Sultanate of Oman is a country of breathtaking natural beauty interwoven with a kaleidoscope of history, legends and adventures. The Sultanate of Oman is in the Middle East, on the southeastern end of the Arabian Peninsula, It borders the United Arab Emirates in the northwest, Saudi Arabia in the west. Oman has one of the most diverse environments in the Middle East with various tourist attractions and is particularly well known for adventure and cultural tourism. Muscat is the capital of Oman, was named the second best city to visit in the world in 2012 by the travel guide publisher “Lonely Planet”. Muscat also was chosen as the Capital of Arab Tourism of 2012. Activities on offer range from soaking up history in the country's well-preserved forts, to spending the night Bedouin-style in the desert or "wadi-bashing" in 4x4s. There are plenty of empty white-sand beaches for sun lovers while desolate, challenging mountain routes tempt those with energy to burn. Ecotourism ventures are on the increase as word spreads of the country's unique geology, diverse bird life and crowd-free shifting desert sandscapes.