Oman was one of the countries that for many years never came to my attention for travel, like the whole Arab Peninsula. Too hot, too dry, too artificial, too boring were my stereotypes linked to this part of the world. But when a friend of mine told me about his experience travelling Oman and showed me the pictures he took, my interest awakened. Beautiful desert landscapes, friendly locals, a authentic natural Arabic flair and not yet overrun by tourists. That was his conclusion, and from that moment on also my expectation for this trip. I did not get disappointed.
Oman is a great place to explore independently by car. It's a very safe country. Roads are generally good but a 4WD opens some more spectacular options. Fuel is cheap, camping outside the cities is allowed everywhere and there is plenty of space. Not much smaller than Germany, Oman has only four millions inhabitants.
Nevertheless, this time I decided to join a tour, as I saw the chance for some real desert experience by crossing a part of the biggest sand desert in the world, the Rub al-Khali. Of course, nothing you should do independently with just one car. After some research, I decided to do the tour with Bedu Expedition. Peter Franzisky, the owner, has not only written the Reise Kow-How travel guide of Oman, but he has also around 20 years of experience in this region. Enough for me to make me confident to book with his company. The tour I chose was the 23-day tour "Dhofar and Musandam", covering all relevant parts of Oman, including four days in the Rub al-Khali. I added two extra days in Muscat and Dubai each to explore the cities a bit more thoroughly. Everything was perfectly organized, and I can highly recommend the company... but read on.
Muscat is the capital of Oman and has roughly 1.4 million inhabitants. Compared to other capitals in the region, Muscat has an authentic and pleasant charm. No skyscrapers, no longing for superlatives. Its core is Mutrah with the Souks and the nice sea promenade called Corniche. Besides around Mutrah it's not a pedestrian city. Distances are long and with up to 50 degrees Celsius in summertime, walking is anyway no option.
But it's December now and the temperature is pleasant, well, it's even raining on my first morning. The water runs along the streets, downwards to the sea. I try to avoid the deepest parts while crossing the roads, not so easy. Even in the Souk, which has a covered roof, the water is rushing through the main roads.
I make my way to the fish market. Which looks busy, but also organized and clean.
Fortunately it stops raining and I take a long walk along the Corniche to the Sultans Palace, which is nowadays used only for representational purposes. The style of the building is,...aahhh,....let's say a bit outdated. On the way, a huge billboard with the portrait of Sultan Qaboos marks the port, which is named after him. Not only do his two impressive super yachts anchor here, but also cruise ships are regular guests in the port.
On the way back from the palace I take a path over the mountains. Sunset is not too far away and I'm tired. I could take a taxi back but guess what. The chances for some nice views on the way let me forget my hurting legs. Fortunately, MapsMe shows the the path over the mountains. Although there are some markers, the path is not always obvious but with the map, no problem. It takes longer than expected, as at the end the path follows a small creek which contains probably more water than usually, due to the recent heavy rains. It requires quite some boulder hopping to pass through. After 1.5 hours I'm back, just in time for the sunset.
After the long walk today, I'm really hungry. At the entrance of the Souk, reachable via a bridge, is the tiny Cornice Cafe. The Hummus with roasted almonds and pomegranate and the Falafel I ordered are to die for. Highly recommend. Filled up and tired, it's easy to fall asleep tonight.
The next morning, I take a bus to the Grand Sultan Qaboos Mosque, the biggest and most important Mosque in Oman. It's better to arrive early, especially when cruise ships are in the harbour. The Mosque is open Sat-Thu, from 08:00-11:00.
Especially impressive, beside the architecture, is the eight ton chandelier and the 22 ton carpet in the the men's prayer room. The carpet, with a dimension of 70.5m x 60.9m, was for a long time the biggest single carpet in the world. Six hundred weavers in Iran were working for three years to make it.
One the way back from the Grand Mosque to Mutrah I make a short stopover at the impressive Opera House.
Mutrah Fort offers a great view over the Corniche. For the best light, go there in the morning.
