Peter Greenberg on January 2, 2008 took a look back and ahead in hot travel trends in the popular TODAY Show, America's
favorite morning show on TV and the Internet. In this regard Usama Bin Karim Al Haremi, Head of Corporate Communications & Media in Oman Air stated, that Greenberg noted that it has been a wild year in travel - historic records for delays, but more people traveling than ever before. New airplanes, new routes and destinations, and despite a very weak U.S. dollar, some hope on the horizon for just about anyone hoping to travel in 2008. He unfolded year-end report - and a few heads-up looks at what is ahead this year in the world of travel. First, the hot, affordable destinations for 2008, and Oman definitely was recommended.
Describing Oman, he said it is the great sleeper destination, and one of my favorites. You can fly directly in, but my favorite route is to go to Dubai first, then drive through the Emirates into Oman and the beautiful Musandam peninsula. And go swimming in the Arabian Sea with dolphins.
Hotels are affordable — from $50 to $150 a night, and it is, unquestionably, a great place for shopping. Local craftsmen excel in arts and handicrafts such as silversmithing and weaving. Visitors can buy intricately carved handmade daggers, coffee pots, rose-water sprinklers, incense burners, rugs, saddles, bags, camel straps, and fragrant frankincense. Women's jewelry is definitely worth a look, ranging from small silver boxes designed to hold kohl to bracelets, earrings and rings, heavy anklets, and huge belts and necklaces.
Salalah is on the coast of southern Oman, about 620 miles south southwest of Muscat, and is the capital of Dhofar. Although now a very modern town, Salalah has retained great charm and character.
There are fantastic beaches along the coastline near Salalah, many of which are near perfect, with pristine, white sands and a crystal-clear, warm turquoise sea. Surrounding Salalah are coconut, papaya, mango and banana plantations and the area is unusually green and fertile compared to the rest of Oman owing to the summer monsoon, which also helps keep the temperatures a bit lower. In fact, Salalah has a mildly tropical atmosphere with many stands selling fresh fruit and coconut milk. The steep cliffs and mountains of Dhofar are often shrouded in mist. Scuba diving is a must - uncrowded and beautiful.
The Oman Dive Center (ODC), located on one of Oman's most beautiful and rich sites of natural heritage, offers a complete range of diving courses.
Al Haremi briefed that Peter Greenberg also known as the "Travel Detective" is considered the nation's pre-eminent expert on travel. Best known as the travel editor for NBC's Today Show, MSNBC, and CNBC, the Emmy award-winning writer and
He added that the NBC News pioneered the morning news program when it launched “Today” over 53 years ago. The three-hour live broadcast provides the latest in domestic and international news, weather reports and interviews with newsmakers from the worlds of politics, business, media, entertainment and sports. After more than 48 years of the standard two-hour format, the third hour was launched in October of 2000, making “Today” the only three-hour national morning show broadcast. TODAY is America's favorite morning show on TV and the Internet. The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American television network. In other countries the format was copied - most notably in the United Kingdom with the BBC's Breakfast and ITV’s Good Morning Britain and in Canada with Canada AM on CTV.
