Oman

We landed in Muscat around noon, picked up our self-drive car shortly after, and made our way to the hotel. After checking in and grabbing a relaxed lunch at a nearby Indian restaurant, we headed back to rest briefly and shake off the travel fatigue.

In the evening, we visited Mutrah Souk and spent a few unhurried hours wandering through its narrow lanes. While many shops sold similar items, the atmosphere, bustle, and energy made it a fun and immersive way to start the trip.

Driving in Oman took a little adjustment at first, but once we settled in, it was genuinely enjoyable. The roads were excellent, signage was clear, and getting around Muscat felt effortless.

We started the day early with a dolphin cruise, and it turned out to be an incredible experience. The waters were a striking turquoise, and we were lucky enough to spot well over a hundred dolphins swimming freely around the boat.

Nearby Al Bustan village felt calm and picturesque, with its white-and-blue buildings giving it a distinctly Mediterranean vibe. It was a lovely spot for a short break and some photos.

From there, we drove to Nizwa. The barren landscapes along the way were unexpectedly beautiful, and the drive itself was a pleasure. By evening, we explored Nizwa Souk, sampled various local sweets, and unanimously picked tahini halwa as our favorite.

Every Friday morning in Nizwa, the Goat Market comes alive between 7 and 11. Villagers and shepherds from nearby areas bring their goats and cattle into the city, and the entire space fills up with buyers, sellers, and curious onlookers. Buyers sit in a loose circle while sellers parade their animals through the centre, with deals sealed through handshakes and cash. Watching this unfold was fascinating and felt like stepping straight into a living tradition.

After the market, we drove to Al Hoota Caves. The caves were incredibly impressive, with naturally formed stalactites and stalagmites that are millions of years old. The walk through the caves was well laid out, and the small trivia boards along the way made it both educational and enjoyable.

From Al Hoota, we headed to the nearby village of Bahla to explore Bahla Fort and the adjoining historic mosque. The fort itself was massive and atmospheric, though not very clearly marked, and we felt a guide would have added more depth to the experience. After spending several hours there and struggling to find vegetarian food around the area, we drove back to Nizwa and ended the day with another relaxed walk through the souk.

We started the morning at Nizwa Fort and the adjoining castle. Hiring a guide turned out to be an excellent decision, as the additional stories and historical context made the visit far more engaging. Without the guide, much of the fort would have been easy to miss.

From Nizwa, we drove to the mountain village of Misfat Al Abriyeen and wandered through its narrow lanes. The village was stunning, but our walk slowly turned into an unintended hike. As daylight faded quickly and the surroundings grew quiet, the experience became slightly nerve-wracking before we finally found our way back to the village parking.

We ended the day in Al Hamra, staying in a traditional Omani house. The home was warm, charming, and full of character, and it genuinely gave us a sense of what everyday life in an Omani village might feel like.

We checked out of the Al Hamra old house after a slow, relaxed morning and began the long but beautiful drive towards Wadi Bani Khalid. Once at the wadi, we hiked to the very end of the wadi.

We had an early dinner near Wadi Bani Khalid and began our second long drive of the day towards Ras Al Jinz. For nearly 50 kilometres, there were no streetlights at all, as well as zero other vehicles on the road - making it the loneliest drive of our trip - it was a surreal experience.

At Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve, the entire experience was thoughtfully organised. Visitors were grouped and asked to wait until rangers confirmed turtle activity. We waited patiently until a turtle finally chose a spot to lay her eggs. When it was our turn, we watched her carefully cover the eggs before slowly returning to the sea. We also saw newly hatched baby turtles making their way towards the ocean. Combined with glowing plankton along the shore and a sky full of stars, the night felt deeply emotional and unforgettable.

We drove from Ras Al Hadd to Sur and started the day at a dhow factory and it's adjoining maritime museum, where traditional dhows and canoes are still built entirely by hand. Watching craftsmen work on carvings, hinges, and wooden panels was fascinating, and we spent a couple of hours observing the process.

After lunch at a small local spot, we headed to the Al Ayjah Watchtower. The short hike up was well worth it - we stayed long enough to see Sur both before sunset and as the city slowly lit up for the night. Compared to the lighthouse, this felt like a far better vantage point.