Mutrah Souk
More or less by coincidence, I get to know my tour group earlier than expected: while sipping on a delicious avocado shake in a popular place at the corniche, a German speaking group gets my attention. I walk up to check if they are my fellows for the next three weeks. It turns out that it's another group from Bedu tours starting today, but my group is sitting in just another corner of the juice bar, so I walk over to say hello. They have just arrived this morning and I'm curious but also a bit worried to meet them.
You can be in one the most spectacular places, but with the wrong group it can become a disappointing experience. You can be in one the most boring places on earth, but with the right people it becomes a memorable event. But if you are together with the right people in a spectacular place, this is the Jackpot. I hope for just that.
Spoiler alarm: Jackpot!!!
Of course, a good tour also depends on the crew. In our case Peter, the owner of Bedu Expedition, who from time to time still leads tours by his own, as well as Nasser and Assad, not only our drivers, but also giving us further insights into the Omani daily live. The whole crew did a great job and was always good for having some fun together, perfectly blending into the group.
Guys, if you read these lines: thank you again for a fantastic tour!
As if Muscat wants to stay in best memories, the sunset atmosphere on my last night is stunning. I consider it as a good omen for the upcoming weeks.
After another stop for me at the Sultans Palace and the Grand Mosque, we leave Muscat behind and make our way to the Hajar Mountains. A first off road appetiser. One the way, we stop at a remote place. Until we look into a huge black hole, nothing here indicates that we are standing on top of a superlative: Majilis al Jinn, one of the biggest underground caves on earth. This assertion is hard to prove, as there is no way to descent. However a stone takes almost ten seconds to the ground, which we can't see. Without very good imagination, the cave could easily work as a hangar for several Airbus A380, it's just a black hole and our interest quickly turns to the quite friendly and charming camels around here, which almost beg for being petted.
Making of a selfie.
I've added a short movie about a base jump into the cave, which I found on YouTube. Crazy!!!!
Reaching the mountain plateau, we come across some strange looking objects, like small towers. Few look restored, but most are only stone piles. Not much is known about them. They are around 5,000 years old and considered to be tombs. They were discovered for the world only in the 1990s by a British aviator pilot flying over the area. Learn more about them here.
Typically, groups camp close to the tombs, but now, late in December, it gets too cold and windy at 1,750m, so we drive down the mountain to set up our first camp in more pleasant conditions. I'm a bit disappointed to miss the picture opportunity with the late afternoon and early morning light at the tombs, but a freezing night doesn't sound appealing either.
Even not being on top of the plateau, the sunset and the night sky are breathtaking tonight.
As yesterday we drove already down the mountains, we reach Wadi Bani Khalid before most of the day tourists arrive, and so can enjoy this attraction almost in silence. It's a nice area for a refreshing swim. When we leave around noon, it's already very busy, and more and more people are arriving.
With 180 km by 80 km, this is a smaller desert. Entering the Wahiba, we pass by some tourist camps. Somewhere in the middle, we decide to build our own camp.
A desert might sound like a boring place, but besides the amazing landscape with the changing sand structures and colours during the day, there are more surprises on the way: a single tree marking a water hole, challenging driving moments, a mosque and a gasoline station in the middle of nowhere and a car wreck, just to name a few examples. So, no time to get bored.
From the Wahiba we drive towards the coast for our first overnight camp at the sea. We also pass some rather desolated villages on the way.
The sea shore looks beautiful at first glance, but then we spot all the rubbish around, suddenly this area doesn't look that appealing anymore for camping. Fortunately, the rubbish accumulates only in an area between the sea at high tide and 10-20 meters into the dunes, so we build the camp a bit further inland.
Our campsite in the dunes. A hot pot of tea is already waiting for us by the time we have erected the tents.
What a surprise! Just yesterday, we became aware of the upcoming solar eclipse this morning. Nobody has proper equipment to protect the eyes, but fortunately the clouds help out and we can enjoy the spectacle with bare eyes. Stunning!!!
Camels on the way.
At the next opportunity we stock up our supplies, and the friendly locals proudly show me the catch of the day.
The fishing village of Khalouf is an interesting stop on the way. Cars and trucks are used to launch the fishing boats into the sea and to get them out again. Of course, the saltwater shows its effects on the cars. Fascinated, we observe the whole proceeding.
