EXPLORE MUSCAT AND THE NORTH
Theme: History, Mountains, Culture, Desert, Wadi Oasis, Coastal
Duration:Â 11 DAYS TOUR
Tour Highlights: Muscat – Sur – Ras Al Hadd – Wahiba Sands – Ibra – Nizwa – Jebel Shams – WadiBani Auf -Muscat – Musandam – Muscat.
check out some beautiful places of Oman!
ITINERARY:
Day1: Muscat – Bimah Sinkhole – Fins Beach - WadiShab – Sur
The tour departs Muscat in the morning towards Sur with the first stop being the incredible Bimah Sinkhole, a huge crater close to the sea with a small lake at its base. It’s believed to have been created when a meteor hit the Earth. Then we will continue towards the white Beach of Fins, which offers up another great opportunity for photos.
We will drive then towards WadiShab which is an enormous canyon gorge lined with beautiful palm trees and spectacular natural views of the power of water coming down from the mountains. After a 45-minute hike through canyon Wadi, we’ll arrive at a series of crystal clear water pools. You are welcome to swim in the warm waters of these connected pools, which will lead you into an opening among the enormous rocks through which you can swim into a crevice cave with its own small waterfall. Marvel at how the sunlight filters in from the outside and turns the water a stunning turquoise blue, while one side of the cave has water tumbling down from the wadi beyond.
Next we will head to the city of Sur to spend the first night in one of its nice hotles.
DAY 2 – SUR TO RAS AL HADD
Our morning will be spent in the city of Sur, where the main attractions include old fortresses and the famous Dhow factory where you can watch traditional wooden Dhows being built.
Following a delicious lunch, we will drive south along the beautiful coast to the beachside village of Ras Al Hadd. You’ll have free time to spend exploring the village or relaxing on the beach (or maybe even a bit of both). It’s all in readiness for what surely will be the highlight of the day – our visit to the Turtle Sanctuary at Ras Al Jinz.
Here, you will receive a guided tour of the beach at night under the stars. It’s the best time of day to view Oman’s much treasured sea turtles stumbling onto the beach from the sea to dig holes in the sand and lay their eggs. You might even get lucky and see the amazing experience of baby turtles hatching from the eggs.
At the tour’s end, we will head back to the Ras al Hadd hotel / camp for the night.
DAY 3 – WAHIBA SANDS DESERT
This morning will give you another opportunity to relax on the wonderful beach at Ras al Hadd before we drive to Wadi Ban Khalid, which is regarded by many as the biggest and most beautiful of all the Wadis in Oman.
What will you choose to do in this wonderful location – swim, sunbathe, or picnic in the scenic Wadi canyons? It’s up to you.
Having had a relaxing time, we will head off in the late afternoon to our camp in the Wahiba Sands Desert, where it will be time for some adventure in the form of a sand dune drive through the desert in 4x4s. This will be followed by the chance to watch a stunning sunset from atop one of the big sand dunes. To round off our day in the desert, we’ll take dinner at our camp and enjoy a relaxing time around the romantic camp fire.
DAY 4 – IBRA TO NIZWA
After a leisurely breakfast in camp, we will get back on the road for a drive to the city of Ibra. There’s a lively and colourful market (souq) here which you can explore before we move onto the delights of the old ancient village area. We’ll take lunch before continuing our drive to Nizwa, which was once the capital of Oman. After we check-in to the Nizwa hotel in the afternoon, you will have the rest of the day to spend as you wish in this popular location.
Day 5: NIZWA – AL HOOTA CAVE - BAHLA
Another day, another spectacular market, this time the NizwaSouq, one of the largest in Oman. We’ll get here early, as that’s the best time to get the pick of the deals as the vendors sell their goods from 5am to 10am daily. Choose from fresh fish, meat and vegetables to delightful and unique pottery, jewelry, handicrafts and souvenirs, all sold in authentic market halls the like of which you won’t see in many other places in the world. The Friday cattle market is not to be missed, as it’s a chance to see the locals in their element, selling goats, cattle, sheep and chickens in a circus-style open marketplace.
