Wahiba Sands

Wahiba Sands (also known as Sharqiya Sands) is a region of desert in the far east of Oman. Famed for its beautiful, endless sandy dunes, Wahiba perfectly fits the romantic picture that most of us have in our minds when thinking about a desert: it is a vast expanse of sand where you can indulge in stargazing, camel rides and epic sunsets over the endless and perfectly formed dunes, not to mention the more modern pursuits of dune bashing and sand-boarding. Interestingly, the dunes are formed in regular linear waves – take a look on google earth – and they make their way inland from the coast at a rate of around 10m per year. Many would say that you haven’t had the full Omani experience if you haven’t camped overnight in the desert and, baring a flight down to Salalah and the Empty Quarter, this really is the place to do it with a range of options from very simple to high-end luxury camps. Access to most of the camps comes via the villages of Al Wasil or Bidiyah but the Bedouin towns of Sinaw and Ibra, with their souqs and markets are also well worth stopping in and no visit to eastern Oman is complete without a swim in one of the famous wadis (you have Wadis Arbaeen, Shab, Tiwi and Wadi Bani Khalid to choose from).