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.
DAY 2
B, L, D included
This morning we view the 16th century 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 fascinating souq (traditional market) in Muttrah, before a late lunch 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 the rare red-billed tropicbirds. After lunch in the yacht marina, we travel (3 hours with photo stops) by 4WD (airconditioned, with a maximum of 4 guests per vehicle) deep into the dunes of the Wahiba Sands. 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 a modified traditional Bedouin encampment, with proper beds and private bathroom facilities.
DAY 4
B, L, D included
Some exhilarating dune driving or an early morning walk 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 drive 2,100 m/7,000 ft up into the mountains, enjoying magnificent views as we ascend. Our destination is a new 4-star hotel, a sustainable tourism initiative of the mountain tribes. The night stars are marvellously clear and the hot jacuzzi has a dramatic setting on the escarpment edge.
DAY 5
B, L, D included
High on the remote Sayq plateau we take 2 contrasted walks (2.5 hrs, 1.5 hrs), 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 merchant houses.
DAY 6
B, L, D included
Our walk today (4 hrs) traces the footsteps of the SAS, including the now famous Sir Peter de la Billière, 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 7
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. We sample 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 17th century 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 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 (a less vertiginous option is also available). 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 (1.5 hrs) south to Salalah, capital of Dhofar province. After settling into our 5-star hotel, set right on the coconut palm-backed beach, we travel west (40 minutes) towards the Yemen border for a walk and a swim (2 hrs) on a superb unspoilt beach. A seafood 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’. Proceeding inland, we walk in the wooded Wadi Darbat. Our final short walk takes us into the incredible baobab forest.
DAY 11
B, L, D included
4WDs take us (1.5 hrs) into the Qara mountains and 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. Returning to Salalah, we visit the informative Museum of the Frankincense Land on the archaeological site of Al Balid, 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. The afternoon is free to enjoy the white sand beach at our hotel (dolphins are often just offshore) or relax in the gardens.
DAY 12
B, L, D included
After visiting the frankincense souq in Salalah town, we catch the domestic flight north to the capital, Muscat, have lunch and then a brief road transfer to our 5-star hotel, recently voted one of the best in the world. Set in beautiful gardens with a private beach, it offers every amenity. 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.