This was our friends’ most frequent question regarding our Oman journey..
Telling the truth Oman wasn’t the coolest destination on top of our ranking’s places where to spend New Year’s Day. Being 100% honest we didn’t even know was a “real” country until few weeks before we started planning our trip.
What we knew already was our desire to spend last year night somewhere in whatever desert, far away from chaos while doing a small bbq sitting near our tent.
This is how Oman by chance appeared during our research.
The Wahiba Sands is the spot we were looking for…. We built our itinerary around the only sure thing in our mind, last year’s night in the desert!
So what did we need? A 4×4, a tent, a gps and some food…Notice I’ve not mentioned any kind of alcohol because we knew already we wouldn’t been able to find it. Sadly!
- Starting from the car, we have chosen a Toyota Land Cruiser 120. I specifically requested a Toyota because, due to my quite long OffRoad experience ( not in the desert anyway ), is the safest choice. Not by chance all Land Cruiser models are the most common 4×4 used by local people. Desert and dirty roads are the ideal environment for them.
- We found as well this cool guy who rented us tent, and all what we needed for camping ( https://nomadtours.com/ )
In the kit were included mattresses, chairs, fridge, table, bbq, gas cooker, water tank and the full equipment needed to eat and drink. They also gave us sand plates, strops and shovel.
Amazingly free camping is allowed all around the country.
- Maps.me or google maps offline were our best way to keep good direction. We planned the itinerary avoiding main roads trying to follow panoramic and dirty roads.
The main idea was to drive into the desert following a sandy track looking for a nice spot between dunes where to place our tent and enjoy a great desert sunset.
This was the most simple way to explain our plan to our friends making them die of envy. Seemed so easy to do….. Well….The reality was actually a bit different…….
But let’s go by step..
After we spent 2 days in Dubai, we landed in Muscat with a plane owned by a Vietnamese company with final destination somewhere in Bangladesh I guess. We booked our flight with SalamAir ( https://www.salamair.com/en/ ) a low cost Oman company which rent some seats in a plane from Air Vietnam. Muscat is just a stop the flight does during his way Dubai-“Some destination”. Anyway we had a weird but safe flight.
First time I got the Land Cruiser’s keys, my smile and excitement were same as kid’s one at Christmas Day. Couldn’t wait to drive it in the sand.
For the night we found a place near the sea in Fins Beach. We had our first bbq chicken, unsuspecting would’ve been our food for next 6 days. Yes…! because honestly was the only fresh product we were able to find in food shops.
The next morning opening the tent we had one of the best good morning we could remember.
On our way to south we driven through wild and dry mountains
( https://experienceoman.om/it/places_to_see/salmah-plateau/ ). We crossed just big rocks and camel for km and km.
Plan was to check our driving skills in the sand challenge the desert. After hundreds km on a fast road, where speed limits for locals were just decoration along the way, we got the salt flats area around Shannah Port. Low tide gave us the chance to take some nice photos.
We were on our good way and after a simple and nutritious lunch in an empty bar, we asked to owner which way following to the famous Sugar Dunes (https://experienceoman.om/it/places_to_see/the-sugar-dunes-of-al-khaluf/ ).
Was time to make some drift in the sand. Different tracks merged into the same loooong beach. Foot down on gas drivin as fast as we could enjoying that moment till the end.
We were aware that white sand is unpredictable and, as other drivers confirmed, is really easy get stuck hoping for a pulling. We followed main track beside the higher dunes till we got near the sea and we decided to leave the car and continue by walk into the higher dunes. This desert is not so big and you can easily see the end.
Under daylight is so bright, polarized sunglasses did their job. We brought 2 bottles of water, wore our Kefiah and walked between dunes getting into deep desert.
Around us few human or animal footprints and some dry branches. Not too windy and very hot and dry. After 3 hours round walk our face was burning, water was finished and we setup our night camp waiting, of course, for sunset.
Top of the dune reached, chair and tripod ready and…. here we are! Mission sunset shoot started!
