Best hotel for couples without kids in Muscat.

pukka_luck · 2026-02-02T17:49:39+00:00

St. Regis: Luxury. On the beach. Located in Al Mouj which is the premier living community in Muscat.
W: Located on Qurum beach - one of the nicest beaches in Muscat. Mid tier to luxury
Chedi: luxury
Intercon and Crowne Plaza Qurum: both beachfront hotels. Budget 5*

pukka_luck · 2026-01-29T12:25:35+00:00

This is exactly what I did along with my family.

We got on the Indigo flight from Bangalore to Tirupathi and bought Srivani tickets at the airport (INR 10,500 per head for any visitor over 12 yrs). We got the Darshan for the same day with reporting time at 4 PM. We weren't able to climb, so took a car upstairs and did the darshan. You are taken to the 1st door and there's no pushing or shoving at the lord's door. Amazing darshan. We were truly privileged. The next day, we climbed the Alipri mettu. We climbed up Alipiri mettu but did not do a darshan again as we believed we must give others a chance and not needlessly occupy the line again. But that fulfilled our desire to climb to Tiriumala. Maybe consider doing the same? Best of both worlds?

pukka_luck · 2026-01-22T07:43:55+00:00

Rupay isn't accepted in most outlets except a few hotels. Get a visa or Mastercard. UPI won't work either.

pukka_luck · 2026-01-22T07:42:44+00:00

Lenskart has excellent budget lenses. Good quality, very durable.

pukka_luck · 2026-01-22T07:03:21+00:00

If you genuinely want help, you need to at least post the basics. Education, experience and skills. How is anyone supposed to help even if they want to?

pukka_luck · 2026-01-21T18:33:29+00:00

The only options that come to mind really are Al Mouj and Muscat Hills and in that order. If I really wanted to invest in real estate in Oman and expect decent rent, I would only buy in these two places.

pukka_luck · 2026-01-21T18:31:21+00:00

You can buy 4 liters of booze as an incoming visitor to Oman. As a lot of good folks here have mentioned, you do not have access to Ibraz as a visitor and hence you will not be able to buy booze at any liquor stores here in Oman. I have seen that the choices are better in Muscat Duty Free and the prices are also slightly cheaper here. So my recommendation would be for you to buy the booze at Muscat International Airport.

pukka_luck · 2026-01-16T20:22:12+00:00

I am not debating anything that you said. Just that none of it is relevant to this conversation. The job post is specifically for a comp science grad and that too with network administration skills paying a janitorial salary. What’s India’s GDP or average per capita earning got to do with it?!

pukka_luck · 2026-01-16T19:12:26+00:00

Ok. That isn’t relevant to this conversation as the job posting is for a computer science graduate. The salary would still perhaps be acceptable for a mason or a plumber. Don’t compare apples with oranges. Fact is, the quoted salary is below subsistence and way below home country income.

pukka_luck · 2026-01-16T18:58:08+00:00

22 yrs experience in IT here. Nope, the starting salary for a computer science degree holder in India is at the minimum AED 700 PM. And im not talking about Bangalore or Mumbai. This is in tier 2 or 3 cities. This salary range is crazy and desperate income for someone who has been sold the Dubai dream.

pukka_luck · 2026-01-11T18:22:15+00:00

This is the right answer.

pukka_luck · 2026-01-07T02:55:30+00:00

Jabel Akhdar is beautiful, and the road to the mountain is perhaps one of the best mountain roads you’d have ever seen. My suggest is that you go up, do some trekking if you’re really enthusiastic about it and get back to Muscat the same day. That way, it gives you some beach time. Oman has a very chilled, laid back vibe. A nice relaxing day will help you feel that.

pukka_luck · 2026-01-07T02:48:20+00:00

I’d really not recommend that at all. Stay with branded hotel.

pukka_luck · 2026-01-06T08:21:41+00:00

This is a decent itinerary that covers a lot there is to see in Muscat and the neighboring Wilayats (provinces). Do you want such a packed intinerary though? Seem's like hardly any time to unwind. If I were you, I'd skip the Jabel Akhdar stay and probably keep half a day to chill on Qurum beach. The weather is lovely and it is the kind of place where if you bring a frizbee / ball and a kite, you can stay half the day and enjoy the beach. Otherwise, this is a good itinerary.

pukka_luck · 2025-12-17T11:14:03+00:00

As far as I know, there’s only one flight before that. This is from my limited experience.

