Oman STREET FOOD & ATTRACTIONS TOUR - Nizwa Fortress & Souq Experience in Oman!!

As-salamu alaykum everyone. I hope you're all doing well. This is David Hoffman from David's Bin here coming at you from beautiful Sunny Nizwa, Oman one of the most important tourist attractions in the country It's located only a 90-minute drive southwest from Muscat and here today We're gonna explore the 17th century fort which you see behind me the souk and we're gonna eat lots of amazing food My man, good morning. How you doing? Very good. So what are we doing first? Okay So this is a massive fort it is the most important fortress in the country built 17th century and it's still active, right? So there's lots of rooms. You said it's like a school in here as well And so is this a souk right here That's the e-souk And right here we have the fortress so Huge defense tower and over there is the entrance right with the cannons It was built with the Imam Sultan Al-Yarabi in 1650 The total length is 24 meter The width is 43 meter This is the entrance Here we go entering the fortress. So right here we have the map, right? That's where multiple floors first floor second floor is the main map West Tower craft workshop Fantastic salam alaikum, how you doing? Okay, so two so two tickets I think So it's a five for foreigners and two for Omanis, okay, perfect License yeah, it's basically free. Yeah This was built with mud All the forts in Oman are built in this in this fashion, right? Okay, awesome. And then over here we have so this is a well, of course source of water. So well right here What do we have here Something that is for small ladies, so she's making Basically small bracelets. So they're crafting this here and then in the souk is where they sell it So basically to clean the floor to clean different things, right? Amazing this is beautiful. So there is a lot of textile work in Oman, correct? So this is the ancient Omani fortification, right? So it shows all the different layers here Basically, it's like How you can understand how the defense mechanism is working as you can see here So you have any invaders coming through this is how they would basically fend off the invaders, right? They had holes and they would pour down like boiling oil, right? Ooh That's a bad way to die All right. Next up. We're entering the fort This one was just like if you're walking up you don't even notice that you fall in you and you die It's okay. I mean this was ancient times right another one right here another trap. So this is the original door And it has like these spikes too, right as you keep walking through each doorway there's traps so far We've gone through four traps and those are in the traps that come from above. That's just falling down another trap And this is the top of the fort So once you make it up here, you have what four different staircases to go even higher to get the view And you have cans right here. So this is how they would fend off invaders. These holes are for what? For arrows snipers snipers Yeah, I mean obviously back in the day it was arrows eventually when guns were invented There we use the gun right there made it to the top and look at this beautiful view So we have the mountain range. We have lots of palm trees. So like a mini oasis over here below us We have the souk which we're gonna visit right now Beautiful and then over here we have a minaret. So that's a mosque more mountains just mountains everywhere We're like middle of a valley So they built it here because any invaders that were coming through the mountain range They would be able to see them right mainly over here for my from what I'm seeing right here There's way too high mountains. So no one to really cross those mountains, especially the high high ones, right? For the invaders as you can see there's three different staircases to get better views You can't walk around the entire structure on the edge, right? Because if you do you can fall there's no railing says it right here walking on edges or near open structures It's not allowed do not risk it so if you wanna get more views go up there go up there and come up here obviously and I think we're gonna keep going going down right to the bottom before we leave the top of the fortress I want to show you this right here We have three holes and this one is the one they would use to defend the tower from invaders They would literally drop boiling oil right on them. Obviously, this is in Europe during medieval ages as well You know just on fortresses you anybody coming in they would always have a way to defend You know, not just you know holes for arrows, but directly down. It's very hot oil. You can just apply it here and they will They will perish Unfortunately, you know, all right, that was amazing. Now, let's go down to the first floor We will go to see the imams the leader of this Castle his room his place where he sleep what he eats. Let's go to see the imams room Unfortunately, it's closed. No way. Maybe he's inside Yeah, so we just left the fortress area. So that big