Oman - Oman, UAE and Arabian Peninsula - page 313

( 99 336273; www.nomadicdesertcamp.com ; s/d without bathroom OR49/76; ) This intimate
camp, run by a Bedouin family, offers personal service in the heart of the dunes. Accom-
modation is in barasti -style huts with shared bathrooms. Included in the price is transport
to and from Al-Wasil on the Muscat-Sur Hwy, a camel ride and visit to a Bedouin village.
There is no generator and therefore no air-con, which makes for a peaceful and authentic
experience.
Desert Nights Camp$$$ DESERT CAMP
( 92 818388; www.desertnightscamp.com ; half board s/d OR164/199; Aug-May; ) This camp offers
what might best be described as 'bush chic' for those who want to see the sands but don't
really want to engage with them. The compact, canvas-roofed cabins are impeccably de-
signed with boutique furnishings and the majlis (seating area), bar and reception area are
decked with Omani antiques. However luxurious the camp, the noise from quad bikes is
irritiating despite the sunset curfew.
There is 24-hour electricity, year-round air-conditioning and hot-water showers so you
can pretend you are anywhere but the desert. Just 11km from Al-Wasil, a sealed and then
a graded road leads up to the camp gate. There's free transport from the road for those
without 4WD.
DRIVING TO THE DESERT CAMPS
If you're driving a 4WD to a camp through soft sands it can be an exhilirating but also an unnerving experience.
Here are a few tips to make sure you get there in one piece.
» Deflate your tyres slightly at the edge of the sands to help with traction.
» Avoid driving on graded desert tracks with deflated tyres - this is the quickest way to a puncture.
» Strap down any loose luggage in the car to avoid it taking flight as you rev over a sand dune.
» Engage 4WD but only use low ratio if you can feel the vehicle labouring.
» Keep the speed up, especially on inclines, and avoid steering over high dunes - this is for play only.
» Don't stop! Aim for pockets of hard ground between soft sand if you need a break to gather your wits.
» If a Bedu suggests an alternative route to your camp, it may well be a better route but it will cost you. Expect to
tip OR15 for a short guiding service. Don't follow vague instructions like 'round that dune and just over there' -
you'll never find the way!
» Remember to reinflate your tyres at the nearest village before driving too far on sealed roads after leaving the
sands.
Getting There & Around