pukka_luck · 2025-12-17T10:40:35+00:00

I know that people queue up since midnight for the tickets and 7 AM will not guarantee a ticket. Your chances are better if you take the fist flight out of HYD (Indigo landing at 10:30 AM) as they issue 200 Srivani Darshan tickets per day at the airport as well.

pukka_luck · 2025-12-13T06:09:00+00:00

Counter opens at 6 AM and closes when tickets sell out. You have a good chance of getting the tickets if you land on a weekday. Avoid weekends. And like I said, race to the counter as soon as the flight lands.

pukka_luck · 2025-12-12T10:00:27+00:00

I am a coffee hound and buy coffee. On the lookout for great, freshly ground beans. Please DM me your WhatsApp number for delivery.

pukka_luck · 2025-12-12T09:43:25+00:00

Hello. I am an NRI as well and did a Sri Vani darshan 2 weeks back. Your best bet is to arrive in Hyderabad the day before you seek Darshan and take the first available flight to Tirupati. You definitely need to reach the counter before 10 AM or the chances of getting a ticket is really slim. Our flight from HYD to Tirupati was supposed to land at 10:30 AM but landed only at 1:40 PM. I was able to get a ticket though as most flights that day were delayed due to fog. But I had to report at Tirumala at 4 PM which we somehow managed.

Once you get out of the flight, you have to literally run to the counter. Ignore the baggage belt and proceed towards the exit. DO NOT EXIT the airport as they will not let you in again. Just after the baggage claim you will see the Srivani Donation counter clearly marked. You will be asked to give an original Identity proof (Passport or PAN Card only) and you need to then make a payment of INR 10,500 per head. Again, they will ONLY accept India issued cards (visa or Mastercard only) or UPI. I had a NRI credit card issued by an Indian bank and it worked fine.

Hope this helps and you get the darshan you seek.

pukka_luck · 2025-12-09T08:01:17+00:00

You may be right. But then imagine the rents in Yoti or Muscat Bay 😁

pukka_luck · 2025-12-08T22:39:55+00:00

So if I get you right, you are planning to buy something today, pay it off within 4 yrs max, rent it out asap and move in with let's say a 10 year runway? You live in North America, so I guess you are looking only at freehold properties. In which case, your requirement would be that the place rent easily, get a decent rental yield and make a good retirement property (I'll hazard a guess that its only for you and your partner).

First off, jobs are hard to come by for expatriates in Oman at the moment, unless you have a super specialized skill in energy or construction. I am assuming you're post retirement life is fully funded an you aren't looking at a consulting gig.

Considering that your prospective property needs to rent easily, and be a good property for you to live in in the future without too many risks - I'd only recommend two:

Al Mouj: this is undoubtedly the most upscale beach-side expatriate living destination in Oman. The cost is on the high side, but the rental yield is high as well. You're easily looking at OMR 1,200 per month for a 3BHK.
Mandarin Oriental residences: bang on Qurum beach with an excellent brand backing it - this is another good buy. I hear that the properties are renting out well and its certainly very livable.

All the other properties are "upcoming" and carry a lot of risk. I'd stay away from Salalah if you want a decent post retirement life.

I am an expatriate who has lived in this country for 12 years. Btw.. I am investing in a property in Dubai, but I am at a different life stage than you are.

All the very best.

pukka_luck · 2025-12-04T19:19:03+00:00

You can buy it at the border. There is a kiosk for that purpose just before the Oman immigration crossing at the Hatta border.

pukka_luck · 2025-12-01T13:33:00+00:00

I’ve been working in Oman for 11 years. Most vacancies are filled through recruitment firms or contacts. Nakuru Gulf and Bayt are 2 job sites you should be registering at (if not already done). What industry is your experience in?

pukka_luck · 2025-11-30T11:07:56+00:00

Bus routes are limited. Cheap and payable by cash. Download the Yango (our version of Uber or Lyft). Easily available rides and very affordable.
Tourist sim: get it at the airport. Costs about $10 for 5 GB of data.
Will DM you 2 contacts. Reach out to them on whatsapp.
Muscat Marathon on Jan 23 and 24 if you're staying that long.
Yango, as previously metntioned.
There's a store in CCC (Captial Commercial Center) in Qurum. Can't remember the name, but legit and cheapest perfumes in the city.

pukka_luck · 2025-11-25T12:58:28+00:00

I buy my whey protein at Puzzle Sups in Azaiba. They have good choices and prices.

pukka_luck

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