dome fortress over here. We have the castle that's living quarters All right here. We have a few different student accommodations and we have a guest room as you can see over here They have bookshelves on top of they have Bowls some plates and this is where they were today, right? One of them is called Okay, he was included in the UNESCO list on 2015 Right here in this room Amazing. So these are his books Next up we're going to the guest room. So this is the guest room We have two rooms as you can see very beautiful carpet pillows. So they were just relaxed chill I love how you have the breeze coming through even though it's really hot outside. This room is cool Exactly and then they always have the bookshelves and then they always have on top of that You know the silverware the plates the bowls to eat. I love how they have it like a storage, you know I'm very well organized beautiful. I saw I guess it's time to leave souk food. Let's go. Let's go Let's go right when you walk outside of the fortress You have this lady making the bread the delicious super thin crispy bread. I love it. Can we make some? Oh, honey, honey, I want a sweet honey, honey That's you man Yeah, she says You know what? Mix it all mix it all go go go ahead. So we're both getting the amazing Omani bread with eggs That's cream right sour cream and honey. Oh, I can't wait to have this It's nice and crispy almost paper thin so delicious nice and hot. Let's eat. Let's go. Let's do it starving man breakfast Amazing combination. Mm-hmm. Oh, wow. This was a little door here, but that's obviously the egg Crispy rich doughy rich. It's weak as a honey. Hmm. Oh, wow. He's absolutely phenomenal Always when I come here It's a must to take bread from this And what's the cost of you it's $500 something right? Yeah, pretty good Amazing street food. I love it. It's so good. It's like the Omani crepe. Mm-hmm It's not too filling hmm Termination is amazing though Contrasting flavors. It's so good so if you can you want to compare between this one and the other one you got in the other places Mm-hmm, which one is better? The best ones always the one I'm eating right now Wow Too good. Mm-hmm. She's asking you. Did you like it? So good So good on the right when you leave the fort we have the souk so we have Some jewelry but over here is where we want to see we want to see the craft stuff. That's what I want to see Mm-hmm. Assalamu alaikum How you doing? So right here we have a jewelry store and they have these beautiful Silver pieces. I love the camel. So I'm thinking of taking two of these for my daughter's Hey, so can we weigh this because it's by the weight, right? Okay, perfect. So I might take that one for sure Do you have another one for a second one this cost of four real so roughly like nine US dollars for this I'm gonna get two one for each daughter, right? Of course, and then maybe I get the actual necklace so they can have it, right? This guy's super nice said because I'm buying two. He's giving me a discount I'm getting the chain and the camel two of each right? So it was like 13. He dropped down to eight eight So it's like roughly $20 each. I think it's a great deal great memory for my kids And they can always you know, hand it on to their kids very beautiful and it's silver He has so many different pieces here. Lots of cool stuff. The daggers awesome, but obviously that's more for men So many different pendants he has rings. He has these like beautiful camels So if you want to take something like this for your house, he has that as well And then they have beautiful lamps, right and they have these canes and these are like for for the bosses This is not for the elderly. This is for bosses. They think it's like to a function, right? He's amazing love him on So if you want to contact him, it's right here Silver City is what's up and his Instagram So guys total price was 16 choker on Thank you so much. That's it. Another great gift for my kids. Thank you. Choker on let's keep going So what do we have here? What are these? Okay, but smoke fragrance, okay, it's like incense you put incense in there Incense and we have different shape of them These are used to make water here's We put water here To store it and to makes it cool down. The ones I like the most are the ones that look just like the fort, right? Beautiful. So this is perfect. Just put the incense in there and that's it, right? This was awesome to really big right, it's a nice pottery. Whoa some ways a lot. All right, this one I can't take Definitely things and stuff. Luckily I can take lots of stuff in my bag. I came empty on purpose. So what are these? So this is basically sap from a tree I'm going to salala and there they are the the makers of it, right And so some of these you eat some of them you burn almost like incense, correct So here we have a few different vendors. We have more jewelry shops We have fruit juice bars, and that's it right the same thing over and over similar stuff, right? Very repeated, but obviously some people put their own