Nizwa, "Pearl of Islam" and the second-biggest tourist destination in Oman is a natural getaway. The town is enclosed by a thick palm oasis and shadowed by high mountains. There are also historical sites like those of Bahla and Jabrin tourists enjoy visiting. Nizwa Fort and Falaj Daris are other sites to visit. While Niwza Fort is is Oman's most visited national monument, Falaj Daris is the life maintainer of Nizwa. If you are geared up for a little adventure, you could go for excursions up Jebel Akhdar and Jebel Shams. All these interesting sites made Nizwa win the award of  'Organization of Arab Cities' in 1993. Nizwa is a two hour drive from Muscat.