Next to the souq is the Nizwa Fortress, now a museum and a great place to take in the views of this spectacular ancient town and its surrounding mountain range. You’ll be able to explore the fortress, a military stronghold designed to repel the most fiercest of enemies in its day. It features towers, rooms and passages, along which many traps were laid to deter intruders who may have penetrated its defences. What a great example of architecture from the early Yaruba dynasty this is, a dynasty that was responsible for a range of economic and military achievements during the mid-17th Century.
Next, we will head to Al Hoota Cave, one of the world’s largest cave systems extending underground for 5km. It’s one of Oman’s biggest tourist attractions with 860metres accessible to visitors and culminating at the Cave Lake.
The journey continues then to Bahla Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, this is one of Oman’s oldest still-standing fortresses. It’s triangular-shaped, with walls that stretch for 12km around Bahla old town. To give you an idea of the size and scale of this fortress, there are no less than 132 watchtowers with guardrooms. You can also explore the town on your visit. Be sure to take photos of the amazing palm trees and beautiful mountains.
Overnight in Nizwa Hotel.
DAY 7 – WADI BAN AWF
They say what goes up must come down, and today after our time on the mountain, we’ll descend its eastern face and head into WadiBaniAwf along one of the most exhilarating mountain roads in Oman, with off-roading and amazing views. When we reach WadiBaniAwf in the valley, the road will take us past numerous villages on a 90-minute drive. We’ll be stopping en route at BaladSayt, a village that enjoys an outstanding location between the mountains of Ad Dakhiliyah and Al Batinah regions and is one of WadiBaniAwf villages. The magnificence of this village lies in its agricultural terraces and mountainous location, and its rugged mountain roads attract many adventure tourism fans. BaladSayt is a fine example of traditional Omani villages.
Fort Nakhal is our next destination, built on a 200 metre high hill and dating from pre-Islamic times. As you would expect, the views from the fort are remarkable, and include an oasis. Inside the fort itself, there’s plenty to see too, including the women’s living room, the majilis, a prison, and several meeting rooms, courtyards and terraces.
Having worked up a thirst and hunger exploring the fort, we’ll take lunch in a traditional Omani restaurant, a real chance to taste national cuisine prepared by locals. Afterwards, it will be time for Al Thowarah, the hot springs of Nakhl which is next to a lush green oasis made all the more stunning by the mountain backdrop. Then it will be time to head back to Muscat where we will spend the night.
DAY 8 - MUSCAT TO MUSANDAM
It’s time to take to the air, for our 1 hour flight from Muscat to Musandam. After we’ve checked in to the Crown Plaza Hotel, the rest of the day will be your leisure time which you can fill any way you like.
DAY 9 - CRUISE
All aboard an Arabic Dhow for an all-day cruise. Dhows are large, traditional Omani wooden boats with space for up to 20 passengers. They are very majestic boats with carpeted floors and cushioned seating. You can choose a shady spot or sunny one for your journey.
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Sights you can expect to see during the cruise include the cliffs of the Musandam Peninsula. You will also be able to swim and snorkel in a hidden bay along the peninsula before we head off to do some dolphin watching in another part of the bay.
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Coffee, tea and lunch will be served on the boat, which will return to where the cruise started in the afternoon, where we’ll disembark. The remainder of the day can be spent at your leisure ahead of another night at the Crown Plaza Hotel.
DAY 10 - KHASAB
We will show you around the small, laidback town of Khasab and take a quick tour of Khasab Castle. This is a fortress that was built by the Portuguese back in the early 17th Century and was occupied by them until their retreat from the region. Now a museum, the castle was formerly the home of the Wali and his family, and was also used as a prison. Its courtyard features boats and houses that reflect the unique heritage of Musandam.
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The next part of the day is for exploring the dramatic scenery of the Musandam Mountains, location of many fossils dating back millions of years. We’ll drive to Jebel Harim, which at 2087 meters high is the tallest mountain in Musandam. Our journey there will take us past a calm and quaint Bedouin village – Sayh – which is located 1100 meters above sea level.
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Onward we’ll go to the pre-Islamic graveyard in Rowdah village and then to KhawrNajid to enjoy stunning views of the Indian Ocean. Our final destination of the day will be a park of Acacia trees at Khalidiya, before we all return to Khasab and another pleasant night at the Crown Plaza Hotel.
DAY 11 – MUSANDAM TO MUSCAT
Our final morning is yours to spend however you want to, before we catch a flight back to Muscat.
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