain 8 600 people work at the Eiffel Tower daily 8 The so-called ‘Double Sunrise’ service by Qantas, which ran from Australia to Sri Lanka from 1943-45, often lasted over 30 hours, with passengers seeing the sunrise twice Free electronic newsletter published for information purpose only. No commercial value.

Published by Bahwan Tourism LLC, P.O. Box-169, Muscat-100, Sultanate of Oman, Tel: 71500901/71575718

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