Wahiba Sands

The Wahiba Sands, now officially called the Sharqiya Sands, are a sea of honey-coloured dunes stretching south from the Hajar Mountains. Bedouin families still herd camels here, and a scattering of desert camps offers anything from simple tents to comfortable chalets with private bathrooms.

Afternoons bring a 4x4 dune drive and a camel ride to a ridge for sunset, followed by dinner and a sky full of stars far from city lights. Early risers can climb a dune for sunrise before breakfast.

The drive from Muscat takes around three hours, and we usually break it with a swim in the green pools of Wadi Bani Khalid. The final stretch into camp is on soft sand, so a 4x4 transfer is needed.