The desert changed completely his face, now thanks to shadows the sand is less bright, getting more brown. It looks like a layer of dust has settled on them giving a schenograpic touch.
We walked again a bit into the desert changing our point of view.
Sun gone and was time for our bbq chicken.
We slept so well relaxed by sound of sea’s waves. The alarm woke up us at 6:00 am, after less than 5 min we were ready on top of the dune to welcome the sunrise.
This time the desert took light orange color and we realized the privileged position of our base camp.
Warmed up, was time to drive back to north east looking for the Wahiba Sand entrance.
The menu of the last night of the year was….. guess what…. bbq chicken. Again!
We bought new charcoal, many liters of water, filled the tank, deflate a bit the tyres and… let the adventure begins!
In the last city before the desert, named Al Raka, there are many guys waiting with their 4X4 around the main gas station. They offer , under substantial payment, a guided tour into the desert. They promise to drive you with your own 4×4 in the bests place in the desert where spending the night. But not us! Was our own mission…We are born for that!
During our web research, we understood this desert is truly unique. Is composed by extremely high, long and wide dunes parallel to each other. They are like hills on top of which you find the classic smaller desert dunes plot. In between each big dune there are longitudinal valleys crossed by beaten sand tracks.
In the beginning of the desert the track is large and more dirty than sandy. After first 10 km became more and more sandy but still wide track. We pass some Turistic base camps till we reach a deviation which direct us driving up to first proper sand dune. No problem with our car, it is designed for that! Low gear, gas and up the hill. Was so funny feeling the low grip under our wheels. We are still following our way, 20 km already done. Last turistic camp is already behind us and we keep driving dreaming starting the New Year in the best way.
We are around 40 km into the desert following the main track in the valley between 2 dunes.
Is getting late afternoon and starts being risky continue further. Just 2-3 km after the last camp we noticed some Jeep traces going up on the bigger dunes. We guessed the best place to enjoy sunrise and sunset was up that high and a steep dunes. Another Land Cruiser is coming down that way so we ask some information. Its our turn now….. our glorious day! How many beautiful photo we could do and how many memories to tell…. Lets do it!
Low first gear, power mode switch on, pump up the volume and our Land Cruiser begins to float on the sand…. We have a lot of grip, power in never enough!! We are climbing the dune with cool arrogance, thinking we are almost on the top but…… the unexpected is behind the corner….. another even higher dune stands between us and the sunset so desired. For a moment I lift my foot off the gas trying to find which way to follow and we get stuck. Stuck in the most beginner’s way we could. We are touching the sand under our vehicle, no way to move. We start digging to put sand plates under the tyres. Sunset is getting close and we are missing it… Damn!!
Luckily another vehicle is following same track. The driver is a local guy, He helps us getting out the sand showing how to turn the steering wheel meanwhile going forward-backward. He is trying to create a compact terrain having more traction to the tyres.
In 10 min we are out!!
The sun is still there… Amazingly this thrills are good for your health…. We reach the top!! Just a short walk to the highest position. Tripod on one hand, camera on the other, sweaty and with shoes full of sand our smile is bigger and prouder than ever.
Happy new year!! Is the only thing we wish to our new desert friends like spiders and any type of bugs…. Surrounded by silence and illuminated by stars.
End of the year sunset and first of new year sunrise will remain in our memories… something that no photo neither video could explain what you feel deep inside yourself.
Our trip was not finished yet, we spent next 3 days visiting many historical cities with their strong forts, driving into the Wadi Ghul Canyon, going down a dizzying descent to reach the Snake Canyon and taking a bath in crystal clear water of many beautiful Wadi.
What a great surprise this Country. Full of History, beautiful landscapes and so openminded people. High instruction level, most of the locals speak good English. The Sultan is loved by his people.
During our journey we talked to many locals, even in the most isolated places we had the pleasure to exchange few words with someone. In the capital Muscat an Imam let us get in the Mosque giving us so many information about Islamic religion and asking about ours. Was so friendly situation talking to each other drinking tea with delicious dates.
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