The spectacle of the Middle-East, Oman 10 day self-drive itinerary
Oman could inspire one to look at the Middle East differently. It’s culture, traditions, ancient history, a treasure trove of beaches and an unparalleled landscape of desert sands and stunning gorges, make for a unique adventure holiday. Below is the “Oman 10 day self-drive itinerary” we undertook recently.
For those unfamiliar with Middle Eastern countries, Oman provides the easiest starting point to explore under your own steam. The old and the new merge seamlessly in Muscat. Historic forts stand next to gleaming palaces made from marble. Souks, unlike those in Marrakech, are filled with gold jewellery, and spices that point to Oman’s trading past. A first-class infrastructure connects impressive historic forts and deep wadi’s, that have spawned their own ecosystem. The landscapes of the Sharkiya desert sands, home still to the Bedouin contrast beautifully with the soft beach sands of the Indian Ocean. These sands also provide the nesting grounds for the green turtles at Ras al Jinz.
1. Explore Muscat’s sprawling city
The narrow strip of land between the mountains and the sea is home to Oman’s capital Muscat. Stretching from beyond the airport at Seeb to the Sultan Qaboos palace and onto the recently built parliament building is around 40kms. There is a lot to do in Muscat. Visit the modern vegetable, fruit and fish souk in Mutrah harbour and the alleyways of the old souk selling gold and frankincense. Walk along the shores from Mutrah to Old Muscat to see Al Jalili Fort, the Sultan Qaboos palace decorated in blue and gold and the Al Mirani Fort. The Royal Opera house, the Grand Mosque and the best public beach at Qurm, a suburb of Muscat, and the bird fair at Seeb are also worth a visit.
2. Nakhal Fort, Wadi Bani Awf and Al Rustaq Fort
Head to Nakhal Fort on route 15. The first views of the fort will not disappoint. Rising dramatically from a rocky outcrop close to the river, the fort is surrounded by lush date palms. It is thought to date from the pre-Islamic era, and is located close to Jebel Akhdar.
From here head west along route 13 towards Al Rustaq passing the stunning and dramatic Wadi Bani Awf. It is well worth a drive to explore Wadi life and its ecosystem. The tarmacked road ends at Al Bardah but the road continues to Al Hamra from where Nizwa can be easily reached.
Continue onto the imposing Al Rustaq Fort just 20-30 minutes from Wadi Bani Awf. Built on a rocky outcrop it dominates the city and oasis of Wilayat al Rustaq. Enclosed by a wall, this fort has uncertain origins.
Find a camping spot locally or return to Muscat for a bit of pampering.
3. Exploring Oman’s ancient capital Nizwa
Two hours from Muscat or an hour from Al Rustaq on sweeping motorways is Nizwa, Oman’s cultural capital and one-time state capital in the 6th-7th century. Today, a large part of the old town is crumbling but the renovated fort with its 40m round tall tower was our favourite. A museum-style display with well written information boards, displays and comparative timelines document the Fort’s history.
Nizwa also had the best souks in Oman and some very friendly Omani’s! Here you can find fruit & vegetable, Halwa, fish, crafts, antiques and our favourite date souk. with plenty of unsweetened coffee and dates on offered. We were in good company as the date souk was visited recently by the President of Singapore as witnessed with a photo of the owner with the President!
4. Jabrin castle, Bahla fort, the mountains of Jebel Shams & Jebel Akhdar, and Oman’s deepest – Wadi Ghul
al west of Nizwa is Jabrin Castle. It stands out proudly and alone in the surrounding wide, flat plain. This was perhaps the fort with the most beautiful interior. Built in 1675 we understand that it was for example, a centre of learning for Islamic law, medicine and astrology. It was also the Imam’s peacetime home. Of particular interest are the beautifully carved inscriptions on the walls and ceilings, and the date storage room.
Closeby is the impressive Bahla Fort and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Despite its magnificent exterior, the interior renovations still require considerable attention. The original fort was constructed over many centuries, beginning in pre-Islamic times.
It was time to head off road. The staggeringly beautiful drive up Jebel Shams, Oman’s highest mountain at 3,009m, is a must do. Climbing up through spectacular scenery, the road twists and turns and eventually gives way to an ever-steeper gravel piste. The surrounding rock faces of the Hajar Mountains are deeply scarred from aeons of tectonic uplift, folding, glaciation and erosion. The canyons of Wadi Akhdar and Wadi Ghul are the prize for making this journey. Both canyons can be hiked from below. In Wadi Ghul, the towering walls extend over a kilometre high. Huge boulders are strewn throughout, some precariously perched high above. 5km along the wadi you reach Al Nakhdar village in the most dramatic of locations.
5. A day on the Sharkiya desert sands and our 1st wild camp in Wadi Bani Khalid
Our entrance to the Sharkiya sands was at Al Mintarib. At the far edge of the village a track winds into the desert. You need to let down your tyres to 18psi and there are a number of outfits in Al Mintarib that will help you do so. The drive was electrifying, the sands stunning in the changing light of day. There is however a litter problem which needs addressing.