Some more camels on the way with nice background scenery.
We drive along the beach to an area called Sugar Dune - a name that perfectly fits. As it's still a bit early, we have the choice to stay here overnight or to go on for another one or two hours. Everyone immediately agrees to stay. An easy decision: the scenery is spectacular!
When later a light breeze comes up, we encounter the downside of the beautiful powdery white sand. It's next to impossible to keep the sand out of the tend and the luggage, and also the camera needs special attention. But who cares, it's worth it.
In Duqm we get a glimpse of the biggest infrastructure project in Oman. For around 20 bn US-$, a deep sea harbour, a LPG liquefaction plant, a city extension, roads, hotels, etc. are built. In the middle of the construction site, we visit the Duqm Rock Garden, an area covered with strange rock formations. A lot of fun to explore... until I find myself lost. No one around anymore, time to go back and although I have a rough idea of the direction, I can't see the rock formation I thought I would remember. Stumbling around, I overlook a bigger rock on the ground and ...baaammm.... ram my big toe against it. With stabbing pain and a bleeding toe, I limb around until I suddenly recognize the rock formation I was looking for. I'm glad to see our drivers Nasser and Assad, who are already searching for me. Within hours, my toe becomes dark blue, but at least I can move it, so obviously it's not broken.
The area around Duqm is rather boring, dry, flat and empty. It's more the North and the South of Oman that are of interest, less so the middle part. Nevertheless, the wide emptiness in some way is impressive as well.
Our campsite today at Sharbithat is again close to the sea. The scenery here is nice, but the weather is not favourable. A light drizzle greets us in the morning, and we have to pack the slightly wet tents. Around one km from our campsite I can see a wreck on the coast. Although my toe still hurts badly, this photo opportunity is just too tempting.
The rain becomes stronger, and we have to take a detour when a slippery hill stops our progress. After a while, we arrive at Wadi Shuwaymiyyah. We only can guess how beautiful the Wadi must look in better weather. Originally it was planned to camp here, however nobody is keen to pitch the tents in this conditions. We decide to take a hotel for the night instead.
In one of the villages we stop on the way for lunch and it doesn't take long until we are surrounded by curious locals. Group picture? Of course!
A raw sight, waterfalls coming down the coastal cliffs. I talk to a local who came all the way from Salalah just for this sight. We are very lucky ;-)
Not close from Salalah, we make a short detour into Wadi Darbat. Especially in the high season, a very popular spot with local and regional tourists. Interestingly, the high season is the rainy season in July and August. The area around Salalah is famous for the monsoon called Charif. The fine drizzle drastically changes the area into a green wonderland. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Arabs come to the region to enjoy and witness this wonder in the otherwise dry, hot and deserted Arab Peninsula. Right now, the place feels almost deserted, although during the last days we had something like an unusual mini monsoon.
Sumhuran was one of the ancient frankincense harbours in the area. Oman was a famous and important seafaring nation during that time. Especially the knowledge about the changing trade-winds in this area was an substantial advantage in the trade business. The ruins are not spectacular, but the information boards around help to bring the ruins a bit to life, and therefore it's a worthwhile stop.
Taqah castle is another worthwhile stop.
Salalah is the capital and biggest city in the Southern Dofar province. Due to the summer monsoon it's relatively green and bananas, coconuts and vegetables grow in the gardens surrounding the city. The city was especially prosperous in the 13th century as an important hub of the trade routes in that time.
Nowadays, Salalah especially attracts beach tourists, with it's long, beautiful and surprisingly clean beaches as well as Arabs from the region who especially enjoy the misty, green and lush monsoon season.
Frankincense is the aromatic resin from the Boswellia tree, which only grows in this region, Sudan, Ethiopia, Yemen and India. Omani frankincense is said to be the best. Already 6,000 years ago it was used for religious rites, and in the peak trade times it valued like gold in China or Europe. It can be inhaled or used on the skin for its supposed health benefits. As a rule of thumbs, the lighter the colour, the better the quality.