touch. So things are very different, you know, obviously you'll get this these pots But look at this different design, right? What's awesome about these you can put a candle inside, right? Usually usually we are putting them as for decoration without putting anything inside They're nice. So once you pass this watchtower, you're entering the official souk right here, right? Okay, so they have hats they have pottery they have basically this for the Christmas tree, right? Beautiful. It's nice hats, huh? Is there any hats you think I should get a different hat? What do you think? You like my black, I mean, it's nice, but I think maybe you'll find something something else Like what matches with this one? What do you think like a red? All the pottery I mean, it's like never-ending pottery here just like infinite, right? So you have every type of size right from small to medium to massive All colors I like this I mean you just hang them right it's like that definitely decoration decoration purposes Hello assalamu alaikum Are you doing very good you fine? Thank you. So my friend question. Tell me about the daggers You have one design for your family and one design from this one one design from sword For a family design same this one seven ring 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 and this is a design horn Named Saeedi Kanjar and from this what design like this one for ring 1 2 3 4 and this is a design horn Named Nizwani Kanjar and you have this is design cup same Omani shield like this is shield From sword like this one also for ring 1 2 3 4, but it here no have design cup same Omani shield This is named Suri Kanjar. Suri Kanjar little bit small size and Nizwani Kanjar little bit bigger size This is Omani knife So if you want to you could buy it as decoration put it on your wall But you can also use it to defend yourself, right? So anybody come into your home. Hey, I got a knife No, it's very nice to do that. I'll tell you this one Like how much is this one again? This is the special work the price 370 real you have a different different to 370. Yes. It's like $700 little bit less Work work in the price 120 and the size small side and this is like a hundred percent silver, right? So yes. Yeah, of course. It's by weight. What's that? Omani sword All silver all handmade by you. Yes, dude. You're amazing. Oh Hey Wow, nice, the only thing is with the sharper in it, right? I love this place my man. Thank you so much. Appreciate it How the market, huh? Yes, and there is one place called Halwas of safety. Okay, and it's all was one place. It's all here. Yeah We're not fun at another place. So it's like the most famous halva spot a safe Safety halva safety. So it's a type of halva. Yes. Okay. Hello halva everyday How about the second I arrived here went straight to a hollow place? Well halva we had some coffee. It was amazing And this is it the halva Sook the halva market, right? Oh, yes. Look at all the halva right here. Hello, my friend. How you doing? Very good you Very good. So what are we doing here? All this line There is a different different Kind of factories and here we could try halva directly from you. So we have samples right to have camel milk halva Yeah, there is a camel milk flavor and there is organic one with without White sugar it's full brown sugar. Okay, and there is with the imported brown sugar. There is the frankincense halva and There is the saffron halva and there is the special one with the local brown sugar including local rosewater Okay, so that's gonna be the best. I already know that second best part me the saffron. I don't know I like the cow milk. Let's try. Let's try Might try them all I'm gonna try camel milk first Not too much. Well Let's have it. Mm-hmm Nice and sweet nice and tasty you taste the milk Okay, I have to keep changing right so I'll just leave it here garbage right here perfect Shabana saffron next look at this. You could see the color right? Yeah, nice like orangey Mm-hmm. I've tried halva in many countries. I'll say here top top Next up we have the frankincense So you could tell the difference right? This one's way more like green, right? Green because the frankincense a little nutty. Yep That's nice Next up I'm trying the special halva. Oh my gosh, it looks so good Not too much. That's some tea Well, it's coffee. Okay, perfect Usually when we have any sweets anytime It's the best one. That's what we call it a special special. It's nutty. Yeah, I'm gonna get from the back No, you should can take the other spoon. That's been okay Tell me what's up That's the process we have it and that's our tradition and you have to not fill the cup Yeah, they don't fill up so you can keep going later, right? And you have to take it from your right hand Oh right hand, yeah Sorry It's really really hot Love it The cardamom heaven Well, there's rose and saffron this one, okay, I think I'm gonna have to have some more So I haven't done this yet, so I need some more and then I always grab with my right hand Let it like cool off for a second. Oh So good. Hey Cheers Don't finish don't fit. Hey my man. