Oman Desert Adventure
11 days starting on Thu 1 Nov 2012Oman is one of Arabia’s true gems - a land of rugged coastlines and vast deserts where tradition and progress go hand in hand. This wonderful adventure takes us from the heart of its...
Group Tours in Oman
Starting in November 2012
Starting in December 2012
Oman Desert Adventure
11 days starting on Thu 27 Dec 2012Oman is one of Arabia’s true gems - a land of rugged coastlines and vast deserts where tradition and progress go hand in hand. This wonderful adventure takes us from the heart of its...
Starting in February 2013
Oman Desert Adventure
11 days starting on Thu 21 Feb 2013Oman is one of Arabia’s true gems - a land of rugged coastlines and vast deserts where tradition and progress go hand in hand. This wonderful adventure takes us from the heart of its...
Oman Travel Guide
Muscat
Muscat became the capital of Oman in 1793 but its origins lie much further back in time. Its name translates as ‘anchorage’ and the concealed harbour was mentioned by the geographer Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD. It is still an important port today and a major contributor to the city’s economy. Surrounded on three sides by mountains and with few high rise blocks the city retains an air of elegance and classical Arabian design that well rewards a visit.
Nizwa
A palm oasis situated in a plain and surrounded by Oman’s highest mountains, Nizwa was the capital of Oman from 751 to 1154 AD and is still regarded as the country’s cultural centre. It was more or less off limits to western travelers until recently due to its religious conservatism, but these days it is a justifiably popular destination.
Jabel Akhdar
The limestone peaks of Al Hajar (‘The Stone’) form the highest mountain range in eastern Arabia, paralleling the coast of the Gulf of Oman and stretching southeastward in a 700 km arc. Rising up out of the surrounding desert, these spectacular mountains reach a maximum height of 3075 m on Jabel Shams ('Mountain of the Sun'), which lies in Jabal Akhdar (‘Green Mountains’, at the heart of the range. Fed by many wadis, remarkably fertile gardens and plantations hide in this essentially desert landscape. Wadi Ghul is the largest and best known of these valleys, and supports a great variety of flora (such as fig, apricots and pomegranates trees) fauna and nomadic peoples.
Salalah
Salalah is the capital of Dhofar, Oman’s southernmost province, and is a vibrant, colourful place that has its roots in the profitable frankincense trade that proliferated in the region. An important port for centuries, the town has something of an East African flavour as a result of Oman’s former territories, and plantations of bananas and papayas add to this feel.
Sur
Sur was once a major port, trading mainly with East Africa, and exemplifies Oman’s seafaring traditions with an attractive cornice, some beautiful beaches, two forts and the dhow yards where these vessels have been built for centuries.
Ras Al Hadd
This pleasant fishing village and lagoon has some wonderful beaches overlooking the blue waters of the Arabian Sea. It is very close to Ras Al-Jinz, the easternmost point of the Arabian Peninsula, which is famous all over the world for its green turtle nesting sights. The mothers come ashore all year round (though particularly in October and November) to give birth to their young. It is possible to go out at night to watch them nest.
Wahiba Sands
The Wahiba Sands are one of the country’s most isolated desert areas where majestic dunes blown by the wind tower above . As the sun moves through the sky the sands reflect a multitude of ever changing hues. This is a fantastic place to go and experience the silent beauty of the desert.
Hajar Mountains
Beyond Nizwa, the southern flanks of the Western Hajar Mountains can be readily seen rising over 2000 metres above the surrounding countryside. Within these mountains, rugged networks of wadi channels have carved networks of dramatic canyons and caves. The most fertile of these have been cultivated by the hardy shuwawis, mountain people, who have adapted to their harsh lifestyle. In Al Hamra, 400 year-old mud houses are still standing and occupied to this day and hidden neatly in a crevasse on the mountainside lies Misfah, a garden paradise of farmers and herders.
To the west Jebel Shams (mountain of the Sun) is the tallest peak in Oman at 3010 metres. Here you will find one of Oman's greatest natural wonders, the Wadi Nakhr Gorge. Inside the canyon, you can haggle with the local rug weavers, trek to the cliff dwellings along the canyon rim and visit remains of towns once occupied by Persian settlers.