The frankincense souk is a popular highlight in Salalah and the best and cheapest place to buy it in Oman. The gangways are full of small shops, selling beside frankincense also incense burners, perfume, ointment and much more. The whole area is deeply covered in incense.
Before we leave Nizwa in the morning, we have a look at the Sultan Qaboos Mosque.
Another stop brings us to an ares with plenty of frankincense trees. Amazing that this inconspicuous trees were the source of all the wealth in the region in historical times.
Before we enter the desert, we stop at a last sightseeing place, considered to be the legendary and mystical Uber, also called the "Atlantis of the desert". Some sources write about the unbelievable wealth of this village in the frankincense and spice trade times, with columns made out of gold. It's also passed on that the original Uber with all its sins was destroyed by an nature catastrophe. And indeed, the huge crater we can see in front of us in the middle of the ruins, probably resulting from an earthquake, could be an evidence that this sight really is the legendary Uber. Nevertheless, I can't find any golden columns and the partly restored area still needs a lot of imagination to bring the former glory back into my mind.
Last gasoline station before entering the desert. The gasoline tanks of our Toyotas hold 130l each, this is enough for more than 500km in the desert.
The Rub al-Khali is the biggest sand desert on earth with around 650,000 sqm. It covers parts of Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the UAE.
The first dunes appear and we are in pleasant anticipation for the upcoming days.
The first night. What a start.
This night I decide to sleep outside, like Peter, Assad and Nasser. I grab my mattress and sleeping bag and look for a nice spot. Not difficult. Sleeping under the stars, what a mesmerizing night! Waking up in the morning, just in time for sunrise, I'm surprised to find my sleeping bag quite wet. Who would expect that? Early morning mist in the desert. We witness how it vanishes and comes back within minutes. An amazing sight.
Only when the sun is strong enough, the mist finally vanishes and also the sleeping bag dries quickly. Fortunately, only the outer shell got wet.
The early morning and late afternoon light perfectly emphasise the beautiful structure of the dunes.
From time to time, green vegetation interrupts the sand scenario. In recent years, it rained significantly more than usual.
Last night we were a bit nervous when a car made its way straight to our camp... you never know. It turned out that it was a Beduin who has his camel camp close by and who had problems in the past with motocross tours which scared his camels away. So he just wanted to check out the situation and invites us to visit his camp in the morning. Of course we go and enjoy a cup of fresh camel milk, which tastes quite similar to cow milk.
The mother doesn't like the procedure and is complaining vociferously.
This camels are not used to tourists or groups of people. So we have to be careful approaching, as they quickly get nervous.
We are not too far from a village, and during a short visit before we enter deeper into the desert we observe a butchery scene. Not nice to watch but I'm sure, up to that moment, this goat had a much better life than most of the animals in the typical western industrial livestock farming.
Back in the desert, we stop at a place where we can find amazing stones. Can't remember the precise name. They are just lying around.
In the past, the area was scouted for oil and some test drillings were done. Obviously, there was the need for off-road regulations at that time.
The desert might look dead, but strange-looking tracks prove differently. Rarely, we also see the originator, though mostly we can only guess what kind of creatures they are.
We enter an area with big red dunes which we have to cross. It doesn't take long until we get stuck the first time in the soft sand. Fortunately, Assads car has a winch, so we get out again soon. Nasser is releasing even more air from the tyres to improve grip in the soft sand.
Our campsite for tonight is absolutely stunning. Reverentially, we watch the changing colors of the landscape from the top of a dune.
It gets cold during the night. A fire is very welcome.
In the morning, we stop at another camel camp on the way, but nobody seems to be around. A single camel bull in an enclosure gets our full attention as he delivers a perfect freak performance. Let's call it the liquid face. Applause!!!
It's fun to drive on the dunes and I'm surprised when we "attack" a huge dune straight forward to see how far we can go. The moment the car gets slower and you have to turn on the steep dune results in a quick adrenalin rush. It's important to have the windows closed at that moment, as the outer wheels can shovel quickly the whole dune inside the car. Of course, we have learned by experience.
