As much fun and enlightening the cities are, if you’ve come all the way to Oman you should at least spend a day in one of the world’s largest sand deserts, which happens to be right here, a 3-4 hours drive from the capital. The huge, virtually uninhabited sea of sand that forms the Wahiba Sands (also called as the Sharqiya Sands) is a treat for the senses…as long as you avoid the blistering summer months and come accompanied by a guide since your 4WD driving skills might not be up to par with the towering sand dunes.
The 6000 year old desert is home to the Bedu (or Bedouin), nomadic desert tribes who specialise in camel racing, and offers a glimpse into their fast disappearing traditional life.
You’ll be invited in for coffee and dates, the Bedouin hospitality being legendary.
You’ll then meet with their livelihood outside…
The racing camels are easily recognizable by the muzzle they wear, to prevent them from eating something they shouldn’t.
The best way to experience the desert is to stay the night at one of the few camps to truly appreciate the grandeur surrounding you, and I can guarantee it’ll be a night to remember as you fall asleep to the complete silence under the star-studded sky. There’s nothing quite like it.
We stayed at 1000 Nights Camp and this was our ‘room’ for the night – we were ‘glamping’ to say the least!
There’s plenty of communal places to just relax and escape the heat.
There’s even an abandoned boat turned into a bar and an adjoining pool for a very ‘un-bedouin’ setting though welcomed comfort.
While it is tempting to just sit back and enjoy the view, the Wahiba Sands are best enjoyed with a bit if adventure and there’s a ton of activities you can partake in such as dune bashing in a 4WD (tons of fun!), trekking, quad biking, sand boarding, or the ubiquitous camel ride…
This one really should have had a muzzle on…
While camels are everywhere in these parts, the camp also care for a couple of Arabian White Oryx, an endangered antelope specie known to be at the origin of the unicorn legend. They were once extinct from the region but were carefully reintroduced back in the 1980s.
Whatever you’ve been busy doing you’ll want to stop once the sun is starting to go down as the spectacle on the dunes is beyond words… You’ll need a bit of time and stamina to climb up to the top of the dunes, some as high as 100m, the slippery soft sand acting against you at every step. The view over the wind-sculpted infinite landscape is hauntingly beautiful and harsh at the same time, strong winds blowing sand into your eyes and every single nooks and crannies on your person.
Nature’s work of art – undulating sand waves constantly moving, dusk turning everything the color of copper.
The real show lasts only a minute or two which you’ll savor for a long time afterwards.
And almost simultaneously as the sun goes down the moon goes up, setting the mood for the evening and seeing us sliding down the dunes on our sand boards to get ready for a wonderful dinner and a sound night’s sleep.
After an incredible night of sleeping in total darkness and silence, a savory Omani breakfast to kickstart the day is in order.
And nothing better to accompany it than a few little cups of karak tea, a sweet tea spiced with cardamom, clove, cinnamon, and ginger.
Leaving the desert behind and driving towards the coast, you’ll be meeting the mountains again and discovering that they’ve been hiding some of the most beautiful vistas the country has to offer in the form of Wadis. A wadi is essentially a valley which in season fills with water and constitute an oasis in the middle of the barren and dry mountains.
Wadi Tiwi
One of the wettest and most popular wadis is Wadi Bani Khalid.
The natural pools are perfect for a dip and receive a constant stream of fresh water attracting groups of tourists and locals to their shore.
You’ll feel like you stumbled upon the postcard visual of a true oasis.
Another favorite wadi requires a bit more time to explore as you’ll need to take a very short boat ride to the start of the trail to reach the gorgeous Wadi Shab.
The 50-60 minutes walk into the wadi is beautiful, passing pools, waterfalls, and lush plantations.
A cheap, filling and delicious lunch can be had back en route to the coast in pretty much every village you’ll cross, the mainstay of rice with fried onions and a seasoned grilled kingfish a solid choice.
The nearby coast has a few sights of interests as you make your way back to Muscat, like the tomb of Bibi Miriam. It is the only standing remains of the once thriving port city of Qalhat which was destroyed by the Portuguese in the early 16th century.
You can also stop nearby at the natural oddity that is the Bimah Sinkhole, formed by a collapse of a large cave chamber. Its deep blue-green crystal clear pool is definitely inviting…
Flamingos are often spotted along the coast near water inlets, though no pink feathers here.
Last great stop before Muscat is at one of the beaches, especially Fins Beach (commonly called White Beach). It’s popular for camping and snorkeling and as you can see gives a pretty nice view of the coast, here looking south. We were the only ones there too and I regretted not having a tent to pitch. Imagine waking up to this panorama and sound of turquoise waves crashing and screaming your name for a morning dip…?? Next time!
