#Journey2Remember
Join Shell Oman in celebrating the 47th National Day with a #Journey2Remember. 47 years, 47 service stations and 1 #Journey2Remember.
Shell Oman is celebrating the 47th National Day with a special journey featuring a classic car that will visit remarkable landmark showcasing the story of growth, development and beauty of Oman.
The journey started on Sunday, 19th November 2017. Under this page, we will post daily blog entries summarizing our daily activities. Watch this space to know the latest news and updates about our #Journey2Remember
Day 1 Blog
Day 1 of our #Journey2Remember to celebrate the 47th National Day! Today, we kicked off our trip to highlight the story of growth of Oman and showcase its exquisite scenery. Traveling in style in a vintage red 1965 Corvette, decorated with the Omani flag colors, it would be very easy for you to spot us! If you do, take a picture and share it with #Journey2Remember
The flag off ceremony took place today under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Fahar Bin Fatik Al Said, who waved the flag marking the launch of this campaign. Our first destination was the Mina Al Fahal Shell Service Station, which we usually pass by on our way to work to fuel our cars before we go by the drive through of deli CAFÉ to pick up Karak. It was nice meeting Mr. Said Sabeel, Mr. Yousef Al Bulushi and Mr. Abdullah Al Wahaibi who have been working for Shell Oman for over 40 years. They shared magnificent stories from their time at Shell Oman and how they have simultaneously been witnessing the story of growth and progress of the Sultanate.
And then we headed to our next destination. It was only fitting, as a proud owner of the beautiful Stingray, to play – truthfully, blast – the song “Little Red Corvette” by Prince.
Muttrah Corniche is a sight that you can never get bored of. Driving by the Sultan Qaboos Port, surrounded by beautiful scenery, deep history and rich culture while watching the tourists and locals visiting the traditional Muttrah Souq. After that, we passed by Jalali and Mirani forts, the National Museum, as well as the Al Alam Palace.
Continuing our journey along the Wadi Adai - Amerat road, an impressive road cut through high mountains and valleys, we headed towards Qurayat. We decided to stop by the breathtaking Bimmah Sinkhole, located in Huwiyat Najm Park. An old legend claims that this sinkhole was formed when a meteor fell on the spot, creating a beautiful hole in the ground. It was hard leaving this destination, but we still had a long journey to look forward to.
We ended the day with a drive towards Qurayat, one of the agricultural hubs but we stayed over in Wadi Shab where we wished we could join the other tourists in enjoying a swim in the great wadi if it weren’t for time limitations. We are now going to rest for the night to start a new adventurous day tomorrow.
Check day 1 roundup video
Day 2 Blog
Although we would’ve loved to sleep in this morning, the excitement of getting on the road and discovering new scenery made us hit the road bright and early. We drove along the Sur-Qurayyat coastal highway aiming to get to Ras Al Had by the end of the day.
We passed by the Oman LNG plant along the way, and as Shell employees, we felt very proud that the company has contributed in the design and construction of a cutting-edge facility to provide a cleaner source of energy. We then stopped at the Sur LNG Shell Service Station for a short meet and greet. We met everyone from station managers, forecourt champions and people who have been following this journey on @shelljourneyoman and came by the station specifically to meet us.
We continued our journey and drove along the remarkable Khor Al Batah Bridge, which connects Al Ayjah and Sur. The site of the fishermen boats from this bridge showed that we have managed to make great advancements whilst maintaining our long history and rich culture. The lovely breeze added extra beauty to the place and really made us want to stay longer but we had to continue our journey to Ras Al Had. The drive from Sur Corniche to Ras al Had is one I will always remember. And after a successful day of capturing these inspiring landmarks, we headed to our stop for the night.
Remember! If you spot our car, take a picture and share it with #Journey2remember , and follow us on @shelljourneyoman , @Stingrayvette65 and @Shabek for the latest journey updates.
Check day 2 roundup video
Day 3 Blog
This morning we passed by the Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve which is the nesting ground for the endangered Green Turtle. Heading towards Al-Ashkharah, we drove by the beach and spotted many fishing boats along the way, which made us realize the depth of the fishing culture in this region. When we arrived to Shannah, we went on the National Ferry from Shannah to Masirah Island, known as the largest island of Oman. The ferry was very impressive, and we all enjoyed the ride. As much as we love the Stingray, we were really happy with this change of transport.
This island was also surrounded by fishermen boats, as fishing is the main source of income for the locals there. This exotic island is also known for being a prime location for bird watching as you can spot migratory birds such as flocks of pink flamingos at certain times of the year at Bar Al Hikman. We were happy to know that Shell Oman has supported Wetland Intrenational surveys, conducted to conserve and restore the wetlands. These surveys have also helped to provide a critical habitat for the Great Knot, an endangered species.
After those long few days, it was great to finally unwind and relax at the Masirah Island Resort, which we will be staying in for the night to continue our journey in the morning.
Remember! if you happen to spot the Stingray, take a picture of the car share it with #Journey2remember , and follow us on @shelljourneyoman , @Stingrayvette65 and @Shabek to stay up to date with this journey!
Check day 3 roundup video
Day 4 Blog
After a relaxing night in the beautiful Island of Masirah, it was time to head back to Shannah to continue our #Journey2Remember. We took the first ferry to Shannah. We were the last passengers to board the ferry as we arrived late but thankfully we managed to. Our arms are still sore from trying to push the Stingray into the ferry boat.