First I think it's a Fata Morgana. A single tree in the middle of the desert. Coming closer, I realise it's not an imagination. During an oil exploration they found water instead, creating a small oasis. The water is quite hot and smells sulphuric, but hey who cares in the desert. Washing time.
Stunning sunset time. Everyone is searching for a quiet place to soak up the atmosphere in this epic landscape.
Another night under the stars.
The color of the dunes is changing from red to creamy. There are also lower dunes and more flat areas in between.
We are not far away from the border to Saudi Arabia. The road leads to a military camp, but we drive in the other direction, stopping at a tiny village with a mosque and a school. Guaranteed access to a school and good education is an important state policy. Sometimes this leads to extreme exaggeration. Here a school, in size good for probably 200 pupils and 15 teacher take care of just ...six ...students. A friend of Peter lives here with his family, and we are invited for a coffee and some fruits.
No one cares about traffic regulations in the desert. The boy can hardly look over the steering wheel but is racing in the dunes like preparing for the Paris-Dakar rally.
Lunch in the only shade for miles.
Desert Rose
Last night in the desert, with view to the next city.
It's a long drive to Nizwa, where we arrive in the late afternoon. Although the last four days in the desert were spectacular, the prospect of having a hot shower and a soft bed in a nice Hotel is very tempting.
Nizwa was the capital of Oman in the 6th and 7th century. 140km from Muscat, it's still the most important inland city. It's beautifully surrounded by mountains and date groves.
In the morning, we have a first look around the old city area with the souk. A lot of things to discover.
I walk around in the old quarter, full of mud houses. Most of them are abandoned, but every corner offers a new interesting sight. Very charming in my opinion. Obviously, the potential starts to be recognised, as I see some houses getting restored and converted to Boutique Hotels. So close to the city center in a beautiful refurbished hotel... hm... a no-brainer. I would definitely stay if the price was halfway acceptable. I wonder how this area will look like in some years.
In the afternoon, we have some free time and I decide to visit Nizwa Fort. It was converted to a museum and is privately run. Compared to other museums it's quite expensive, but the exhibitions of the fort and local traditions are nice with lots of information. Easy to spend two hours here. Also the view over the whole city is beautiful in the late afternoon light.
Something must have gone wrong with our order. We swim in food and it's hard to find a free centimeter on the table. Way too much, but delicious!
Leaving Nizwa, we check out the new Sultan Qaboos Mosque on the way. Officially it's not yet open for tourist, but friendly staff let us peek inside, and we are even invited for a coffee.
Our second stop today brings us to Jabrin castle. A living castle from the 17th century with beautiful stucco, carvings and ceiling paintings.
Bahla is another Fort we visit. It's much bigger than Jabrin and offers spectacular views, but the interior is less interesting.
Next we drive up the mountains to the Jebel Shams viewpoint. It's the highest mountain in the Hajar range. More impressive than the mountain itself is the canyon below, called the Oman Grand Canyon. Obviously with a good reason.
We stop at the village of Guhl to take pictures of the old city with the green fields in the foreground. A perfect match. We can identify another two ancient village areas a bit up the mountain. They were abandoned when the villagers started to build closer to the river and the fields. Now people live in modern houses just next to the former village.
Our camp for the night.
Misfah is a small mountain village, nowadays quite popular with tourists due to its charming location and the intact irrigation system. Also guesthouses are available, which offer fantastic views from the terraces. Not a bad place for a night, but we have to go on after a 1.5h stroll to the fields.
The abandoned old quarter of Al Hamra is worth another stroll around.
We drive deeper into the mountains. The surfaced road ends, and we climb up and down small gravel roads with gorgeous scenery. On the way, we pass the homes of our drivers Assad and Nasser with their families, and of course we are invited for some coffee, fruits and delicious pastry. We camp nearby so they can stay at home overnight, what they happily do. During the main season, they hardly ever see their families, as there is one tour after the other. Off season, they help at the family property.
A long way awaits us today. Our goal for today is Musandam which is a Omani enclave surrounded by the UAE. It's not only a long way, but on top we have to cross two borders, which can be time-consuming. Therefore, we have to start earlier than usual. The funny thing with a German group is that everyone is ready even 10 min before the scheduled starting time.
