Out of the 83 countries that we have visited, Oman is one of the countries that surprised us the most. It was one of our favorite and easiest countries to get around. In addition to the beautiful mountains, beaches, and deserts, the people we met were so friendly and helpful. The Middle East can sometimes get a bad rap of being unsafe to travel to. This is often due to a few small, isolated areas in specific countries. However, Oman is one of the safest countries that we have visited. In just a few days, we fell in love with this incredible Middle Eastern country.
In order to maximize our time in this amazing country, we booked our stay with Desert Flower Tours. They treated us like family and arranged everything from lodging, transportation, to local food suggestions. (I share more about them later in this post, or check out their website if you are interested in booking a tour!)
Oman has such amazing scenery that it is hard to narrow down what to see. Even if you never thought about traveling to Oman, it’s a perfect getaway trip from Dubai. Here is a list of the seven best things to do in Oman, some that we were able to do an some that we still hope to experience!
1. Camping in Wahiba Sands Desert
One of our favorite and most unique experiences we’ve done is going luxury camping in the Wahiba Sands Desert. We stayed at Starwatching Private Camp. I say “camping” loosely, because it is definitely not “roughing it.” The luxury tents are huge and beautifully decorated. In addition to our tent, there was an entire tent for dining and lounging, and a bathroom with fully running water. Although we were in the desert, we had incredible meals. We loved lounging in the Arabian tent, drinking tea, and eating dates.
Our 2 nights in the desert was an incredible way to relax and disconnect from the rest of the world. At night the stars were incredible. It was an amazing feeling being the only guests in the camp. We loved walking around the dunes and seeing nothing but desert surrounding us. One of our favorite experiences was driving our own rental car to camp. The Starwatching Private Camp team helped us know the right amount of air to let out of our tires for the best traction. Staying at Starwatching Private Camp is the perfect amount of adventure mixed with luxury. I highly recommend booking this incredible experience in Oman.
2. Swim in a Wadi
There are several wadis to swim in all around the country. The word “wadi” just means a valley or ravine. Some wadis are full of crystal clear water in narrow canyons. These oases are so perfect that they look like something built at Disney world, but they are entirely natural. Em and I visited Wadi Bani Khalid. It was the perfect way to cool off from the hot desert sun.
3. Jabal Akhdar Mountains
The first thing I hope to experience someday on our return visit are the Jabal Akhdar Mountains. The pictures of these Barron mountains look incredible! Jebrl Harim is the tallest peak in the country. Although they are mountains, the Barron canyons remind me of the Grand Canyon in the USA. The Jabal Akhdar Mountains are a perfect adventure getaway from the nearby cities of Dubai or Muscat.
4. Sultan Qaboos Mosque
Possibly the most impressive mosque in the country is located downtown Muscat. The building and grounds are huge! Visitors can see this impressive building between 8:30-11:00 am. Unfortunately Em and I weren’t there during the visiting hours, but the outside alone is impressive! Be sure to dress modestly before visiting.
5. Nizwa Fort
In addition to deserts and mountains, Oman is also home to castles! Nizwa Fort was built in the 1600s but its history dates all the way back to the 12th century. Today it is a great place to explore and learn more about this area’s history and culture.
6. Bimmah Sinkhole
You never know what you might see when driving through Oman. Off the road is sinkhole that is filled with beautiful, blue water. This incredible wonder today makes the perfect natural swimming pool. If you are in Northern Oman this looks like a perfect place to cool off!
7. Muttrah Souk
No visit to a Middle Eastern country would be complete without a visit to a local market or “souk.” (Especially for Em since she loves markets so much!) Located in Muscat, this is a great place to find local food, spices, and souvenirs. This is a great place to interact with and support local businesses!
How We Got Around
Oman was one of our most surprising countries that we visited. It is beautiful, diverse, and full of incredibly friendly people. However, one of the reasons why we loved our trip so much was because of the help and planning of Desert Flower Tours. From the moment they met us at the airport, they treated us as part of their family. It was amazing having local experts in case we needed any help or suggestions while visiting the country. Hilal, the owner, has hosted people from all over the world (including celebrities)! It is clear that he personally really cares for his customers. He was one of the most friendly and welcoming people that we have met during our travels. The Land Cruiser that was provided by Desert Flower Tours was perfect for off-roading through the massive sand dunes. It was so nice that they brought it directly to the airport for us – it was the quickest rental car pickup ever!
With so many things to see, it would have been hard to plan where to go and what to do, but thanks to Desert Flower Tours, they planned the perfect itinerary for us with amazing suggestions. If you are planning on visiting the area we highly recommend booking with Desert Flower Tours!
Another great resource for comparing best car rentals is Discover Cars. They provide a wide range of car rental options around the world and pride themselves in having no hidden costs and free cancellation.
Where We Stayed
In addition to Starwatching Private Camp in the Wahiba Sands Desert, when we were in Muscat we stayed at the Kempinski Hotel Muscat. It was a beautiful luxury hotel with one of the most amazing buffet breakfasts, complete with a chocolate fountain!
The rooms were very spacious and the hotel grounds were beautiful. I highly recommend it – it is a great place to stay when arriving or leaving Oman, and was one of our most favorite hotels we have ever stayed in!