We encountered Salt Flats near the Shannah Harbour, these were a result of the full evaporation of water leaving large amounts of salt behind. You could mistake them for snow as you are driving by but the smell of the salt as we went down gave it away. We then headed towards Sinaw, which was a wonderful drive on a dessert road. Coming from a beautiful island and heading to a dessert right after, shows how diverse the Sultanate’s landscapes are. From the road, we watched many cars crossing sand dunes and camels strolling along the dessert.
We then stopped at the Sinaw Shell Service Station and spent an hour there for a meet and greet. It’s always very uplifting to meet everyone from Shell’s forecourt champions to people who have been tracking our journey on @shelljourneyoman .
We continued along the road to reach the edge of Sinaw where the Sinaw Souq is, walking along the different simple shops and mingling with the local merchants at the Souq made us realize what we are missing out with all these huge shopping malls.
After that, it was time to make a move to our next stop, Nizwa, where we will be spending our night and getting ready for a day full of fun adventures and interesting stops.
Follow us on @shelljourneyoman , @Stingrayvette65 and @Shabek to stay up to date with this journey, and remember! if you happen to spot the Stingray, take a picture of the car and share it with #Journey2remember.
Check day 3 roundup video
Day 5 Blog
After the long and exhausting day we had yesterday, we started our day by having to drag some members of the crew out of bed. Once the battle was over, we headed out to explore the historical city of Nizwa, which was once the capital of Oman. Our first destination was the Nizwa fort, which is known to be the biggest fort in Oman. We were all truly impressed by its deep history and how preserved it was.
After that, we went to The Nizwa Souq, which is one of the oldest souqs in the country, and was once the center of trade in Oman. We met a few locals selling handicrafts such as Khanjars and hand-made pottery and they told us that Nizwa is known to be the place where some of the best Khanjars are crafted.
We took our time to appreciate the intricacy of the beautiful designs. We also had a lot of fun haggling, and got very competitive over which member of the crew can get the best deal (we have been unable to agree on the winner).
We also decided to visit Bahla town and fort, a UNESCO world heritage site. The fort is enclosed by a great mud wall around the town. This wall was built to protect the town along with watch towers to ensure safety.
We then visited the Um Al Fadhil School in Birkat Al Mouz, which is a school under Shell’s “Solar into Schools” initiative, where Shell is installing solar systems in 22 schools around the Sultanate through Omani SME’s. It was inspiring to see how we can take steps to improve sustainability in Oman, and that this is the direction we are heading towards in the future.
Reminder! If you happen spot the Stingray, take a picture of the car share it with #Journey2remember , and follow us on @shelljourneyoman , @Stingrayvette65 and @Shabek to stay up to date with this journey!
The crew and Shell representatives visit the Al Fadhil School in Birkat Al Mouz, a school under Shell’s “Solar into Schools” initiative.
Day 6 Blog
Leaving Nizwa was hard, the place has a certain energy that makes you want to explore and learn more about its long history. We headed towards Buraimi, and stopped near the Al Khandaq fort and the Buraimi souq, which are opposite each other.
Since we were unable to decide on a winner for the haggling contest, we decided it was only fair to have a rematch, so we went into Buraimi Souq to settle the score. The Souq had many different sections: from fruits and vegetables to handicrafts, it had it all. We ended up buying things we didn’t need, just for the sake of winning the competition. Truthfully, we had lost track of time, and were behind schedule. On the bright side, we finally have a winner! Can you guess which one of us it is? Place your guess under #Journey2Remember.
We stopped at Shell Buraimi Service Station for a meet and greet. And the forecourt champions of the station were so excited to take pictures by Stingray. They were very friendly and helped us maintain the car so that it’s picture perfect (we wish we could say the same about our appearance). We headed to Sohar, which is our final destination for the day, and we passed by ORPIC, the Liwa production facility, which looked incredible as we drove by. It is an impressive production facility and a prime example of a company with significant economic importance.
We then visited one of the latest Islamic monuments in Sohar which is the Sultan Qaboos Mosque. It truly took our breath away with its tremendous architecture and its unique look and feel that combined Islamic and modern aesthetic designs. It was indeed the perfect place to end today’s #Journey2Remember.
Reminder! If you happen spot the Stingray, take a picture of the car share it with #Journey2remember , and follow us on @shelljourneyoman , @Stingrayvette65 and @Shabek to stay up to date with this journey!
The Stingray passing through the gate of the City of Sohar
Day 7 Blog
We started off our long day in Sohar, a beautiful city in Al Batinah. We decided to do a meet and greet in a Shell Service Station specifically because we wanted to meet Ibrahim Al Futaisi.
Ibrahim Al Futaisi is the first in Oman to win a Shell Regional Forecourt Champion of The Year award. Witnessing him work in action, we could clearly see why he won this award. His drive and motivation to make sure that his workplace is a happy and safe environment were incredible. Ibrahim greeted all the customers who visited the Shell Service Station, and told us that he had helped multiple customers with flat tires, and driving them to car repair workshops if they needed a lift. He is really a role-model when it comes to dedication in work.
We then visited the Sohar Fort which demonstrates Sohar’s rich cultural heritage. Driving by the Sohar Corniche was a whole different experience, the view of the sandy beach and the blue sea never ceases to amaze. Crossing the one and only Sohar gate marked the end of our time in Sohar. It was time to head back to Muscat.
It felt really good to be back in Muscat and spend some time with our families.
However, it’s not over yet! Stay tuned tomorrow for the final day of our #Journey2Remember. And If you happen to spot the Stingray, take a picture of the car share it with #Journey2remember , and follow us on @shelljourneyoman , @Stingrayvette65 and @Shabek to stay up to date with this journey!
The crew pose for a picture with Ibrahim Al Futaisi, the first Omani winner of the Shell Regional Forecourt Champion of The Year award.
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