The Desert Diva I’m often being asked for advice on where to go/what to see in Oman; here’s the first of a series of itineraries I’ve made – all you need do is book your hotel, pack your car and go!
Duration: 4 nights, 5 days
Accommodation: Hotels (Camping options available on nights 1-3)
Travel by: 4×4 if you wish to drive up Jebel Akhdar, 2WD sedan is fine for all other locations mentioned.
Suitable for: couples, families, hillwalkers, nature lovers
Four night tour taking you from the fruit growing terraces at Jebel Akhdar over to the seaside at Sur, culminating in the capital city of Muscat.
Travelling from Al Ain, it will take you 2.5 hours approx to get to Nizwa, using the Mezyad/Hafeet border crossing. If you are coming from Abu Dhbai or Dubai, add 1.5 hours.
Day one:
Start early by traveling to Nizwa then head up the mountain of Jebel Akhdar – 4x4s are mandatory for this road. If you don’t have a 4×4, you can stay at a hotel in Nizwa and get a local guide to take you up for a day. Visit some local villages and fruit plantations or hike over the mountain – but note that temperatures are very cold (think freezing) in the winter.
terrace view
Night One – Suggested Hotel: Sahab, Jebel Akhdar or Golden Tulip, Nizwa
Day two
Drive to Sur by road which is quite a long journey through varied countryside – mountains and wadis. Stop by the lovely Muqal pools at Wadi Bani Khaled and have a swim through the most amazing scenery!
Night two and three – Suggested Hotel: Sur Plaza
Day three
Head south along the coast, stopping at Khor Grama where you can see mangroves at the edge of the water and lots of wildlife. Travel further south to visit the Turtle Sanctuary at Ras Al Jinz (you can return here in the evening to take a tour of the nesting sites), which is the most easterly point on the Arabian peninsula. If the sea is calm then gaze a little while and you may see dolphins! Return to Sur and have a wander along the beach before sunset as the local young men play football.
Day four
Drop in past the dhow shipyard at Sur, before heading north to Muscat, with a visit to Wadi Dayqah Dam and/or Bahma sinkhole on the way.
Night four – suggested Hotel: Tulip Inn or Crowne Plaza, Muscat
Day five
Visit Muttrah souq in Muscat, travel home. Two options are available – the first is to return to Nizwa and onwards to the UAE and the other to drive up the coast to Sohar before heading inland. At the time of writing the Sohar road has major roadworks (as has a 40km stretch of road between Nizwa and Ibri).
Waypoints
Please note – none of the hotels mentioned have sponsored this blog. I have stayed in two of them personally and had lunch/dinner in them all. There are other hotels available in all mentioned locations, including budget accommodation.