In February 2023, my family and I embarked on a seven-day road trip to explore Oman. As expats who had recently moved to Muscat, we were eager to see more of this beautiful country. We had taken day trips to Jebel Akhdar and Wadi Tiwi, but we wanted to experience even more of Oman. So, we decided on a route that included wild camping at Wadi Damm, a stay in Nizwa, and Wahiba Sands.
Our trip started with a visit to the extraordinary village of Misfat al Abriyeen, where we had cool drinks at Halwa Coffee overlooking the view. Next, we spent two nights in Nizwa, which turned out to be our favorite destination. We wandered around Nizwa and saw the fort, which was a real hit with my kids who loved the gruesome details about the fort’s defences. We also explored the area and visited Balha Fort, the new Oman Across Ages Museum, and Jabal Shams. We plan to go back another time and use Nizwa as a base for further exploration.
The most memorable part of our seven-day road trip was camping in Wahiba Sands. We stayed at Desert Retreat Camp and climbed to the top of the sand dune behind it for sunset on both days. It was calm, uplifting, and spectacular.
When it came to food, my husband had developed a love for chicken shawarmas during previous visits to the Middle East and enjoyed a great one during this trip. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant near Wadi Bani Khalid, and the shawarma here was a delicious treat after lots of swimming at the wadi.
One of the most challenging aspects of our trip was following the Waze navigation app for most of our journey. Sometimes it can take you on rougher roads through the mountains. Luckily, we had a 4×4, so we could navigate these, but it might have been challenging in a two-wheel-drive car. For us, it was just another part of the adventure.
During our trip, we met a group of university students who had travelled from Europe to see Oman’s unique geology. Their tutor regularly brings students here to see landscapes like nowhere else on the planet. It made us feel very lucky to live in Oman.
For anyone considering going to Oman, we recommend adding the coast road to your itinerary. We have explored Wadi Tiwi, Wadi Shab, and the beaches along the coast at other times, and they are amazing. We planned our route using recommendations from friends here in Oman and by searching social media looking for places we wanted to see. When it came to finding the places we stayed, we decided to wild camp at the wadi and book self-catering accommodation in Nizwa and the desert. We made our bookings through booking.com as it was easy to search for properties that would accept our pet dog who was traveling with us.
This seven-day trip showed us more of Oman’s culture than we’d experienced in two months of living expat life in Muscat. We saw people scaling palm trees in bare feet, drank kahwa cross-legged in a bedouin tent, and tasted Halwa in Nizwa Souq. The trip brought us so much closer to Oman, which we are delighted to call our home for a few years.
If you’re planning a trip to Oman, we recommend exploring Nizwa, camping in Wahiba Sands, and adding the coast road to your itinerary. With its unique geology, rich culture, and stunning landscapes, Oman is a must-visit destination for any travel enthusiast.