Mythically and mysterious Arabia
It is a curious observation about travelling in Oman that the moment you tuck behind a sand dune and begin erecting your tent, however discreetly, someone will park alongside and start camping too. Never mind that it is the only car you have seen all day; never mind that there are 2700 km of beautiful, empty sandy beaches; never mind that the mountains are so lonesome in parts that only wolves and hedgehogs meander into the night; and never mind that memories of Thesiger are the only evocations of the living to issue from the dunes of the Empty Quarter, the one-car-per-day will find yours and camp alongside.
What makes this observation a particularly topical one is that it is only relatively recently that a network of roads and graded tracks, such as the coast road from Filim to Shwaymiyah, or the adventurous mountain track to the ancient tombs at Gaylah, has made it possible to penetrate Omans pristine landscapes, as well as its more visited ones. Muscat has been a port hub for many years, and today is the arrival point for everything from goods to cruise ships. In the Sharqiya Region you will discover some of Omans main attractions, like the beautiful beaches of Sur, turtle nesting sites in Ras Al-Jinz and the desert dunes of Sharqiya (Wahiba) Sands.
Those who are sufficiently intrepid to get off the beaten track will find that they can have the desert to themselves quite easily without mounting a major expedition. Now that the secret of Omans great untouched beauty is out, however, it surely ca not be long before groups of visitors are a common sight and it will no longer be necessary to seek the company of strangers at the end of a days exploration.
ATRACTII
Explore Omans whitewashed capital Muscat by following the corniche from the fish market, past the balconied buildings of neighbouring Muttrah Souk to the Sultan Palace. The latter shelters beneath the 16th-century Portuguese forts of Al Jalali and Mirani.
Spend a day the Omani way with a picnic and the company of friends on the beautiful beaches of Yitti, Seifa or Quiryat or in the lush oleander-flowering wadis of Dayqah, Shab and Tiwi.
Get up with the goatherds in Nizwa, the countrys capital during the sixth and seventh centuries. Famous for its early morning livestock market and silver handicrafts, it makes the best base for excursions into the mountains.
Scale the battlements of one of Omans many forts and castles in the old capital cities of Nakhal or Rustaq, and examine why honey was not always sweet for unwanted guests at the imposing Al-Hazm, Nizwa or Jibreen Forts. Take a ride on Omans only train to the depths of Al-Hoota Cave, first opened to the public in late 2006, near Nizwa and encounter some of the countrys limestone wonders.
Evoke the spirit of the past at the charged World Heritage Sites of Bat (area of ancient burial mounds) and Bahla (one of the most impressive fortified settlements of its kind in the world but not yet open to visitors).
Wander around the old town of Sur, famous for its traditional shipbuilding - and its local nightlife: at nearby Ras Al-Jinz, female turtles lumber up the beach every night of the year to deliver the next generation before slipping back to the sea before dawn. Most turtles arrive in July.
Go in search of unicorns in the dawn mists of the interior at the oryx sanctuary in Jallluni and let a member of the local Al-Harasi tribe show you the secrets of the Huqf Escarpment.
Join the locals in a gnat-infested, mid-summer mud bath at beautiful Wadi Dhabat in the heart of Omans southern, subtropical region of Dhofar, if only to enjoy the spectacle of cows and camels grazing in the same pastureland.
Blow your troubles to the wind at the blowholes of Dhofars Mughsail before following the Queen of Sheba into the mists of time in search of Boswellia sacra, the frankincense tree.