We camped that night on the lower stretches of Wadi Bani Khalid in Markham Natural park located off Route 23 to Al Batin and Sabt. It is the perfect spot by the river, with superb toilet facilities. The silence of the valley was broken only by frog calls, a donkey neigh and the Muezzin call to prayer that reached even this isolated outpost.
6. A 2nd visit to the desert sands and onto Al Ashkarah on the coast
We headed to the coast at Al Ashkarah. We took Route 35 and just before Al Kamil Wal Wafi is a sign to an ‘Old Fort Museum’. Just further south between New Sur and Al Kamil is a road that heads straight to desert sands. The sign post spelt out Masuriyawah (we can’t find it on a map) and took us to a small sleepy town right beside the sands. From here you can experience the desert with the friendly Bedouin camel herders who invited us to coffee and dates and to experience desert life. It was a much less touristy desert experience with genuine camel herders.
Drive through Jaalan bani bu hassan and Jaalan bani bu Ali to Al Ashkarah on the coast. A beautiful sandy beach and fishing village greeted us. It was a great place to watch the dhows come-in. The dunes road, a stunning road through the desert in full view of the blue ocean is another must-do. Just north of Ar Ruways we camped by the beach just metres from the water. What a sunrise we had the next day.
7. Turtle watching on the beautiful coast of Ras al Jinz
We were now half-way through our “Oman 10 day self-drive itinerary.” Less than half an hour from Ar Ruways is Ras al Jinz turtle reserve.
The rather hip-looking Visitor centre was very welcoming, although we had to pay OR2 each to access the beach. This stunning stretch of seafront with soft sands framed by weathered sandstone cliffs of a pinkish hue would have been a spectacle even without the turtles. That night we witnessed a nesting turtle and one returning to the water aglow with phosphorescence.
Further up the road is Ras al Hadd, another stunning beachfront which has a 5* hotel but camping is also possible on the beach. There are also toilet facilities here.
8. Driving the beautiful coast road to Sur and onto Wadi Tiwi
Having witnessed two more turtles at dawn and the stunning sun rise at Ras al Jinz we headed to Sur, the largest town on the coast. From here we headed to Wadi Tiwi or the valley of the nine little villages. The seriously narrow road through this valley can be disturbing for the locals. As a result, we chose to walk it instead, a worthwhile experience as you meet the locals.
9. Wadi Shab, Wadi Mayh and some stunning beaches
Wadi Shab’s and Wadi Ghul were probably our two favourite valleys for different reasons. The former can only be explored on foot. There is no access for cars. A small boat-ferry ride for OR1 takes one across a beautiful green lake, the journey marred by the coast road slung high above the entrance to the wadi. The lower stretch of the valley lends itself to farming with banana and mango trees aplenty. Clear spring waters feed into a clever irrigation network. As you reach the upper reaches of the valley stunning green pools, some quite deep encouraging divers can be a great place to picnic and have a swim.
We had to visit Fins beach recommended by nearly every Omani we spoke with. It is a beautiful stretch of beach north of the town with rock pools and shallow waters for swimming. The area lends itself to wild camping.
Wadi Mayh was our final valley. Close to Muscat this Wadi can be reached off the main Muscat highway Route 17, which is itself a road that passes through some dramatic scenery. Leave the motorway heading to Tunus to find Wadi Mayh. The narrow valley opens wide, with the rocky walls showing some tortured uplift. Consequently, the geology in the valley is stunning with green, red and pink rocks aplenty.
At the other end of the wadi is Yitti. We camped on nearby Al Musa beach on our penultimate night, a wide expanse of soft sand framed by stunning cliffs.
10. Last day back in Muscat
Finally visit the stunning parliamentary buildings and the replica dhow sailed back in the 9th century at Al Bustan before heading to Muscat.
Our Oman 10 day self-drive itinerary provides a tour of breathtaking contrasts and very special cultural experiences. However, we have only touched the surface of one of the most fascinating countries we have visited recently. We will definitely return.
Nangle facts & tips
Flights were booked through British airways.
We drove a Toyota Landcruiser hired from Hertz rentals which cost around £600 for 10 days but included only 1200kms.
As an alternative to hotel accommodation and to lower our carbon footprint, we also explored wild camping, perfectly legal in Oman.
We downloaded Maps.me for Oman and generally it gave us good coverage, though human-input was required for the many off road sections.
Avoid tourist spots close to Muscat on Fridays – the start of the weekend here.
We stayed at the Al Falaj hotel in Ruwi, just north of Mutrah. For those interested in fabulous Asian breakfasts this is the place. They even had a Stassen tea lounge providing organic teas from Sri Lanka.
Forts and castles cost around 500 baisa each to enter. Nizwa Fort was the most expensive costing OR5.
