Exploring Oman - an adventurous walking tour of the mountains, deserts and forts

Until very recently the Sultanate of Oman remained closed to travellers, preferring to retain its cultural traditions intact - intriguing reports circulated of stark mountain ranges, dramatic mediaeval forts, the vast expanses of the Empty Quarter and a pristine 1,500 km coastline with offshore island archipelagos.

We spend two weeks exploring this fascinating, still relatively unknown country, where camels, dhows, and colourful markets trading in gold, goats and frankincense are still very much part of daily life. High in the Jebel Akhdhar (Green) range we walk on mountain paths offering incredible views; a boat takes us out into the Gulf of Oman in search of dolphins; we explore photogenic forts with their richly decorated interiors; 4WD vehicles take us into the dunes of the Wahiba Sands to encounter the Bedouin, and to the fringes of the Empty Quarter to see frankincense trees; and on our last night we stay in an award winning 5 star hotel in Muscat, with spa facilities and a private beach.

TRIP ITINERARY

DAY 1

L, D included

After arriving at Muscat international airport in the morning, a half hour road transfer - with a visit to the magnificent Grand Mosque en route - brings us to our ocean-facing 4 star hotel, set in 10 acres of gardens, with a swimming pool and a private beach. A bird watching walk introduces local red-wattled plovers, Indian rollers, mynahs, pond herons and parakeets.

DAY 2

B, L, D included

This morning we view the 16C Portuguese forts which guard the harbour entrances of Muscat and the Sultan’s Alam Palace, a striking example of contemporary Omani architecture. We visit the Bait al Zubair museum with its excellent displays on all aspects of Omani culture and stroll through the souq (traditional market) in Muttrah before a late lunch at the yacht marina and an afternoon relaxing back in our hotel.

DAY 3

B, L, D included

A boat takes us out into the Gulf of Oman in search of dolphins, sooty gulls and swift terns - with luck we may also find rare sooty falcons and red-billed tropicbirds. We then travel (3 hours with photo stops) by 4WD (airconditioned, with a maximum of 4 guests per vehicle) 7,000 ft up into the mountains, enjoying magnificent views as we ascend. Our destination is a modern, small 3 star hotel, a sustainable tourism initiative of the mountain tribes - the night stars are marvellously clear and the restaurant serves good curries.

DAY 4

B, L, D included

High on the dramatic Sayq plateau, we take 3 contrasted walks (2.5, 1.5 hrs, 45 minutes), enjoying superb views across the Jebel Akhdar (Green Mountain) range and marvelling at the steep terraces, irrigated by the ancient falaj system, where pomegranates, roses, olives and almonds have been grown for centuries. Yellow-vented bulbuls sing from any prominent post, Hume's wheatears perch on boulders and rock martins swoop around the cliff faces. Architecturally, the villages we walk through resemble those of Yemen, with their ruined watchtowers and fortified merchants houses.

DAY 5

B, L, D included

Our walk today (5 hrs) traces the footsteps of the SAS (including the now famous Sir Peter de la Billiere) who fought a number of military skirmishes here during the Jebel War in the 1950s - old ammunition boxes and shell fragments are still occasionally found scattered on the ground. We encounter huge ancient juniper trees, soaring eagles and vultures overhead (lappet-faced and Egyptian vultures nest on the cliffs in this area) and small flocks of goats tended by the mountain tribesmen as we cross a vast plateau with superb long views.

DAY 6

B, L, D included

Descending from the mountains, we visit the lively camel, goat and cattle market in the town of Nizwa, the mediaeval seat of power - we also visit the magnificent fort and have the opportunity to bargain for Bedouin silver jewellery, spices, traditional curved khanjars (daggers) and tribal rugs in the souq. 4WDs take us (2.5 hrs) deep into the dunes of the Wahiba Sands where we encounter the Bedouin with their camel herds, climb a dune to watch the sunset and spend a memorable (and reasonably comfortable) night under the desert stars in traditional Bedouin wool tents (with proper beds and private facilities).

DAY 7

B, L, D included

Some exhilarating dune driving or an early morning walk in search of desert birds start the day before we drive (2.5 hrs) to Birkat al Mawz where the picturesque fort has been taken by force on only 2 occasions - firstly, in 973 AD, by the invading Persian army and then in 1959 by Sultan Said bin Taimur with the assistance of the British SAS. On foot we explore the traditional falaj systems which irrigate the date palm oasis, then have a traditional Omani lunch (fish with rice in a spiced coconut sauce, or lamb biriyani, are Omani staples) before an afternoon relaxing by the swimming pool of our colonial-style hotel in Nizwa.

