Oman wasn't on our destination list when we set off on the trip, but it ended up as one of our favourite destinations. A traveler we met in Sri Lanka described as "the best of Arab tradition with a Scandinavian temperament." I still can't come up with a more succinct pitch.

We landed in Muscat late at night and drove through the deserted suburbs to find our unique Airbnb, a car-top safari tent on the roof of someone's house. Budget accommodation is hard to come by in Oman and this seemed like a hidden gem. The price point became apparent when the city's mosques began blaring their calls to prayer shortly before sunrise.