Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SURVIVAL GUIDE
Directory A-Z
ACCOMMODATION
In general, accommodation in Oman is limited and expensive. The following notes may be
helpful when booking accommodation:
Discounts can often be negotiated in the low season (May to September, except in Salalah
where peak season is June to August).
In many places, there's no alternative to the single midrange to top-end hotel, and smaller
towns often have no hotels at all.
Room rates for accommodation reviewed by Lonely Planet include the mandatory 17% tax
and include breakfast unless otherwise stated.
The only official campsites in Oman are at Ras al-Jinz, and some expensive 'camping ex-
perience' resorts in Ras al-Hadd and Sharqiya Sands.
Wild camping is one of the highlights of Oman, providing you are discreet, outside urban
areas and don't require creature comforts. Finding somewhere suitable to camp can be dif-
ficult without a 4WD vehicle.
SLEEPING PRICE RANGES
The following price ranges refer to a double room with bathroom and air-con in high season (November to March).
Taxes and breakfast are included in the price. Listings are arranged by price and then by author preference within a
price category.
$ less than OR45 (US$120)
$$ OR45-OR100 (US$120-US$265)
$$$ more than OR100 (US$265)
ACTIVITIES
Oman is a large country with a sparse population. There are still vast tracts of land without
a road that are virtually unmapped. This is excellent news for anyone interested in the out-
doors, as you have the chance of coming across an unmapped wadi or hidden cave system,
finding a bed of undisturbed fossils, or discovering a species unnamed by science - the
possibilities are endless. However, there is a responsibility, firstly, to avoid getting into a
dangerous situation (rescue services are either not available or stretched to the maximum in
taking care of road traffic accidents) and, secondly, to limit the negative impact of each
activity on the environment.
