Western Hajar Mountains - 3 days
Day 1: Muscat/Sohar Drive west to Nakhl to
visit the fort and hot springs, continuing via a series of wadis and pools
before reaching Rustaq (ancient capital and vast date plantation). Overnight:
Sohar Beach Hotel
Day 2: Sohar/Nizwa Visit to the fish market in Sohar (impressive heritage as trading port) continuing along a mountain track south to Ibri to visit the old mud brick houses. After lunch, head east to Jabreen fort and Bahla. Overnight: Falaj Daris Hotel, Nizwa.
Day 3: Nizwa/Muscat Return journey commences via Nizwa - impressive fort, mosque and colourful souk. After stop in Bahla to visit the famous potteries, we continue to the beautiful mountain oasis of Misfah. Lunch en route. Afternoon visit to old decorated mosque at Manal.
Jebel Akhdar - 2 days
Day 1: Muscat/Nizwa South to historic Nizwa Explore Wadi Gul (a major watercourse with recharge dam) and take mountain
track towards the 2000m Jebel Shams, highest point of the Jebel Akhdar
range, for a walk above the precipitous cliffs of Oman's Grand Canyon.
Returning to Nizwa, visit the oasis village of Misfah. Overnight: Falaj
Daris Hotel.
Day 2: Nizwa/Muscat Morning visit to Nizwa, its fort, mosque and souk. Drive to Ibri and cross the mountains to reach ancient Rustaq, a major oasis town, and its newly renovated fort. Late afternoon return to Muscat.
Eastern Hajar Mountains - 3 days
Day 1: Muscat/Sur Morning departure for the
scenic drive along the beautiful coastline via Quryat, Wadi Shaab, Tiwi
and Qalhat. Picnic lunch en route. Overnight: Sur Beach Hotel
Day 2: Sur/Ras Al Junayz Visit of Sur town and the dhow shipyard followed by a boat trip to explore the coastline. After lunch, south to Ras Al Hadd and Ras Al Junayz, the unique turtle reserve (laying season September to November), where we camp overnight.
Day 3: Ras Al Junayz/Muscat Camp breakfast followed by coastal drive via Al Askhara before stopping at Jalan Bani Bu Ali. Lunch en route. Then on to the Wahiba Sands for a spectacular drive across the dunes with a stop at a camel camp. Return to Muscat via the old villages of Mudairib and Ibra.
Musandam - 3 days
Day 1: Muscat/Khasab After an interesting
one hour flight up the northern coast to the Musandam Peninsula and Khasab,
on the Straits of Hormuz, take 4x4 vehicle for mountain trip into fascinating,
inaccessible area until recently closed to outsiders. Visit to villages
of Sayh and Jebel Harum. Overnight: Golden Tulip Hotel.
Day 2: 'Fjords' of Musandam A chance to explore the inlets, remote villages and beaches on a dhow cruise (lunch included) through the 'fjords' of Musandam with a stop for swimming and snorkelling in the clear blue waters. Return to Khasab late afternoon. Overnight: Golden Tulip Hotel.
Day 3 - Khasab/Muscat Return flight from Khasab to Muscat.
Oryx Project - 3 days
Day 1: Muscat/Jaalouni Leaving from Muscat
in 4WD vehicles for Nizwa, with time for a refreshment stop, the route
continues south on the Salalah highway to Heyma, where we stop for lunch.
Now we proceed off road until reaching Jaalouni Oryx Project late afternoon
where camp is prepared for the night on the Jaalouni plain. After an introduction
to the Oryx Project, we join the rangers as they feed the oryx themselves
at Jaalouni. Later on, a Bedu family invites us for dinner. Overnight
in tents at Jaalouni.
Day 2: Jaalouni/Jiddah After an early breakfast local rangers escort us on a drive across the plain of Jiddah Al Harasis to look for the beautiful, graceful oryx in its natural environment. The Arabian Oryx is a medium sized antelope and, like the camel, is remarkably well adapted for desert life through its extraordinary ability to conserve water; it is also able to meet its need for nourishment by eating plants with high water content and by feeding at dawn when dew is on the ground. Today we reach the eastern edge of the Jiddah, the Hugf Depression. With natural springs and other water sources the Hugf is home to a variety of plants and animals, one such being the Nubian ibex, related to the domestic goat. The Hugf is also a refuge for the Arabian wolf, the caracal lynx and the wild cat, formerly an endangered species. Other wildlife to be encountered include the Arabian gazelle which, like the oryx, lives in herds, the sand fox, recognized by its bushy white-tipped tail and large ears, the desert hare and the Ethiopian hedgehog. Overnight Camp.
Day 3: Jiddah/Muscat Return late afternoon to Muscat, picnic lunch being taken en route.
