Oman luxury tours across Wahiba Sands Desert

Environment
The beautiful locations that are visited in this trip are testament to the responsible tourism that is going on behind the scenes. We have gone out of our way to ensure no new tracks are created to access these routes and that when we leave we leave no footprint whatsoever in the campsites. When travelling across the routes to get you to our camps our guides go out of their way to ensure they follow the routes already in existence to minimise the damage to sand dunes or other natural materials. Occasionally it may be necessary to veer to the side by a couple of metres but this is only to get better traction and to maintain client safety.

Throughout our trips guides will ensure that all rubbish is picked up and our support staff will ensure that any fires are safely out and the holes that are use are filled in. The tents themselves leave no footprint in the terrain we put them on and by encouraging our clients to use the biodegradable products we supply all runoff water natural runs into the ground. All rubbish is taken back to the major towns and sorted into recyclable and non-recyclable material and the disposed of by the local councils.

Toilets are all inbuilt chemical ones with electric flush and these are taken away from the sites and disposed of in a responsible manner. The chemicals we use are biodegradable and our toilets are only emptied in larger towns where there is sufficient water to safely dispose of the waste. Clients are also encouraged to be aware of rubbish around them and to pick it up and put it in the bin or else give it to one of the guides or support staff.

As this trip is largely to unspoilt places we pay no fees other than to the accommodation owners. Fees have been included for visits to some forts and other places of interest and these are always paid directly to the upkeep and restoration of the place visited.

Accommodated in large safari style tents with ensuite shower and toilet facilities or in some of the best hotels around Oman, our luxury camping trips provide the perfect blend of luxury and mobility and the perfect way to see the country. The tents are big enough to stand in and furnished with double or two single beds made up with fresh linen, pillows and duvets. Each tent features bedside tables, luggage stands and tasteful Arabic throws. There are adjoining private toilet and shower tents. The 'bathroom tents' are also equipped with a toiletry stand and complimentary eco-friendly toiletries, and towels are provided. Our camps are fully staffed and leave no natural imprint – all rubbish including waste is taken away and appropriately disposed of.

The maximum amount of people on this trip is 8 which means that we do not have more than 4 tents. This limits the amount of waste generated so that we can easily take it away and dispose of it. This also means that there is little damage to offroad routes and clients are not subject to a convoy system.

We make all of our guests aware of the environment and culture they are in and this is reflected in the pre-departure information they receive as well as in the information they receive from their guides. We actively promote a positive experience for both the hosts and guests and find this leads to greater enjoyment for all concerned.

Our predeparture information is always sent to clients by email and it is at their discretion if they decide to print it or not. The information sets out our mission statement and eco policy and also advises on subjects such as waste and other considerations clients should give when travelling with us.

Our head office in Muscat and offices in the UK and Canada minimise paper use and our brochure is only printed in short runs as we prefer instead to encourage people to view our website and e-brochure. We also encourage clients/agents to return printed brochures once they have finished with them.

Staff rent cars where required and are encouraged to keep their mileage to a minimum.

Community
This trip supports the planning of an ecocamp which has passed approval to be built in Khaluf Bay. The camp is being built in an area of great natural beauty and the plan has sensitively designed to consider all of the environmental impact. It will be a relatively small camp with just 12 units which will provide jobs and income to the local community as well as being run with self sufficient energy sources. We are consulting throughout the project and once complete this camp will be integrated into the itinerary. It is being built by locals for a local owner.

Many of the forts and souqs we visit on this trip have been restored over time to their former glory and there is also a national undertaking to restore other properties. In many places a small fee is charged (which we include in our trip price) which goes directly to the restoration and upkeep of the properties concerned.

We encourage our clients to support the local souqs and the money then directly benefits the shopkeeper. Clients will never be taken to shops or stalls where guides receive a kickback from the owner only places that they would recommend and there is never any compulsion to buy. This way clients know they are getting what they want without any hassle and that the money is going directly to the shop. Our tour company and all the accommodation we visit are locally owned by Omanis.

While a few hotels employ foreign workers all other places we visit on this trip are staff by locals who are all directly benefiting from the growth of the tourism industry in their area. Where we take lunch in a local restaurant this will be authentic Omani dining and supporting the local businesses.

As with all of our trips the Desert and Coast Luxury is led by experienced local Omani guides who are fluent in a number of languages including English, French, and German. They are all trained and accredited by the Oman Tourism Board. We try and match up the guides for particular trips with the areas they come from.

The hotels in this trip are all locally owned. Each hotel has a policy of reusing towels unless clients specifically request otherwise. Staffing tends to be by Indians but all management if Omani. Water is well looked after and all plastic bottles are recycled for use again. Food is locally sourced and where possible and to the guests liking we try and ensure you get to experience real Arabian cooking.

All the offices around the world are home offices and staffed by people that live locally to the office. We actively encourage the use of energy efficient light bulbs in our offices and the office is run as far as possible as a paperfree office with al bookings confirmed online and by email.