Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on September 14, 2020.
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As the desert accounts for roughly 82% of the land mass of Oman, you would be, quite literally, missing a large part of the country by skipping a trip out into it.
Our trek into the desert was only a one night stay at a camp located about 30 kilometers inside the Wahiba Sands region of the country, and turned out to be the highlight of our stay in Oman.
The following photo essay is a selection of our best photos from the 400+ we took during our overnight stay in this stunning destination.
Getting There
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| The desert appears out of nowhere, and within moments overtakes everything. |
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| Cars and roads are replaced by camels and sand. |
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| And apparently marathon runners, too. |
Camp Life
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| Premium housing in the desert for those not wanting to “rough it” in a permanent tent? Crazy! |
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| Our humble home for the night in the Omani desert. |
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| No roof, no problem! |
Don’t Miss the Dune Bashing
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| Going on top of the dunes for an hour or so of dune bashing is an experience we’ll never forget. |
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| It feels a lot like a roller coaster, except for the fact that you’re in a truck. |
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| When you see the trail from the last truck and realize that is where you’re going, you know it is going to be good. |
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| Many times you slide down a dune at an angle because, well, that is how it works in the desert! |
Sunset
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| The highlight of dune bashing is ending the experience ontop of a high dune and watching the sun set. |
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| Nothing between you and the sun but miles upon miles of open desert. |
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| …and then the heat finally fades away. |
So whether you rent a car in Oman with 4-wheel drive (recommended), or go at it on your own, do not miss a trip out to the Wahiba Sands when you are here. The desert is indeed a vast and empty place, but those who skip venturing into it will be missing out on one truly amazing experience.
We can’t wait to go back.
About Jeremy
About the Author: Jeremy is a full-time travel writer based in Pittsburgh and primary author of this site. He has been to 70+ countries on five continents and seeks out new food, adventure activities, and off-the-beaten-path experiences wherever he travels.
Hai Jeremy,
Looks really great. We are planning a trip to Oman ourselves and we were hoping to do a trip in the desert as well. How did you organise this trip in the desert?
Hope to hear from you soon.
Organizing the trip itself is pretty easy as the desert camps offer pick-up services from the highway. If you do not have a car to get down there you’ll have to take a public bus and notify them of the stopping point, which can be tricky as it is not a proper bus station that it’d normally stop at.
Thanks for the post. I’d like to visit a real desert some day though I’ll probably dislike the heat. However, Oman’s on my list for some time now. Must be a stunning place.
Great post! I want to go there now! I never read any post about travelling in Oman, it sounds amazing! Is it expensive to travel there?
Oman isn’t the cheapest of places I’ve been. Transportation is a bit rough because it is hard to get around on buses and you’ll likely want to rent a car. I will say I thought it was slightly cheaper than Dubai.