What to do in Oman

The ideal way to see the dramatic landscapes of the Musandam Peninsula, a cruise aboard a classic Arabic Dhow introduces you to otherwise inaccessible bays and islets, sailing you under lofty mountains and along staggeringly pretty bays stitched with enormous cliffs and vast lengths of craggy coast. From the ship, you’ll spot schools of dolphins as you glide towards remote islands in between eating onboard Omani barbecues on the ship’s sundeck. You’ll disembark for kayaking alongside breathtaking Omani fjords, for snorkeling in the clear waters, and to embark on cultural visits to isolated villages.

One of the world’s best stargazing spots, Sharqiya Sands (or Wahiba Sands), is the epitome of a desert landscape. The sands are almost entirely uninhabited (save for the odd camp and  Bedouin), with towering dunes shifting like a giant sea forming sandy surfs in slow motion. Travel east and the dunes grow in size, some surpassing 100 meters high. Travel deeper into the desert, and it becomes all the more untouched and seemingly endless. During the day, the golden sands juxtaposed with the blue sky are staggering, but at night, when the sky dims to near black, the fires in camp begin to crackle, and the stars stud the sky in endless constellations, the Wahiba Sands assume an almost unbelievable beauty.

A journey to Oman’s desert is always extraordinary, but to truly understand what life here is like, meeting the Bedouin to learn about their way of life as they showcase their exceptional capacity for hospitality, is essential. You’ll find that, while some Bedouins have set up non-nomadic homes, and some move from tents in the desert to houses outside of it, they remain committed to tribal traditions, including warm hospitality to visitors. You’ll meet with a Bedouin family, often in or close to Wahiba Sands, to share a meal of traditional Bedouin cuisine in their homes (with chicken and lamb marinated in a medley of spices, often cooked over a fire and served with traditional bread and rice). And perhaps best of all, a meal with a Bedouin Family is an opportunity to listen to their stories detailing their steadfast commitment to preserving ancient customs and traditions in some of the harshest environments on earth.