I was joined for my week in Oman by Ina, a close friend of mine from Salzburg, after my two weeks solo exploring four other countries across the Middle East (UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain). We spent the first three nights based in Muscat from where we were perfectly positioned to explore Oman's northern coast, including time in the city, a hike into Wadi Shab followed by a cool down in the Bimmah Sinkhole and a day trip to snorkel the Daymaniyat Islands.
We were planning one more night in Muscat at the end of our trip, so with that it was time to bid farewell to Oman's gorgeous coastline and head south deep into the Omani desert. Bound for the Wahiba Sands, the country's most famous desert, stretching more than 12,000 square kilometres, we blasted the air conditioning in the 46° heat and drove along the pristine highways, singing to roadtrip playlists and fuelled by mango banana smoothies from little roadside cafes.
The Wahiba Sands are an exquisite gem in the heart of Oman, named for the Bani Wahiba tribe of the region. While you should avoid visiting between June and September as it's simply far too scorchingly hot, a night under the stars is a must-do on your trip to this stunning country.
Where to Stay in the Wahiba Sands
There are a number of desert camps in the Wahiba Sands. We researched the two most popular ones - Thousand Nights and Desert Nights - and ultimately settled on the idyllic Desert Nights Camp, home to those well known white aesthetic desert tents which really bring glamping to a whole new level.
There's a few different accommodation options, depending on your price point, which normally includes breakfast and dinner buffets. There are some free activities (like sunset dune rides) and then a whole host of paid experiences which you can choose to take part in (we did the sunrise dune trip - but there's plenty more for thrill seekers, if you've got deeper pockets!).
I have to say, waking up at 4am in the middle of the Omani desert to bash up into the dunes to watch the sunrise and then come home to our villa to find a herd of camels outside our door ranks highly as probably one of the coolest mornings I’ve ever had. I can highly recommend the Desert Nights Camp for a night in the Omani desert.
How to Get to Desert Nights Camp in Wahiba Sands
Desert Nights Camp is near Bidiyah, in central northern Oman - check out the exact Google Maps location of Desert Nights Camp here. The camp is a two hour drive southeast of Muscat. If your rental car has 4-wheel drive, then you might be prepared to make the final 11km trek across the dunes yourself, however, if you're like us (and get stuck in the first two minutes of turning off the highway), you can park your car at the gas station here - run by the nicest people - and pre-arrange (or call in a desperate last minute panic using the gas station owner's cell phone) Ahmed to come and collect you and expertly drive you the final stretch across the dunes to the camp. If you're lucky, you'll spot your first desert camels along the way. The drive in is an incredible first look at this otherworldly landscape.
Roadside views heading out of Muscat
The pristine roads of Oman
Sunset Dune Tour at Desert Nights Camp
We spent 24 hours in the desert, enjoying the quiet and feeling tiny and isolated in the middle of this vast desert. As I mentioned above, there's loads of paid activities you can partake it (we got a taste of the dune bashing during our sunrise trip which was adrenaline-pumping to say the least). We booked both the sunset and the sunrise dune tours and were greeted with pristine conditions, mindblowing views and camels making their ways slowly across the rolling sand.
The daily sunset dune tour was included as part of our package and so we bundled into Ahmed's trusty four-wheel drive and drove nearly vertically up and across the rich orange sand all the way up the dunes to a perfect viewpoint over the idyllic white tents of the Desert Nights Camp, from where we got to watch the sun dip below the horizon on a hot and balmy summer evening.
Looking down over Desert Nights Camp
Sunrise Dune Tour at Desert Nights Camp
The sunrise tour was a paid option and saw us waking up bleary-eyed at 4am to greet Ahmed and our other sunrise-goers for a hair-raising drive even deeper into the Omani desert, out of sight of the camp and literally into the middle of nowhere. We sat patiently scattered across the dunes, waiting for the sun to poke above the horizon and witnessed possibly the greatest morning golden hour of my life.
Spot the camels at dawn
The trusty four-wheel drives
Camels at Desert Nights Camp
After our sunrise tour, we stopped in for our buffet breakfast and then as we were walking back to our little white tent, we were greeted with a whole pack of camels right outside our hut - it was beyond magic.
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Hi! I’m Jana, a British-Dutch-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