After a long day - and better and faster than expected border crossings - we arrive in Musandam. The name is probably not so well known. Much more prominent in the news is the Strait of Hormuz which is the name of the just 40km narrow sea gap that separates Musandam from Iran. Around 25% of global oil production have to pass the strait, making it to one of the geopolitically most important choke points.
Musandam, also called the Norway of the Middle East, is famous for its fjords. In expectation of bad weather arriving during the night, we book us in for another night in a hotel and reschedule the planned dhow tours to today. A great decision. Let the pictures speak.
As forecast, the weather turns bad. We are all glad that we did the dhow tour yesterday. In the morning, we visit the local fort....
... drive up to a viewpoint....
...have a look at some ancient rock carvings...
...and finally visit a cemetery and mausoleum on the shoreline. Originally, it was planned to drive higher up into the mountains to enjoy the scenery, but obviously not a good idea in this weather. As we were lucky enough with the dhow tour yesterday, the grade of disappointment today is low.
In the night to the 10th of January, Sultan Qaboos died due to disease. Rumours were around before about the Sultan being not in a good state. Coming to power in 1970, he was the longest serving leader in the world at the time of his death, besides the Queen. During the last weeks, we have heard a lot about him and have witnessed some examples of his politics and I must admit that he deeply impressed me as a visionary leader in a region where this is rather an exception than a given. Albeit an absolute monarchy, not uncommon in the region, he modernised the country in a consequent but sensitive way, called the Oman Renaissance . From an isolated and poor third world country without proper roads and with a high analphabetic rate, he developed Oman to an open and respected member on the worlds stage, based on a rather modern constitution. The UN considers Oman as one of the countries that have made the biggest progress in the last 40 years.
He was beloved by his people and I can only hope that his successor continuous his path.
Looking at the weather today, we have the impression that even the heaven cries. May Allah have mercy on him.
We arrive in Dubai like we left Oman, underwater. The sky is blue, but considering the condition we witness on the roads, it must have rained even more than in Oman during the last two days. Of course, it takes much longer than expected to our hotel, so we start late with the the planned city tour. We take a bus for the city tour and also have a local guide, which is mandatory nowadays.
The traffic is a nightmare and it takes almost two hours and several detours to cover the 30km from our Hotel in Deira to the Dubai Marina. Countless times we hear from our guide: "Dubai was not built for this rain, we are not used to it".
We have 15 minutes at the Dubai Marina, then we stop at the Palm with the view towards the Atlantis Hotel, next to the Burj Arab, the only 7 star hotel in the World, and finally at the Burj Khalifa, with 828m the tallest building on earth. On the way, we have a look at the biggest ferry wheel on earth, listen to the plans for another skyscraper, more than 1km high. We are informed that here we can find the biggest man-made island, the largest shopping mall (Dubai Mall), the longest dancing fountains (in front of Burj Khalifa), the longest automatic metro system, etc. That's Dubai: eternally striving for superlatives is part of the state's policy. The difference between Dubai and Oman couldn't be bigger.
Our bus tour finally ends at the Dubai creek, and we take a small wooden ferry to the other side, where the Deira Souq is waiting for us. So many superlatives and impressions in such a short time are overwhelming, I'm tired and glad when we finally reach our hotel.
After a farewell dinner, my fellow travellers leave for the airport the next morning. I have another two days to explore Dubai and decide to start with the Dubai Mall. It's huge, I mean it's damned huge! 1,200 shops. Fortunately, I'm not in a shopping mood but stunned by the sheer size, the entertainment installations, the ice ring, the aquarium, etc. Oh, did I already mention that the acrylic wall of the aquarium is the biggest in the world?
In the afternoon, I take the metro to the Dubai Marina, to shoot some pictures during the blue hour.
The next day, I stroll around the old part of Dubai, along the Dubai Creek and try to do some street photography.
In the afternoon, I visit Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa again. This time, to shoot some pictures during the blue hour again. Yesterday, I have already checked out the best place to do so. It's in front of the Palace Hotel, in my humble opinion.
© 2026 Beyond All Maps - Portraits of our Planet by Thorsten Mehret