Handpicked Oman

If there’s one thing that you can count on in Oman, it’s that you’re never far from a desert. This is a place where you can find some of our planet’s most dramatic – and isolated – expanses of sand, many of which offer similarly dramatic experiences.

The southern third of the Arabian Peninsula is swathed by a stretch of desert whose name says it all: the Empty Quarter. The Omani section of this rolling wilderness is about as far as travellers can get from the hustle and bustle of the country’s cities and allows them to see and learn about the lives of the nomadic Bedouins. When we visited, we thought we knew what a sand dune was – we thought again when we saw the Empty Quarter’s immense, rippling landscapes, second only in size to the starlit skies behind them.

If the natural wonders of the Empty Quarter aren’t enough to set your pulse racing, then Oman’s deserts are also the place to turn your sights southwards. Wahiba Sands, easily accessible from Muscat, is a Mecca for sandboarders and desert quad-bikers, many of whom opt for a gravity-fuelled race from top to bottom of one of the thousands of perfect dunes.

Oman’s deserts exist on a scale that needs to be seen to be believed – and even once you do see them, you might struggle to believe your eyes.

On the subject of sand, Oman is also a country of fabulous beaches, from immaculately city beaches with creature comforts and public facilities, to hidden gems boasting some of the best wild swimming spots we’ve ever seen.

For a country with over 3000 kilometres of unspoilt coastline, it’s unsurprising that there are beaches wherever you turn. Perhaps the most well-known is Qurum Beach, a palm-fringed slice of sand beloved by Muscat locals and easily reachable from the centre of town. We love it here, particularly the fact that you can be swimming in bath-warm water one moment and washing the salt off your skin in a centre of town hotel the next.

For those who prefer their beaches slightly further off the beaten track, then you can’t go far wrong with Al Mughsail. A decent walk from the town of Mughsail, this sandy stretch is framed at both ends by mountainous headlands and offers vast views out across the Arabian Sea. There’s are a number of viewpoints, too, as well as blowholes and even the odd camel. There’s a beautifully rugged feeling to this beach that we loved and, when we were there, we were about the only ones.

The list of Omani beaches worth visiting would fill many more words than we can write – the most important thing to know for your visit is that, whatever you want from your sandy adventures, Oman has the answer.

It’s not all desert and beaches in Oman. As we said mentioned above, this is a land of contrasts, and nowhere is that more plain than in the country’s Al Hajar Mountains, a 430-mile stretch of gorgeously cragged peaks that span Oman and part of the UAE.

Within the Hajars, visitors will easily pick out the country’s tallest peak, the 3000-metre Jebel Shams. There are trips available to the top but, trust us, they’re no plain sailing and only for experienced climbers. For those who prefer their hiking on the more manageable side, there are literally hundreds of routes through the range, with numerous viewpoints and vistas across the peaks.

Close by to Jebel Shams is Oman’s very own answer to the Grand Canyon: Wadi Ghul. This dry valley really does look like its American namesake, flanked on all sides by limestone cliffs and snaking through the landscape below. There are more Wadis dotted around the range, many of which are worth a visit. In contrast to the dry peaks above them, they offer a wonderfully calm oasis – literally – of vegetation in the landscape. And after some of the hikes, a cooling off spot really does come in handy.

Oman’s mountains are the ultimate to take in the almost unending natural beauty of this country. Drink in the views for miles around before a well-earned bit of R&R in the valleys below – it’s not a sight you’ll forget in a hurry.

Oman is where a history of tradition meets the modern face of a Gulf state. Its history and culture are, and always have been, defined by Islam, and religious festivals remain a huge part of Omani life. Every major Muslim festival is celebrated and the presence of mosques and Muslim dress are features of the country’s day to day.

It's a country with a rich history, too, with evidence of habitation in the capital, Muscat, from over 600 years BC. How do we know that? The burial sites of fishermen have been found, a telling sign given that fishing and the sea still dominate much of Omani life. The dhow is a simple of both its past and present and, to cruise up and down the coastline in one of these ancient boats is an opportunity not to be missed.

In terms of food, there’s one key part to Omani cuisine that differs from other Asian cultures, and which might endear it to those with a slightly more sensitive pallet: it’s not spicy. Chefs in the country do use spices and marinades to flavour dishes (often chicken, fish and lamb), but nothing with much kick to it – a great relief to our founder, Ludo, when he visited, who can stomach nothing more than a mild Korma.

Although not mass tourism destination, the Omani people are endlessly welcoming, offering the sort of warmth and hospitality that you only get on the Arabian Peninsula. For history buffs and culture seekers alike, this is a country bursting with stories from across the centuries – we can’t wait to help you journey to the heart of them.