DAY 8

B, L, D included

Early in the morning we visit the beautifully restored 17C palace fort of Jabrin, where weapons, household items, the prison and gunpowder store, plus richly decorated ceilings, all combine to create a vivid sense of what it would have been like in its heyday. We travel by 4WD (1.5 hrs) up to almost 10,000 feet, below Jebel Shams, the highest points in Oman, and take a marvellous walk (4 hours round trip) along a fairly level balcony just inside the canyon rim. The scenery is incredible, with ancient terraces and an abandoned village perched dramatically below the towering cliffs and views of the mountains stretching into infinity.

DAY 9

B, L, D included

Returning to Muscat by road (1.5 hrs), we catch the morning flight (1 hr, 40 mins) south to Salalah, capital of Dhofar province. After settling into our five star hotel, set right on the coconut palm-backed beach, we travel west (40 minutes) towards the Yemen border for a walk (2 hrs) along a superb unspoilt beach, and bird watching at Khor Mughsail - Tristram's grackles whistling loudly as they fly round the cliff faces, glossy ibis and cotton teal in the reedbeds, and Persian shearwaters and masked boobies fishing offshore. A seafood/lobster supper in the elegant restaurant on the beach at our hotel completes the day.

DAY 10

B, L, D included

As we travel east along the coast, we encounter herds of wandering camels, then walk and birdwatch at Khor Rawri, an inlet of the sea which was for centuries an important staging port for the frankincense trade (the archaeological site here is often referred to as the ‘Queen of Sheba’s palace’). Flamingoes, herons, egrets, crab plovers and many wader species congregate here - proceeding inland, we walk in the wooded Wadi Darbat which has an entirely different avifauna, including Afro-tropical species such as Paradise flycatcher and Bruce’s Green Pigeon. Our final short walk takes us into the incredible baobab forest.

DAY 11

B, L, D included

We begin the morning visiting the informative Museum of the Frankincense Land on the archaeological site of Al Balid near our hotel (including finds of Persian soapstone chess sets, Ming porcelain from China and pottery from Rome, Syria and Greece discovered at Ubar, ‘The Atlantis of the Sands’, a trading emporium which flourished between 500 and 300 BC and was then lost in the sands for centuries). 4WDs take us up (1.5 hrs) into the Qara mountains and into the fringes of the Rub’al Khali, the Empty Quarter, for a walk (1.5 hrs) amidst dramatic scenery to see frankincense trees, Boswellia sacra (still harvested traditionally and exported worldwide). Our afternoon walk (2 hrs) follows a long ridge down off the Dhofar mountains, with extensive views, thekla larks and South Arabian wheatears on the mountain slopes and numerous eagles (greater spotted, steppe, Verreaux's) soaring on the thermal updrafts.

DAY 12

B, L, D included

After visiting the frankincense souq in Salalah town, we catch the midday domestic flight back up north to the capital, Muscat and have a 15 minute road transfer to our 5 star hotel, recently voted one of the best in the world. Set on a beautiful private beach, it offers every amenity and our farewell dinner provides a memorable finale to our explorations of this fascinating and rewarding country.

DAY 13

B included

After a last morning relaxing and enjoying the hotel’s facilities (including an award-winning spa), we transfer to Muscat airport for flights home.

Price includes:

All accommodation for Days 1 to 13, based on two people sharing a room

All meals (with beer/soft drinks at lunches and wine/beer at dinners) as listed in the daily notation (please note that alcohol is sometimes not available at lunch venues)

Domestic flights Muscat/Salalah/Muscat

All land transportation in private airconditioned 4WD vehicles, except during free periods

Boat trip as described in the itinerary

All entrance and sightseeing fees except during free periods

Services of Kudu tour staff and local guides & drivers

Gratuities for hotel and restaurant staff

Visa and Health Requirements

Visitors from the EU, US, Australia and New Zealand currently require a valid passport for entry to Oman - a single entry tourist visa, currently costing 6 Omani Rials in cash, is issued on arrival and is valid for 3 weeks. If you are a national of any other country, please check visa regulations with your nearest Embassy of Oman.

At present there are no specific and compulsory health requirements for entry to Oman if you are arriving from Europe or North America. You may also wish to check the advice given to travellers by the Department of Health and the FCO.

Insurance

It is essential, and a condition of booking, that you protect yourself with a suitable travel insurance policy as soon as you book a trip. Follow this link for information on a policy available to UK residents.

If you are already insured or a non-UK resident, please inform us of your policy at the time of booking.