Did you ever go camping as a child with your family? If so, you’re sure to recall the adventure of cooking your evening meal over a fire or gas stove, sleeping outside, listening to the night sounds through the thin walls of your temporary house and being close to nature.
Being British, I remember a lot of my camping days being full of the meditative sounds of rain on my tent. Mud and wellingtons featured a lot too, as I trudged my way to the outside toilets and showers hoping there would be hot water when I got there.
Finns camping spot
My South African husband remembers a different version. Warm, musky evenings, cooking over a braai (what’s new?) and then trying to decipher the night sounds with your imagination going wild, convincing you it’s the local lion.
Our daughter however, who is now eight years old, will remember her desert camping adventures in the Middle East; taking her bath in a kitchen washing up bowl, digging a hole to go to the toilet, climbing sand dunes, basking in the hot sun and listening to the ocean waves, or just the sound of silence.
Oman is one of my favourite camping locations, so here are some ideas to inspire you to try this trip with your family.
Day 1
With the car packed and loaded to the brim, we took the five hour journey to Muscat via the Khatmat Malahah, Kalba border crossing. We had plans to camp the night at the Oman Dive Centre, which looked idyllic when we got there (a small, pretty bay with shower and toilet access for a small fee), but unfortunately this was closed for refurbishment, so we drove another 5km and camped on Yiti beach. The barren, rough, Hajar Mountains were the backdrop of a long vanilla beach, overlooking the blue, Indian Ocean — it made a great camping spot. We found a secluded area back from the ocean, as it can get quite busy, and camped in the bushes at the base of one of the mountains. We packed our first night’s dinner in a cool box from Dubai: chicken drum sticks over an open fire, with roasted garlic and olive oil vegetables, also cooked on foil over the fire.
Tip: Don’t forget the mosquito repellent.
Day 2
We planned to do the Wadi Shab hike, so after a 1.5hr drive down the coast and a stop at Lulu in Muscat beforehand to pick up ice and that evening’s dinner of sausages and hotdog rolls, we arrived at around 11:00 a.m. It took four hours to complete the round trip hike; our daughter is eight years old, so families with older children could potentially do it faster. On a scale of one to ten, the hike is about a five, and involves climbing boulders, crossing gentle waterfalls and streams and walking on uneven paths. The scenery is breathtaking. When you have seen enough of huge, daunting mountains either side of you, there are frequent idyllic aqua green pools to jump in and cool off. At the end of Wadi Shab, there is a 15-minute swim to a small opening in between two rocks, which opens up into a huge cave and waterfall. It’s quite a spectacular ending to what is an already breathtaking walk, and it’s definitely worth the swim if you have the energy.
Tip: Wear waterproof, stable shoes with a grip and take a waterproof rucksack with snacks and water.
We retraced our journey back 10km and camped on the small but amazing cliffs of Finns. Desolate and peaceful, this is a great place to cast your fishing rod for a couple of hours.
Tip: Always keep a head torch each, for use at night
Bimmah sink hole
Day 3
The next morning, before we drove 1.5hrs to Ras Al Jinz, making the short journey to the Bimmah sinkhole. We spent some time swimming in this geological hole that is said to have formed as the limestone wore away into a vacuum in the earth. Some people say a large star falling from the sky hit the earth and formed the hole; I like to believe the latter!
In Ras Al Jinz we decided to camp at Al Naseem campsite. Although they have small, basic huts with air-conditioning for 500AED a night, they also allow you to pitch your tent and camp on their land. They include dinner, breakfast, a turtle guide, toilets and showers for 300AED.
We decided to go out with a local fisherman in the afternoon to see if we could add to dinner with a catch of fresh fish. We arranged to meet him through the Manager of Al-Naseem camp and met him at the
fishing port of Ras Al Hadd. We saw so many turtles swimming in the ocean, popping their old heads up for air, just like they are saying “hello” for a moment. It’s so quick that it’s hard to get a photo, but it’s a beautiful experience nevertheless. Our fisherman really knew the waters and we caught lots of small “Sheri” fish for dinner. Along with our catch, Al-Naseem camp serve up a dinner of chicken, salad, bread and dal. We had an early night, as the next morning warranted a 4:00 a.m. start to see if we could find any turtles.
Turtle covering eggs Ras Al Jinz
Day 4
We met the guide at the Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve and started a long hard hike across the beach by moonlight. The guide ensured that expectations were set and that you “may not see any turtles”. However, luck was with us and as the sun peeped up over the Indian Ocean, we watched a Mama (or it could have been a Papa) turtle, covering their eggs after laying up to 180 of them, which was a mesmerising and relaxing experience. The guide then spotted 4 baby turtles that had hatched a little further down the beach, and we watched them struggle their way to the sea, for the start of their own adventure.
Al Naseem camp sent us on our way with a hearty breakfast of eggs, bread and dal from the night before, as we backtracked to Sur to discover this historical city. We spent some time preparing for our camp that night and bought some fresh fish, ice to keep it chilled and vegetables for dinner. We then did a spot of fishing from the beach shore, with a wonderful view of the lighthouse, decorative mosques and the old buildings of Sur along the waterfront. We found a lovely Arabic restaurant that served us freshly baked, warm Arabic bread with rice and a delicious chicken dish for lunch, which
we savoured along with some cool mint lemonade, which was appreciated even more with the prospect of the hot desert ahead of us.
In the early afternoon, we set off on the 2hr journey inland from Sur to Wahiba Sands. After an hour of driving, into view came the mountains on our right and the dunes on our left. Reaching over 100ft high, the soft flour like, cool, orange sands of Wahiba are welcoming but mysterious, vast yet intimate. We nestled our tent at the base of a dune and settled in for our last night of cooking over a fire and star watching.
Tip: Wake up early and pack up your tent before the hot sun gets to you.
Wahiba sands camping spot
Day 5
The two hour journey back to Muscat is pretty straightforward, yet it makes a long day to add another five hours back to Dubai, so we added a two-night, much appreciated stay at a hotel onto the end of our trip.We also played Michael Jackson’s “Greatest Hits” during the road trip, but, of course, these two additions are totally optional.
Words + Photos By: Lisa Whyte