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. What's the name of your shop? It's out. I'll so he Suns so So you have many brothers, of course Awesome Chokran Chokran. I appreciate it guys. Come here and buy a special hotpot and you so right friend. Here's too much I'm like I'm leaving and he's like I'm giving you a gift your hospitality Chokran upon thank you again. Thank you. Appreciate it He's too much, man. You have to accept our hospitality and our generosity So this is honey mixed with some spices. This is date syrup Inside cardamom and black pepper mix this people of mine Breakfast or dinner the bread and this So he says this is the Omani Nutella and it's 1.5. I'm taking one here. Let's just take it I'll pay you That's amazing so they have it for breakfast right you mix that with like wheat pancakes or with some bread, right Amazing. Oh, I love this country Okay, so one Did I get that right? Is that correct? Thank you. Chokran Chokran. He wants you to try the honey That's better Nutella forget Nutella this honey black pepper and cardamom Dude I'm gonna have to have another one Is it okay one more Dude, I should have bought a bigger one Well, oh my gosh Hospitality, huh? Yeah What is this one? This one Kofi Oman Kofi inside cardamom and saffron Mmm, that's why you see it's not green. It's more red more orangey actually nice and hot. Oh amazing So good BAM Thank you. Look at all the halva. Look at this so many there's like what like 15 20 different vendors There's a mix of guys here, but lots of halva. So where's the last one? We have one more spot Okay, so we're gonna try this guy's special halva super special So I'm guessing you have like 15 flavors here just right here 15 different flavors look at this beautiful halva lots of nuts Yeah, so I've won us on top and over here. We have the samples, right? So we have one two, so I can sample like seven of them. I guess we'll try the walnut and the special right? So this one looks amazing Let's do it Special it's so good Mmm, that was actually very soft not too thick. I'm gonna try another one. I'm gonna try this one date syrup No stickier, mmm, not the walnut aspect very good, which one you trying So good You know what? I'm gonna try the fig Take one looks good. This is the one I haven't really seen her a lot the big one Hmm nice has little like little seeds they crack. Mm-hmm I'm gonna try another honey The honey the best one I told you man the best one. I'm gonna try the last one I guess I'll try all of them So I'm trying the walnuts now quickly Mmm nice and nutty Yeah, it's good. Okay. No more. I need lunch Yes, sir, this is for you choker on how fun so much coffee this is number 15 we had so many cups At least it's lightly roasted This is like the last ones we had were a little stronger All right, let's go it's okay. I'm so good on take care guys. Take care. Take care. Oh, yes I'm like used to like the fist pump and now I'm shaking hands again. It's okay All right lunch lunch, let's go let's go so for lunch we're going to knees what I'll car I'll carry Over eating camel meat. Okay. I am definitely trying this camel meat with the bone marrow Wow looks so good right here The oil the gravy. Oh man and that pair with rice perfect What's your name, my name is so so David Yeah, if it's before the commodity is going there. Okay. Also, I am Gamoody. Okay family That would you are that would that would I know that would that would's been here David David David what I got Moody can smokey David. Okay, David Listen to me. This is a lamb. That's camel meat Here tuna fish and vegetable curry I Have chicken oven Okay here Biryani rice and special Omani rice. His name is Kabuli Okay here white rice with white rice is coming dry fish and also is Kasha Okay, I'm going probably with camel and Kabuli Kabuli rice so Kabuli rice has chickpeas has onions Beautiful and right here. We have the camel. Oh Wow, that looks amazing Wow, it's nice and fatty I make a little little sauce inside the rice Beautiful gravy, huh? So if you want to go real money go with the camel but lamb is second best right for me lamb is the best Because the man comes to this restaurant you'll enjoy it. Thank you so much. We're gonna eat. We're gonna eat. Let's go Oh fresh salad, huh? In Oman you always get fresh salad This one has tomatoes chilies arugula onions and then you get the salsa So tomato sauce, right and then we also have right here some camels and lamb two different rices briyani and Kabbalah Kabbalah and here we go. I got the camel meat. I have the Kabbalah and I'm just gonna go in and try some of this meat That's good Love the gravy a little gamey. Obviously, it's coming a little a little more lean, right? Wow Hmm the rice raisin chickpeas and onions Super meeting do the gravies here the camel and I love that camel is not, you know common the rest of the world But in Arabia, this is what they used to eat. So guys don't get offended by it. Don't think it's exotic This is what they've been