A country blessed with a dazzling array of natural and cultural acmes, the Sultanate of Oman is known for its rugged coastlines and vast deserts. The country’s natural resources are a huge draw for visitors within and coming from outside the country.
Its natural beauty is visible in its mountains, oases, plains and its seas.
“For many visitors, a trip to the Sultanate of Oman is incomplete until they’ve experienced the country’s vast desert landscape”, exclaims a report by Lonely Planet.
One of the most sought after travel magazines in the world, Lonely Planet has published its annual Best in Travel 2022 list of the world’s hottest destinations. The travel guide has put the Sultanate of Oman at seventh position among the top ten countries to visit in 2022.
Specifically, says the global trip adviser, “If your interest lies more in the desert than beaches, take Highway 23 from Sur and leave the coast behind to drive inland towards Sharqiya Sands”.
With undulating ochre dunes stretching as far as the eye can see, Sharqiya Sands also known as Ramlat al Wahiba, a sun-baked desert that stretches some 12,500 sq km across the country, is named after the Wahiba tribe, a Bedouin society that dates back many millennia.
The desert landscape of the Wahiba Sands is renowned within Oman for its remoteness and is home to some of the most spectacular dunes in the entire country.
These dunes are still populated by the numerous tribes that have called this desert home for many generations. Further along the edges of the desert, the coastal region is dotted with small settlements, where many fishermen make a living farming the abundant marine life present in the Arabian Sea.
While the trip ultimately takes the visitor to the desert, the drive there is quite beautiful, with views of the rugged Hajar Mountains and interesting stops along the way.
Stop at Al Saleel National Park, a nature reserve of acacia forests, parched plateaus and rocky wadis where you can spot Arabian gazelles, red foxes and wolves.
Next, take the 30 km road to Wadi Bani Khalid, where freshwater springs feed palm plantations surrounding small villages. Join picnicking families, explore a cave, swim in a series of blue-green pools or hike along the canyon.
Also known as the Empty Quarter, Sharqiya Sands, where rippled orange-red dunes, some as high as 100 metres serve as an astonishing introduction to Rub Al Khali, this desert continues into the neighbouring United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, and it’s the largest sand desert in the world.
“To truly witness the serenity of the desert, spend a night at one of the many desert camps in the area. Beyond sand boarding and camel rides, you’ll experience Bedouin traditions around a bonfire, taste local cuisine and sleep under the stars”, inspires the Australian trip adviser.
There are a handful of permanent camps, where rustic cabins are tucked between the gentle slopes of a few dunes, and guests gather for post-dinner stories around carpets laid around a fire.
At the same time, it warns, “you can drive in the desert at Sharqiya Sands only if you have a 4WD. If you’re driving a 2WD or aren’t confident about driving in the desert, ask your desert camp operator to pick you up from the nearby towns of Bidiya or Al Wasil”.
Lonely Planet’s annual Best in Travel lists are based first on input from a vast web of contributors around the world and then whittled down by a panel of travel experts to ten countries, ten regions and ten cities.
Chosen for topicality and unique experiences, Lonely Planet’s annual Best in Travel lists are based first on input from a vast web of contributors around the world and then whittled down by a panel of travel experts to ten countries, ten regions and ten cities.
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