Jabel Shams
The limestone peaks of Al Hajar form the highest mountain range in eastern Arabia, paralleling the coast of the Gulf of Oman and stretching south-eastward in a 700 km arc. Rising up out of the surrounding desert, these spectacular mountains reach a maximum height of 3075 m on Jabel Shams ('Mountain of the Sun'), which lies in Jabal Akhdar, at the heart of the range.
Fed by many wadis, remarkably fertile gardens and plantations hide in this essentially desert landscape. Wadi Ghul is the largest and best known of these valleys, and supports a great variety of flora, fauna and nomadic peoples.
Khasab
Khasab is the gateway to the Musandam Peninsula which juts into the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow entry into the Persian Gulf, from the Arabian Peninsula. The Musandam peninsula is an exclave of Oman, separated from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates. Its location gives Oman partial control, shared with Iran, of the strategic strait. In the northern section of Musandam, around Kumzar, the current language is Kumzari, which are one of the south-western Iranian languages and a sub-branch of Persian.
Oman Travel Information
Visa Information
UK Passport holders and EU citizens do not require a visa to enter Oman.
Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the end of your trip. Please ensure the passport details we hold for you are correct.
Please note it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct visa documentation when starting your trip. Country entry regulations can alter daily and it is always best to check with the relevant embassies for any changes.
If you are travelling on a non-UK passport, please contact your nearest consulate/embassy for up to date visa information.
Insurance:
Insurance that provides cover for emergency repatriation in case of a medical emergency is compulsory for all tours.
You should be aware that many standard insurance policies may not cover you adequately for all aspects of a Wild Frontiers trip and so we strongly recommend that you purchase a suitably designed insurance policy.
One such policy is the "Wild Frontiers" policy underwritten by Ace European Group Limited (ACE " firm reference 202803), which is available to EU residents (which excludes Norway & Switzerland) through our website or via the insurance company direct on 0845 345 3456. Under this policy there are two different levels of cover available.
Standard policy: a comprehensive travel insurance policy that provides cover for all Wild Frontiers activities, including trekking up to 6,000m. This policy does not provide cover for travel to areas where the FCO is advising against all or all but essential travel.
Elite policy: provides the same comprehensive level of cover as the standard policy. In addition the Elite policy also provides cover for travel to areas where the FCO is advising against all or all but essential travel. The policy will not provide cover for any claims arising from or relating to the reasons why the FCO is advising against travel.
If purchasing the Elite policy you also have the option to extend the cover provided by the policy to include cover for claims arising from a terrorist act in an area where the FCO is advising against travel. You can add this cover to your policy when purchasing online or over the telephone.
These policies are only available to those travelling on a Wild Frontiers holiday.
For more information and to purchase your policy online please visit the Insurance section of our website.
The cover is underwritten by Ace European Group Limited (ACE), and is arranged by Travel & General Insurance Service Limited. Both companies are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Wild Frontiers Limited is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Travel & General Insurance Company plc, details of which can be found at the FSA's website www.fsa.gov.uk.
To contact them please visit their website at www.travel-general.com or call 0845 408 0583.
Health and Vaccinations:
There are no mandatory immunisations for travellers to Oman, though you should be up-to-date with Typhoid, Tetanus, Polio and Hepatitis A. Malaria is present in some parts of Oman so we recommend you seek advice from your local GP or travel centre as to the correct immunisations and preventative treatments.
We also recommend:
• A dental check-up prior to travelling.
• You inform us of any pre-existing medical conditions or medication.
To be on the safe side you can also check on www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk
Tour Leaders
Dhala Campbell
Named after a Yemeni fort and pass, Dhala was brought up in Scotland and spent her childhood mucking about on horses.
The travel bug started when... Read More
Marc Leaderman
Narrowly escaping the "lawyer, doctor or accountant" stereotype career that is the fate of many London sons, Marc taught English in Romania & Japan... Read More
Tom Skipwith
As a baby being taken around India on the back of a motorbike by his travel-crazed parents, the adventure bug was firmly embedded and a nomadic soul was... Read More
