Oman Desert Adventure: Wahiba Sands & Empty Quarter with Mark Evans

The tour starts from Oman’s International airport to coincide with the suggested Group Tour flights. We will head straight to the magnificent mosque of Sultan Qaboos, one of the largest in the Arab world, whose grand marble halls are capable of holding some 20,000 people. After which we will begin our guided tour of the city. One of Arabia’s most picturesque cities, Muscat lies within the protective embrace of a ring of horse-shoe mountains that run down into the glittering waters of Muscat Bay. We will drive along the engaging sea-front to the Al Alam Palace and the 16th century Portuguese forts of Jalali and Mirani. We will also have a chance to visit Muscat’s renowned Muttrah souk, one of the best in the region. There will be free time in the afternoon for those that want to explore independently, or time to rest and freshen up.

This morning we will leave in good time and head to the Seeb fish market to witness firsthand the hustle and bustle of the market traders as they barter over the “fish of the day”. Continuing out of the city in 4WDs, we will head towards the Hajar Mountains, following the Batinah coast through the foothills to the picturesque setting of Wadi Bani Awf, and a picnic lunch amongst the hills of Oman’s rugged interior. This afternoon we then head to Misfath Al Abreen, one of Oman’s best kept secrets for a walk through the beautiful oasis. Taking in the stunning scenery and walking through the falaj (irrigation) system, seeing how the village farms and manages its agricultural land. We arrive at our mountain top camp later this afternoon.

This morning we will experience one of the most notable hikes in the country, the Balcony Walk. This follows a stony donkey track, and winds around the rim of the mountain to the abandoned village of As Sab, a total of around 6 km. This hike offers amazing views over the Grand Canyon of Oman, Wadi Nakhur. The trail is narrow, with loose stones and at times uneven underfoot.  We then continue on to Al Hamra and its incredibly atmospheric old town, where there are mud houses dating back 400 years which are still occupied. After lunch we drive down to the oasis city of Nizwa, once the capital of the powerful Omani Imamate. This afternoon we visit the famous Nizwa fort, built in the 17th century to guard the Sumail Gap during the struggle between the Sultan and the Radical Imams. This fort is one of the best examples of defensive architecture in the country, and it’s worth climbing to the top of the tower to get a great view of the old town and modern city with it’s surrounding date plantations.
Walking Distance: 6km, 3-4 hours

This morning we will visit the bustling Nizwa souk before heading to the UNESCO World Heritage setting of Bahla Fort, for a brief photo stop. We continue on to the impressive fort at Jabreen, possibly the finest of Oman’s 17th century fortresses, whose exquisite painted wooden ceilings provide eloquent testimony to the skills of the fort’s original builders. After pausing to enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, we continue our journey to Tanuf village where we explore the historic ruins. Inhabited until the 1950's, the village was damaged and subsequently abandoned during the Jabal Akhdar Wars. We then return to Nizwa for a leisurely evening before preparing for our upcoming wild camping adventure.

Departing Nizwa this morning, our desert journey takes us on towards the vast, open landscapes of the Wahiba Sands, over 10,000 square kilometres of shifting sands and towering dunes that are home to isolated settlements of semi-nomadic Bedouin. Our journey will take us via the market town of Sinaw, where we will stop to strech our legs. We will continue into the seemingly endless sea of the Wahiba, driving through an ever changing landscape of colours and contours as we make our way on to our remote desert camp.

After breakfast at camp, we’ll rendezvous with our camels who will take us through the dunes of the Sharqiyah sands for a full day’s ride. No previous experience is needed and full guidance will be given as to how to mount and dismount our ‘ships of the desert’. Mark will be on hand to explain how this unique experience compares with his previous multi-week expeditions and to share with you his unbridled passion for the desert. While one vehicle will stay behind in case of any need of assistance, the remaining 4WDs will drive ahead to set up our next camp, leaving us in glorious solitude to blaze a trail across the vast desert.  Navigating only by the sun we will pass through the undulating dunes, enjoying a remarkable journey. In the middle of the day, as per the Bedouin custom, we’ll set up a majlis in the middle of desert for an afternoon rest and to have some lunch. After the heat of the day has passed, we’ll continue our camel journey on towards our wild campsite night-stop, once more under a star-studded sky.

