Empty roads, awesome landscapes – a road trip through beautiful Oman is packed with pleasures

With a mixed age of 268 years, 4 of us booked per week’s self-drive journey in Oman. This was on the recommendation of my gung-ho nephew and spouse (half our age) who had pushed themselves across the precipitous mountains and deserts and claimed it a doddle. We weren’t satisfied.

An in a single day flight from the UK meant we have been in our rent automobile — a spotless white Toyota 4×4 — by 8am, considerably blurry eyed. Our vacation spot: the Hajar Mountains. The wonderful roads have been empty, and mercifully indicators have been in each Arabic and English.

With a inhabitants of round 5 million, Oman — which is barely greater than the UK — has an extended affiliation with Britain, and stays a steadfast vacation spot within the Arabian Gulf. The luxurious lodges work harmoniously with Oman’s robust sense of historical past and tradition.

Wild terrain: Clare Mann went on a self-drive journey in Oman and mentioned the roads have been ‘wonderful’. Pictured is a coastal street within the Khasab area 

En route we stopped on the Seventeenth-century Jabrin Fort near Nizwa, the traditional capital of Oman. Cocooned in our cool automobile, we stepped out right into a temperature of 35c. As the one guests, we have been warmly welcomed into its labyrinth, together with a jail for girls (normal in Omani castles) and an upstairs stall for the Imam’s most prized horse — considered one of 1000’s stored.

We caught the tail finish of a raucous cattle and goat market in Nizwa, however livelier nonetheless was the gun souk the place kids in Aviator shades hearth historical weapons into the air for the sheer enjoyable of it.

We have been transfixed by the singing troopers in Nizwa fortress — and have been slightly frightened to see one of many swords they have been whirling fly into the gang. ‘Was that meant?’ requested a French vacationer, unruffled, because it landed at his ft, blade within the floor.

Pictured is the Seventeenth-century Jabrin Fort close to Nizwa, which Clare stopped at en path to the Hajar Mountains 

Switchback roads took us by way of a stupendous rocky panorama with occasional slashes of vivid inexperienced — terraces carved out of the rock face. Ingeniously irrigated, olives, pomegranates and damask roses flourish.

Alila Jabal Akhdar was our vacation spot for the subsequent 4 days. On arrival we ate a luxurious lunch on the lodge terrace perched, at 6,561ft, on a precipice above a canyon. Layers of jagged mountains disappeared into the haze round us.

Away from the comforts of this impressively plastic-free lodge, there’s a lot to do.

Regardless of numerous illnesses, from new hips to dodgy knees, we selected a distinct trek every day, mountain climbing alongside the winding slim terraces or clambering over easy boulders in a dried-out wadi (riverbed), accompanied by butterflies and goats.

Clare stayed at Desert Nights Camp in Wahiba Sands the place friends are invited to sit down on camels. Pictured is a camel resting within the warmth of the desert (inventory picture)

Pleasant greeting: Clare was impressed with the Omani hospitality. Pictured is an Omani lady in conventional gown

We swam in a transparent opal pool whereas frogs and tiny fish skittered away. A Dutch household struggled by. ‘What was improper with the lodge pool?’ grumbled their teenager in flip-flops.

We loved the lodge astronomy evenings, though they have been a tad aggressive, with everybody desirous to look concurrently by way of the telescope in case they missed the comet.

The geology walks have been fascinating, and we marvelled on the 500 million-year-old fossils that smothered the black limestone rocks. ‘When you can match them in your suitcase you’ll be able to take something house,’ mentioned Mohamed, the resident geologist. On film evening (the display screen on the sting of the abyss), wrapped in a blanket with a glass of crimson wine, we watched Marilyn Monroe’s Some Like It Scorching towards a stunning evening sky.

A sublime and aged Omani couple requested for a rerun with one other glass of champagne.

For the actual Bedouin expertise you will need to journey far south to the Empty Quarter, however as time was restricted we visited Wahiba Sands, a three-hour drive away.

Right here, Desert Nights Camp is an oasis of cabins with a central restaurant. We arrived simply as a coach-load of Germans have been leaving with their wheelie suitcases, and have been invited to sit down on camels or watch the sundown from a dune alongside different friends with glasses of heat rosé. Neither appealed, so we visited some captive however skittish Arabian oryx close by.

Heavenly: Clare handled herself to two nights at ‘swish’ five-star lodge The Chedi in Muscat (pictured)

Potential catastrophe struck as we headed again to Muscat: a blowout. But it surely turned out to be a spotlight of our journey — an introduction to Omani hospitality.

Two autos stopped immediately. Not a drop of grime touched our sort benefactor’s spotless white dishdash as he modified our shredded tyre. He then took us to a tyre store and negotiated a deal for a second-hand tyre at £20.

After our 346-mile circuit we handled ourselves to 2 nights at swish five-star lodge The Chedi in Muscat. Swimming within the Arabian Sea and watching tankers progress down the Strait of Hormuz with a whisky bitter, we mused that, sure, our street journey had been a doddle.