OMAN GRAND EXPEDITION
24 DAYS
BY Mahmoud Mohareb
Muscat tour – Sayq plateau – the village walk – Nizwa-Falaj Daris-Jabal Shams-The Balcony Walk – Hasan Bin Salut-Bahla-Jabrin-Salut-Fahud-Wadi Aswad –Um al Samim- Qurun Al Fiddah-Ramlat Al Sahmah-Ramlat Muqshin-Muqshin-Ramlat Ajmah-Ramlat Yibla-Ramlat Fasad-Al Hashman-Shisr-Park Of Wadi Dawakah-Salalah- Al Balid Archeological Park-Wadi Derbat-Mirbat-Wadi Shuwaymiyah-Ras Madrakah-Al Wusta Wild Life Reserve-Al Khaluf-Wahiba Sands-Ghuwayfat Al Habb-Wadi Bani Khaled-Ras EL Jinz-Sur -Muscat
Day 1
Fly to Muscat, meet and assist at airport and transfer to hotel
Transfer included
Hotel included
Day 2
Muscat tour: visiting sultan Qaboos grand mosque early at 8 am then exploring history at the national museum then heading to Mutrah Suq around afternoon having lunch there and walking around waiting for the Suq to reopen after mid-day break, overnight at hotel.
Lunch included
Museum fees included
Hotel included
For the dress code of the mosque please review Bradt Oman guide or I can send if not available
Day 3 (165 KM)
Start to the Hajar Mountains which sits like a crown on the top of Oman land and map,
To Birkat Al Mawz then up to Sayq plateau stopping at Diana point then starting the village walk : a relatively easy hike enjoying the scenery of mountain villages and experiencing local Omani life , distance 4 km , camp in designated area
Camp at 2000 m altitude
B/L/D Included
Day 4 ( 120 KM )
Break camp early around 7 AM and ,
Decent to the animal market of Nizwa : the former capital of Oman, then to the fort which closes down at 11: AM on Friday , then heading to falaj Daris visiting the falaj water system the main source of life in the mountains , head towards jabal Shams
Camp around 2500 m altitude
B/L/D Included
Day 5 ( 35 KM)
Start the balcony walk : this easy going trek offers an excellent vantage point from a balcony style ledge looking down into the incredible canyon ( a pair of trekking poles is recommended ) , then descend the mountain with the cars having lunch in a Yamani restaurant , continue to camp at Hassan bin salut rock : an impressive rock carving from prehistory .
B/L/D Included
Day 6 ( 50 KM )
Visit Bahla Fort a UNESCO world heritage site and Jabrin castle then continue to the iron age archeological site of Salut : dating from 1300-600 BC
camping in the area ,
B/L/D Included
Day 7 ( 220 KM )
Start our expedition into the Empty Quarter
Will follow the roads and tracks made by oil companies through the area of Fahud where the oil was first discovered and was the reason of the war between the leaders of the mountains and the sultan of Muscat also the oil discovery was the main reason behind the need to unify Oman with help from England to start the oil exploration process ,
Camp in dunes
B/L/D Included
Day 8 ( 150 KM )
Entering the huge dunes country , the mountains of sands extends all the way across the Saudi border and all the way to the Yamani borders , will pass the area of um al samim which was feared by Thesiger : because the drainage water from the hajar mountains used to collect here making salt swamps known as quick sands , now there is a dam in the mountains preventing this , will camp near a Star dune.
B/L/D Included
Day 9 (160 KM )
Continue south to al Sahma area where some white small dunes appears , during our everyday morning and afternoon walks will be looking for stone tools , arrow heads and any stone age traces and photographing a rarely visited part of the world
Camp in dunes
B/L/D Included
Day 10 ( 200 KM )
Will drive towards Muqshin where we will refuel our cars and refresh our water and food supplies then head back to the dunes for the southern part of empty quarter ,
Camp in dunes
B/L/D Included
Day 11 ( 230 KM )
Continue towards Ramlet EL Heshman, its noted for its superb grazing for camels said to be one of the best breeds.
Camp in dunes
B/L/D Included
Day 12 ( 130 KM )
Heading towards Shisr , a Unesco world heritage site of the lost city of Ubar , camp some 15 km before Shisr in the dunes
B/L/D Included
Day 13 ( 170 KM )
Visit the museum in Shisr then continue to land of frankincense at Wadi Dawkah , identifying the tree behind the prosperity of ancient Oman ,
Then continue to Salalah , having lunch in a restaurant then checking in hotel for 2 nights
Lunch is included
Hotel is included
B/L included
Day 14
Will visit al Balid Archaeological park and the museum of the frankincense land which have an impressive display of maritime history of Oman , then buy some fresh fish from the market and have it done in Wadi Derbat
Overnight in hotel
HOTEL included
LUNCH barbeque
B/L included
Day 15 ( 210 KM )
Traveling on the east cost of Oman along the white sands beaches towards the plain below jabal Samhan characterized by limestone cliffs , stop at Mirbat one of the ports for exporting frankincense
camping on the beach
Please bring swimming suites and snorkeling kit
B/L/D Included
Day 16 ( 220 KM)
Continue the long journey on the east coast stopping at Wadi el Shuwaymiyah then continue towards Ras Madrakah, camping on the beach.
B/L/D Included
Day 17 ( 170 KM )
Arrive at Ras Madrakah camping there and have a snorkeling excursion around the site
B/L/D Included
Day 18 ( 170 KM )
Heading to the Al Wusta Wild life reserve where the an initial breed of the almost extinct Oryx was successful, camping outside as the camping area inside the protected area was not convenient as learned from 2016.
Entrance fees included
B/L/D Included
Day 19 (180 KM )
Visit the Sanctuary in the morning then head to al Khaluf area of beautiful white dunes.
Camp in dunes
B/L/D Included
Day 20 ( 175 KM )
Head towards Wahiba Sand entering from the west navigating the dunes towards Ghuwayfat al habb
Camp in wahiba dunes
B/L/D Included
Day 21 ( 100 KM )
Continue towards the rarely used track travelling north as to avoid the camp sites of Wahiba
Camp short distance before the road to bani Khaled
B/L/D Included
Day 22 ( 230 KM )
Start our exploration to the eastern hajar mountain to Wadi bani Khaled , the plan is to visit in the morning to avoid the crowds arriving on day trips from Muscat , then head to Ras al Jinz camping in the nearby mountains
B/L/D Included
Day 23 ( 215 KM )
Visiting the turtle reserve in the early morning before sunrise while its not the nesting season which is in June , its said that at least one turtle will be observed also the beautiful sunrise ,
Continue to Sur stopping there and then back to Muscat
Entrance fees included
B/L included
Hotel included
Day 24
Transfer to Muscat international Airport
Transfer incl
Copyright © 2017 tribe oman - All Rights Reserved.