This morning we will drive out across the shifting sands of Wahiba towards the coast, and the pink shell beaches and white dunes of Khaluf on Oman’s eastern coast. Far from being devoid of life, these breath-taking desert landscapes are home to a rich array of wildlife, from the remarkable dew drinking beetles that haunt the predawn desert, to foxes, gazelles and over 100 species of birds; That said, in this vast landscape they can be very difficult to spot, so we will need to keep our eyes peeled! The drive will take four to five hours and we stop for lunch along the way, arriving in Khaluf in time to set up camp late afternoon. As we settle down for another evening under an Arabian sky, our drivers will prepare a delicious al fresco dinner.

*Depending on the weather, the group may need to camp slightly further away from the beach

Today provides an ideal opportunity to make the most of Oman’s rugged coastline. We drive south, following to coast from Khaluf to Sirab beach, which provides an ample array of viewpoints and photo opportunities, as we pass through a collection of fishing villages, beaches and wadis en route to tonight’s accommodation. On arrival at Sirab beach, take in the beautiful views along the coast before driving to our modest hotel in the late afternoon in the small port town of Duqm.
*Driving time approx 6hrs

This morning we head inland to the vast emptiness of the Rub al Khali, 250,000 square miles of waterless desert that covers much of the southern half of the Arabian Peninsula. This is the heartland of the nomadic Bedouin, made famous by Wilfred Thesiger in his book ‘Arabian Sands’. This morning we drive from Duqm to Haima we passing through Jaluni where an Oryx Sanctuary is located, and if we are lucky we will be able spot Arabian Oryx en route. We then continue our drive through an area of flat sandy terrain to Maqshin where we stop for lunch. In the afternoon we drive through the vast dunes of the empty quarter until we reach our camping spot by a baby dune shaped like a half moon. Here we can relax and unwind under the star studded Arabian sky.
*Driving time approx 4hrs

This morning we will continue deep into the Empty Quarter, and on through the hypnotic landscape and head further south, heading towards Al Hashman. Here we will find a settlement of nomad Bedouins protected and nurtured by the Omani Government. Lunch will be served at the Al Safah oasis before we return back to Rumalt Hashman where we will pitch camp for our final night under the stars.
*Driving time approx 5hrs

Today’s long but stunning journey to the southern coast takes us from the desert to the Indian Ocean by way of the barren landscapes of the Qara Mountains. En route we’ll stop at Dhalkut to have some time on the beach enjoying the breeze and marvelling at the rather incongruous sight of the wreckage of a crashed Russian helicopter. Our final destination will be a nearby stunning clifftop camp (the last of camping night of the trip) overlooking the coastal settlement of Rakhyut and taking in the sunset over the border between Oman and Yemen.  While we are enjoying the magnificent views our camp crew will prepare their final camp dinner of the trip for us.
Approx 5hrs driving 

Our journey eastwards towards Salalah, the capital of the proud
Dhofar region, takes us by way of Al Fazayah and Mughsayl beaches. On arrival
in Salalah we visit ‘Wadi ‘Dawka’ (UNESCO World heritage site) known as
the "Frankincense Wadi’" for its collection of the naturally
grown Frankincense trees and time-permitting today we will also visit the
Al Baleed Archeological Museum. Here we’ll find the ruins of an ancient
port city, visited by Marco Polo and a city which he described as
'magnificent'. In its day, the city played an important part in the
frankincense trade.

This morning we start the day with a visit to the Grand Mosque of Salalah, before driving up into the Dhofar Mountains to Wadi Darbat, a scenic spot for nature lovers. Wadi Darbat is a low lying seasonal waterfall, which comes into full force during the monsoon season between July and August, the strength of the waterfall varies throughout the rest of the year. In the Middle Eastern peninsula Salalah is the only place touched by the Indian Ocean monsoon making this area very unique. Next we proceed to Wadi Hanna where we will discover a fine cluster of Baobab Trees. This afternoon we will have some free time to visit the Al Husn Souq to do any last-minute shopping or relax on the beach before proceeding to a local restaurant for a final dinner in Salalah.

Tour ends in Salalah.