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| Day 1: | Muscat Arrive in Muscat and transfer to your hotel. Depending on your time of arrival, there may be time to explore the city. Overnight Haffa House Hotel or similar. |
| Day 2: | Sur - Ras al Hadd Drive through spectacular scenery of rugged mountains to the small fishing town of Quriyat, then continue to a gorgeous oasis with inviting pools where it is possible to take a dip. After lunch continue to Sur, renowned in the past for its dhow shipyards, before reaching Ras al Hadd on the coast. After an early dinner visit the turtle sanctuary at Ras Al Jinz, where at night green turtles, after a journey of thousands of kilometres will come ashore to lay their eggs. Overnight Ras al Hadd Beach Hotel or similar. (BLD) |
| Day 3: | Wadi Bani Khalid - Wahiba Sands Drive to Wadi Bani Khalid – an oasis spot in the middle of barren and dry mountains. It is one of the most beautiful wadis in Oman and its pools with clear deep blue water give you an opportunity to take a refreshing dip. In the afternoon we head into the Wahiba Sands, a vast mass of undulating red and white sea of sand. The ever-changing patterns of the dunes are a photographer’s delight. After some exciting sand dune driving we reach our desert camp for the night. (BLD) |
| Day 4: | Jabrin Castle - Bahla - Nizwa Morning drive to the historic town of Nizwa, Oman’s cultural capital. Before reaching Nizwa we visit Jabrin castle, built in the 17th century and one of the finest of its kind. Its magnificent plasterwork, the carved doors and the painted wooden beams of the ceilings make this castle very different from others in Oman. Afterwards continue to Bahla, one of the oldest small towns of Oman and in the 12th century the local tribal capital. We stop to see its magnificent fort before continuing to Nizwa for the night. Overnight Al Diyar Hotel or similar. (BLD) |
| Day 5: | Nizwa - Jebel Akhdar This morning we visit Nizwa souq as well as its famous fort, built in the 17th century. We then drive to Jebel Akdhar. In Arabic Jebel Akhdar means green mountains, and the area is famous for its gardens, farms and terrace plantations. We visit Wadi Habib to see one of the remote villages and fruit plantations, and also visit one of the private terrace rose plantations. Return to Nizwa for the night. Overnight Al Diyar Hotel or similar. (BLD) |
| Day 6: | Jebel Shams - Wadi Bani Awf - Muscat After breakfast drive to Al Hamra and Misfah, to see one of the oldest villages of this region. The traditional mud houses dating back from 400 years are still occupied. We also stop at Wadi Ghul, a farming village in the mountains before we reach Jebel Shams, the ‘Grand Canyon of Oman’. After a picnic lunch we head to Wadi Bani Awf, the end point of the canyon and with what is called the ‘snake gorge’ in the middle of the steep mountain cliffs. This is a stunning part of Oman with fantastic views of the surrounding scenery. We drive to the town of Nakhl with its fully restored fort on a rocky outcrop, before arriving in Muscat for the night. Overnight Haffa House Hotel or similar. (BD) |
| Day 7: | Muscat Explore Muscat on a full day city tour, visiting the beautiful Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the Middle East, the Natural History Museum, and the old walled district of Muscat. We also visit Muttrah Souq, where you can bargain for handicrafts and silver items. In the afternoon we take a sunset cruise, before transferring to Muscat airport for your return flight. (BL) |
By keeping our tours involved with the communities we visit, the people who benefit from our tours in Oman are the local people; drivers, hoteliers, and restaurateurs, local guides - even the Bedouin from whom you can buy fresh fruit while travelling. We do not use big international hotels which drain economic and natural resources. The money that is spent on entrance fees directly contributes to the ongoing maintenance of the desert castles we visit. Our journey through Oman includes a stop to see a local turtle preservation and protection scheme. With your help, the local people are beginning to appreciate the importance of conservation. The project shows the community a direct association with the income they receive from tourism and the preservation of the turtle sites.
We only employ local staff and unlike many operators we believe that to send a foreign Tour Leader along to accompany your trip is an unnecessary burden on your wallet and our carbon footprint. We believe that locals know best. Our local operators only use locally owned accommodation. This means your money stays in the area to benefit the local community. When possible we use local transport, (i.e. rail or bus) and we always use local restaurants, markets and shops. In doing this your travels are supporting and encouraging the development of local services.
We only work with operators who are as committed as we are to putting something back into the communities we visit. This may include giving a percentage of the profits from each tour to a foundation to help street children or local conservation projects. Furthermore, in order to allow our clients to make an informed decision on where a greater proportion of their money should be spent, we avoid including pre-paid full board meals where possible. Local restaurants and cafes then benefit.
Our groups average only six clients, and many tours operate on a private basis with just two travellers. This has much less impact when travelling through rural areas, reducing our environmental and social affects. Finally, to emphasis our commitment to Responsible Tourism all clients will receive a copy of our Travellers Code of Conduct with their travel documents.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