eating for centuries Hmm Oh Just on top, right So you mix this but hold on you're gonna mix also the sauce, right It's good Nothing like eating this with your hand right rice dishes with me always Mm-hmm Hmm No, man, some of this. Oh Wow, so refreshing with the salad Mmm love the salsa. Mm-hmm tomato sauce Wow You know what? I did like most of this meat is the Kabbalah rice It's amazing. Mm-hmm. I have tried many Kabbalah, but this one is very nice What's the secret about this restaurant? A money old lady is doing? Yeah, the rice is super nice light spices not like briyani that one has way more spices Whoo, I'm getting hot, but obviously I had a chili just break it up in here I'm starting like that Mm-hmm Well, yeah, I love it, you know, I'm gonna grab a little rib lamb I'll tell you I Love this one. This is what he's amazing. The people are friendly beautiful place Lots of tourists here right in terms of the rest of the country. This is where I've seen the most tourism this rice. Okay My boy doesn't like the lamb and I'm joking he just he's game for I love this thing. Look at this beautiful So you should do is trying to break off some of me, but this is like off out right here, right? Mix of fat just break it up like that go in Nice amount on your hand love this country They hit the spot man Mm-hmm. I'm gonna take a big bite Here's a mouth-watering get some more fresh greens everything together right there right one last big bite Get ready the skill using your hands, right? I think I mastered it No, you know the secret is the spoon how many people have used that spoon The hands only you how you doing, bro Yeah I'm cool as well, but I'm gonna try a little bit of Brianna just a quick bite, right? The Brianna's here on one. They're very light in spices. Oh Okay, so the total bill was a 5.7 so almost six us like fourteen fifteen dollars pretty good deal And we have some karak tea so milk chai or milk tea red tea red tea, what do you want? Up to you red tea for me Cheers I was nice. They added cinnamon Mm-hmm. Amazing. Super nice. So what's next? What are we gonna see next? So next we're going to old City, okay, Burkett almost Where you can find? 500 years old village the remainings of this village. So it's abandoned village, correct. All right, let's go After around a 15-minute drive we made it here to the village So the beginning of the village the lower part people still live there as you keep going through these small lanes You get to the very end and that's the abandoned part of it Man, it's just like an oasis in the middle of nowhere, huh? As soon as we got out of the car, you could see the houses on the right That's where people live over here to the left all abandoned. Look at this. The building is basically empty. It's falling apart But still a pretty good condition Look at this Basically, these are the remains of Burkett almost village. I mean no maintenance done It's more than 350 years old The difference between this and Nezwa Castle Here in Oman every single town and village has an irrigation system like this is not a sewer system No sewage is going through here. They use this water to you know for the agriculture, right and right here You know wherever you have water you have life. You have a bunch of fish Beautiful the whole thing is full of fish. So we're going this way Okay, we're gonna go up these stairs Careful, it is in ruins Watch where you step. Oh Wow, so that's how it used to be, huh? So that was the roof, you know, basically collapsed the doorway everything fell apart, right? Wow Super soft on the mud. Oh man, everything is Good for the hot water. Oh, yeah, it will it will make it Cold from inside. Okay. Yeah, so it cools inside. That's why it's so good right the mud Wow, so just shambles so you go all over the top at the goal Halfway up and you get these beautiful views Lewis like an oasis you have mountains your trees and then you have all these beautiful mud houses Not a breath that way Yeah, Santa's not the best idea but I am in Oman somewhere in sandals Well steep rubble Wild so it's been abandoned for how many years 350 years Wow, it's literally people we lived here in the 18th century. Oh My god, dude, that's crazy. You can see the side of the mountain here the rock coming out That's crazy That's a money stairs almost to the top and that is it we made to the top of banana Lake or Forget the moss. So 350 year old abandoned village incredible right here. We have the watchtower over there We have two three four so five watchtowers that we could see you have an oasis lots of palm trees We have the new city and mountains only like a 15 to 20 minutes ride from Nizwa We saw the fort we saw the souk halva. We had lunch. I mean it was incredible one experience You have to do every single thing. I did when you come here guys I hope you enjoyed this video. If you did, please give me a thumbs up. Leave me a comment below So it's kind of my champ more awesome travel content. We'll see the next travel adventure in Oman. Let's go I'm tired and it's hot. Let's go