Jewels of Oman

The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. Some road construction &/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of €324.50pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

British Citizen Passport Holders can visit Oman for up to 14 days without a visa. You must also have an expiry date of at least 6 months on your passport after the day you arrive in Oman. We strongly advise you to check your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding visas and passport validity.

Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your e-ticket and final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Weight restrictions will be finalized on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0871 360 2000, quoting HX313.

IMPORTANT: A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you. Please note that you should carry your invoice with flight details on it as you will need to show this at the airport.

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24-hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.

It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.

This tour is accessible to most people with a good level of fitness and normal mobility. It involves climbing of steep stairs and getting on and off coaches. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties. All our tours feature a “Tour Pace” to help find the right holiday for you. To travel on any of our tours requires unaided mobility and the ability to stroll around the sights, climb stairs and get on and off coaches and boats. The tour pace for Jewels of Oman is intermediate. A good level of fitness is required as you may be on your feet for approximately four hours in a day, though this will be interspersed with regular breaks and will vary from day to day. You will be walking around the sights, and may be getting on and off coaches, trains and boats and climbing steps which may be irregular. You will stay in variety of hotels throughout the tour. Our guides will always endeavour to provide the highest level of service and assistance; however, they cannot be expected to cater for customers who are unfit to complete the itinerary.

The currency in Oman is the Omani Rial (OMR). We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK, however USD and Sterling can be easily exchanged at banks and with money changers throughout Oman. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in your local currency. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country.

As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.

You will need to take money with you to cover any personal purchases such as souvenirs, laundry, any meals not included in the itinerary as well as drinks and any additional snacks. Approximately £300- £400 per person will be sufficient for the duration of the tour. It is a good idea to try and maintain a supply of small notes and change in the local currency for tipping or small purchases.

Tipping

It is at your customary to tip both your driver and guide. We would recommend to tip approximately £3 per person per day. This is a total of £27 per person to budget for tips on your trip. Tips will be collected at the end of your tour. Tips are accepted in the local currency.

The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10 and the maximum will be 35. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your national guide who will remain with you for the duration of your trip.

Private Tour: If you have booked a private tour then you will be accompanied by a Driver Guide or a Driver and Local Guides. These will be available to you during all scheduled sightseeing. Private Tours can depart on any day of the week depending on flight and train schedules and the opening days of the attractions. They will follow the itinerary as described in the brochure unless you have been advised otherwise and you will still have all of the same meals, sightseeing and local excursions included.

Dhow ship During your tour you will board a Dhow ship. Boats are decorated in Omani style, with cushions for comfort. Bathrooms are also on board as well as light refreshments and soft drinks.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and Oman. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where possible. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.

A triple room is available but please note that this will be a twin room with a roll away bed for the 3rd passenger.

Desert Camp During this tour you will have a night’s stay at the Arabian Oryx Camp. Your stay will be in a comfortable tent with en suite facilities, whilst this is a unique experience facilities in the desert are of a lower standard than those in hotels through the tour. Enjoy traditional Bedouin food, cooked authentically each night.

Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Dinner on your tour (when included) will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.

Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information. Vegan and vegetarian options are available, all meal requests need to be sent over to our suppliers before travel.

It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way. Bottled water is supplied on your tour bus.

Ramadan is the most important month in the Muslim Calendar, and it is a time for people to be with their loved ones, self-reflect and renew their faith. During this time Muslims fast from dawn until dusk and abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and chewing gum. If you are a tourist visiting Oman, you will not be expected to fast. While eating, drinking and smoking is strictly prohibited in public places, hotels will offer meals and nonalcoholic drinks at many of their restaurants and bars. If you wish to consume alcohol during your trip, you may do so in your hotel room during the day, and some bars will be open as normal after sunset. Your guide during your tour will be on hand to give you any additional information that you require. When packing for your trip, it’s important you include a couple of different outfit options, so you’re prepared for all the activities you wish to take part in. When you’re relaxing by the hotel pool or sunbathing on the resort beach it’s fine to wear swim wear and beach clothes. However, when out in public during the day, it is advisable to be more covered up to show respect to the local customs. We would recommend that women cover their shoulders and knees and men should wear knee length shorts or trousers when out in public areas.

On your arrival in Oman you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Travco Oman, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/ Travco Oman representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your national guide will be on hand 24 hours a day should you have any queries.

If you need to contact your representative during your stay the details are:

Travco Oman: Telephone number: Office: 00968-24564150/54 Email: anil.k@travcotravel.com

Emergency contact information: Please find below the emergency contact details for Travco Oman 24-hour Contact Number: Airport Operations: 00968-99424265 /00968- 99277075 Office: 00968-98947867 (Anil) Email: anil.k@travcotravel.com