Silent Sands and Shooting Stars

Have you ever experienced total silence?  Where not even the faintest electrical hum or mechanical whirr disturbs you: the only distraction being the sound of your own breath?  Deafening silence - it really is just that!

It could even feel a bit eerie if it weren’t for the densely glittering ceiling, which descends fantastically above and around you.

To experience the universe in all its glory, undisturbed by light or noise pollution, is a spectacular thing.  And luckily for us, it is not just an ethereal fantasy from a film, but an easily organised overnight trip, and one of the best things to do in Oman, just a few hours drive from Oman’s capital city, Muscat.

A number of desert camps are waiting to be explored in the Wahiba Sands area, with a choice of accommodation options. You could make like a Bedouin and bunk down in a traditional, simple, heavily woven tent. Or settle into a barasti or concrete hut, like the ones on offer at Al Raha Tourism Camp and Sama Al Wasil Camp. Some have en-suite bathrooms with the amazing aspect of being open to the elements (there are walls for privacy, only the roof is missing!) How nice to shower under the stars.  How weird to have geckos watching you brush your teeth.

The camps’ generators are switched off mid-evening, thus creating the serene environment that desert campers are here to find.  However, gas lamps and torches can be provided, so that you may move around the camp without ending up in someone else’s tent, unintentionally. 

1000 Nights camp has a great restaurant, serving a buffet of local dishes accompanied by Arabic musicians and dancers.  Hefty rustic tables hold parties of people and countless cushions are strewn around to create seating areas on the carpets.

In true Omani fashion, kids are welcomed and provided for, with play areas, camel and horse rides.  And everyone will appreciate a dip in the swimming pool after a hot day’s travelling.

Dune bashing in a quad bike will have you flying over the hills, looking and sounding like an oversized irate bee. Or make use of the car’s internal handles and create sand storms on the slopes, with your 4WD.