Autumn holiday destination? Visit Oman

If you have spent the summer holidays hoping that the northern European weather would pick up enough for a satisfying ‘staycation', chances are you have either given up and shipped abroad already - or you are now considering the prospect of sunny autumn trip. The good news is that the Middle East is at its best at this time of year, with the sun pitched comfortably between warm and scorching - and many good deals to be had.

Oman is located on the south east of the Arabian peninsula and borders the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. However, unlike its neighbours, the country boasts a richly varied geography consisting of desert in the interior region, but a humid green mountainous ridge in the north that stretches along the coast. The north coast, including the capital city of Muscat, is the most popular area for tourism.

Muscat is home to over a million residents and has been an important trading port since 1st Century AD. The average high temperature during September and October is around 34 degrees Celsius, with very little rainfall. Subsequently, the surrounding beaches are popular with bathers and snorkellers eager to explore the coral reefs and flora and fauna underneath the waves.

Due to Oman's uniquely warm and clean climate, the country has an impressive variety of birds and animals to be spotted. Every year thousands of turtles return to the country - namely Ras al Hadd and Masirah Island off the eastern coast - to lay their eggs. Similarly, the seas around the country frequently pay host to dolphins, and more occasionally humpback and orca whales. Its central location means that Oman is also a good place for spotting birds that cross the country from Europe, Asia and Africa.

Oman is also home to a number of UNESCO world heritage sites, including the Bahla Fort near the Djebel Akhdar, and the ancient tombs at Bat and Adh-Dhahira. In the south of the country, the Dhofar region is home to the frankincense route incorporating the cities of Al-Blaid, Shasr, Khuwr Rori and Wadi Dooka - an area that not only boasts great social-commercial importance, but also an impressive and fertile landscape.

Sarah Maple writes for Gohop.ie who offer sun holidays and cheap flights.