Disclaimer: It is always recommended to drive to a desert in a 4WD drive in Oman but this post is about the trip I took to a desert camp which can be reached easily by a saloon car. So here is how to visit Wahiba sands desert in Oman without a 4WD.
It is a Saturday morning and the sun is blazing in the clear sky as we load our saloon car for an overnight trip to the Wahiba Sands desert in Oman. I am in the city of Muscat, which is almost three hours’ drive away from the golden sand desert of Oman. It is an early December morning with the sun still shining bright and weather fluctuating between warm to pleasant, I wonder whether a trip to the Wahiba Sands desert at this time of the year is a good idea. Just passing the scary yet exciting Amerat Highway Road on the mountain, witnessing the untouched beauty of Oman shining in the bring sunrays, I realized that a visit to the desert at this of the year is definitely a great idea!
About The Wahiba Sands Desert In Oman?
The Wahiba Sands desert in Oman is situated in the governance of Sharqiyah; therefore, it is also called as the Sharqiyah Sands. According to Wikipedia, the region was owned by the Bani Wahiba tribe. The area of the desert is defined by 180 kilometers in the north to south and 80 kilometers in the east to west direction. With the popularity of the desert, tourism has started in the area which now homes many touristic camps and a few temporary Bedouin camps. However, there are no permanent settlements in the desert. The desert can be reached by almost a three hours’ drive (239 km) via the Sur coastal highway from Muscat.
Booking.comContinuing our journey towards The Wahiba Sands desert in Oman…
Moving towards the Wahiba Sands we continue our journey on the Sur coastal road after a few left and right turns from the town of Amerat. It is a long and lonely stretch of 145 km long road, which promised to become more mesmerizing as soon as the coast of Sur is reached.
While on the way to the Wahiba Sands Desert in Oman – do not forget to check these 8 Incredible Stops on the Sur Coastal Road
With barren yet glorious brown mountains in the left and the right, we continued passing through the small villages and some big towns like Quriyat. Our ride to the Wahiba Sands desert in Oman becomes an absolute pleasure as soon as the emerald colored waters of the Arabian Sea touching the coast of Sharqiyah came into the sight! The Sur coastal highway is an excellently engineered road to drive a 4WD on, but though we didn’t have one, we were still content in our saloon car with the constant natural beauty the entire ride has to offer.
Just around 30kms from the city of Sur, the highway turns towards right taking us in some kind of an industrial area perhaps, with heavy machinery and road construction vehicles to be seen all around. By this time, I am aiming to reach the desert before the sun sets in the golden sand dunes. The GPS still shows 50 km to the destination, and my anticipation and excitement get hard to handle. Needless to mention, the roads of Oman are made for perhaps every kind of car to drive on and so far my journey has been extremely comfortable in a saloon car. Also, did I tell you that I’ll be experiencing the Wahiba Sands Desert in Oman with an overnight stay at the Al-Reem Desert Camp in the town of Jalan Bani Buhassan?
Al-Reem Desert Camp is built around small to medium sized sand dunes with close proximity to the main town. The location of the camp is ideal for the people without a 4WD drive who would love to experience a night in the desert. The route to the camp from Muscat is very clearly marked on the GPS. The only off-roading you will be going for is of 1Km from the road to the campsite. (Bold)
Book Your Stay At Al-Reem Desert Camp Here!
It is about 3 PM in the afternoon and we have finally reached the beautiful campsite in the Wahiba Sands desert in Oman. After a warm welcome with water, Kehwa (a traditional Omani drink), and dates, we are being escorted to our tent a.k.a our home for the night. The camp is built in a beautiful traditional manner reflecting the Bedouin lifestyles of Oman. For me, it was love at first sight …
My home for the night in the Wahiba Sands desert in Oman is a traditional luxury Arab tent with a private restroom. My tent is a spacious luxury tent with a small room cooler (though we didn’t need one as it was pretty cold), a fruit basket, a big comfy bed, and a water heater for a shower as well! To be honest, I wasn’t expecting all of these luxuries in the middle of the desert.
As I am in time for the sunset and the sun has eventually aligned with the brown mountains in a distance making the desert sand looks like small granules of gold. I ran up on the nearest sand dune to find my perfect spot of witnessing the glorious sunset in the Wahiba Sands desert in Oman. Being lucky here, I actually got that very perfect spot for the sunset which I was looking for…
Also, as I turned my head around to see how the campsite looks from at the top of the sand dunes; it looked absolutely gorgeous!
I am resting now for a while as I have to head back out of my luxurious and comfortable tent again for the dinner which is supposed to be served at 7:30 PM. Moreover, it is followed by a bonfire, what more to ask for in the Wahiba Sands desert in Oman? Also, for your information, the dinner and breakfast are included in the same price of the accommodation (whichever you may book) at the camp.
The dinner was served fresh in a traditional seating area, which was worthy of taking a picture of!
Now that the dinner and the bonfire are done, I am very much excited for stargazing in the Wahiba Sands desert in Oman. However, as the camp is not far away from the main town, the night sky is not that impressive though. But still, I am happy and very relaxed gazing at a clear sky with enough stars to call it a night. Also, it is a pleasant and cold night in the Wahiba Sands desert in Oman, which I am absolutely not complaining about!
It is 4 AM in the morning now and the peace and calm at the campsite at this hour is hard to put into words. I just wake up from one of the best night sleeps of my life to welcome a new day by witnessing sunrise in the Wahiba Sands desert in Oman. However, this time my camera has not contributed with me to capture that mesmerizing sunrise, but a small stroll around the campsite was worth capturing the glorious morning sunrays in the desert.
It is half past eight in the morning now and I am full with the delicious breakfast which was served hot sharp at 7:30 in the morning. Now my trip to the Wahiba Sands desert in Oman is nearing its end, I am sad to be leaving the peace and serenity of the desert but at the same time happy to be driving back to Muscat.
Finally on my way back to civilization, goodbye the gorgeous desert. You will always remain in my heart …
Best time to visit the Wahiba Sands desert in Oman?
As for the most part of the year, the weather in Oman remains extremely hot and humid so visiting the desert would not be a very pleasant experience, particularly for the day time. The months of November to March are the best time to visit the Wahiba Sands desert in Oman. At this time of the year, the weather remains pleasant in the daytime and it gets pretty cold in the evening.
Note: This article is NOT sponsored by Al Reem Desert Camp. All the expressions shared are solely based on my personal experience at the camp.
To discover more of fascinating Oman, how about one of my other posts?
The Ultimate List of The Best Diving Sites In Oman
A Guide To The Best Hiking Trails In Oman
Day Trips From Must Should Definitely Take!
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Super post Rahma. We drove to the Wahiba sands last year but not through. Stunning place.
Ryan
This really sounds like an amazing trip! That camping site looks great!
Those pictures are completely stunning, now I feel like I have to see that too! And thanks for your guide, otherwise I would also think about 4wd
I went to Oman in the summer, so I just visited a couple of cities. Would love to return in the winter and see the desert!
I’ve been to Oman but I didn’t do this. It looks so fun!