Wahiba Sands was the next stop on the Oman Adventure!

To start off our road trip, we headed south from Muscat to the Wahiba Sands just outside Bidiyah.  With a fun stop to swim at Bimmah Sinkhole and lovely views of the Ocean en-route, the 3.5 hour drive went fast.  We didn’t take the direct route as our goal was a road trip, and to see the country!  

From Bidiyah, it was an easy drive through the desert.  Although we had 4×4 (as did all the cars there), I think a sedan car could make it, especially if you’re used to driving in sand or snow.  It’s worth letting air out of your tires before leaving the pavement, and folks at nearby gas stations will try to convince you that you need their transport, but it’s really not bad.  Waze was reliable as well, as was the signage for this particular hotel/camp.  

Wahiba Desert Nights Resort

We arrived at Desert Nights Resort in late afternoon, got settled into our cabin, and went for a sunset camel ride in the dunes.  Instead of the 4×4 ride to watch sunset, we did a sunset camel ride  – expensive (90 OMR/pp!) but totally worth it for the experience of riding camels in the sand dunes.  We had a blast.  Our camels were friendly as was our guide.

They say you have to kiss a few ‘frogs’ before finding a prince . . . Oman-style!

The evening meal was tasty and it was lovely to sit out under the desert sky!

The next morning, we left early for Wadi Bani Khaled and making our way North.

Desert Nights Resort 

• The rooms were more than adequate/comfortable and it was awesome to be in the middle of the sand dunes, even if a bit touristy.  Sometimes things are famous for a reason!
• Dinner was lovely – outdoor buffet and nice to sit under these stars and enjoy the desert.
• Breakfast was also nice – again lovely to watch sunrise and enjoy the morning air while eating a good meal.
• While one could stay longer than a night and find things to do (4×4, four-wheeling), one night felt like enough for us, especially given how many great options for exploring there are in Oman.