Later, we stopped by Sur Corniche for coffee and briefly visited Sur Souq before heading back. We had planned another night of stargazing and plankton watching, but access to the beach was restricted. Even so, setting up our tripod nearby and simply staring at the star-filled sky was a perfect way to end the day.

We reached Wadi Shab around 11am and rented life jackets at the parking area for 1 OMR each. The shop owner was refreshingly honest - when we showed him our own waterproof phone covers, he simply told us we didn’t need to buy anything extra. After taking the short boat ride across the river, we started the 45–50 minute trek.

Once the trail gave way to water, we left our bags behind, put on our life jackets, and slowly entered the cold water. As it got deeper, panic briefly set in. Luckily, we met another Indian couple travelling with a guide, who patiently taught us how to float properly using the life jacket and move through the water without fighting it.

That advice changed everything. Moving slowly, we made our way through the water, soaking in the sounds, sights, and calm of the wadi. By the time we were back at the parking area, it was close to 3pm and we were exhausted and starving.

We had originally planned to visit Bimmah Sinkhole and Tiwi Beach as well, but Wadi Shab took longer than expected and the early sunset made it impractical. We decided to leave those for the next day instead.

We started the day early to visit Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, which is open to non-Muslims only between 8am and 11am. We got a guide inside the mosque - a warm and friendly Omani uncle who shared insights about the mosque, Islam, and life in Oman, making the visit far more meaningful.

Inside, we saw the mosque’s stunning architecture and learned about the second-largest hand-woven carpet in the world. Having already seen the largest carpet at Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, it felt like an oddly satisfying milestone.

Later, we drove to Bimmah Sinkhole - a dramatic natural formation connected to an underground water source. While many people were swimming, we mostly relaxed by the edge and watched fish nibble at our feet. It was pleasant, but not a must-do.

We then headed to Tiwi Beach, an incredibly calm and quiet pebble beach. We spent nearly two hours there, watching the sun set and the crystal-clear water meet the shore. Sitting there doing absolutely nothing turned out to be one of the most peaceful moments of the trip.

We had booked a half-day tour to the Damaniyat Islands - This protected group of islands off the coast of Muscat is known for its crystal-clear turquoise waters and rich marine life - turtles, sharks, corals, and massive schools of fish. Our tour included two snorkeling stops and time on one of the islands to take in the views from above.

At the first snorkeling stop, our boat captain patiently taught us how to snorkel - it was our first time. Once we got comfortable putting our heads underwater, we were blown away by what we saw: incredibly clear water, several turtles swimming nearby, and vibrant marine life all around us.

We then stopped near one of the islands, got off the boat, and walked up a small trail to a viewpoint overlooking the surrounding islands and open sea. After that, we snorkeled again near the shore, spotting coral reefs, jellyfish, and plenty of fish. By the end of the four-hour tour, we were completely exhausted but extremely happy. We reached back by around 2:30 pm, returned to the hotel, planned a short nap - and ended up sleeping for nearly 13 straight hours, interrupted only by a quick dinner.

By this point in the trip, we were fully in our water phase - and we decided to add Wadi Hoqain to our list of Wadis. We ended up buying two life jackets on the way at Hyper Max since this wadi wasn't very commercial.

The moment we entered the wadi, it felt completely different. The water got deep very quickly, starting out turquoise and gradually transforming into an unreal sulphur blue near the end. It was unlike any color we had ever seen in natural water, and it instantly became clear that the detour was worth it.

We grabbed some snacks at a small coffee shop near the wadi around 5 pm and headed back toward the city. With the newly bought life jackets taking up space, we picked up a drag bag for cheap and then made a final stop at Mutrah Souk to shop for souvenirs.

We returned our trusted Nissan Sunny after nearly 10 days and close to 2,000 km on the road. In its place arrived a massive 4x4 Mitsubishi Montero Sport - our ride for the desert and the mountains ahead. It was my first time driving a 4x4, and it took a little while to get comfortable behind the wheel.

Wahiba Sands was about a 3.5-hour drive away. Driving on the sand-dunes was such a different experience - and when we reached, we saw our tent was as simple and raw as it gets: a single bed, a cupboard, and an attached open-air bathroom. The desert stretched endlessly in every direction and looked stunning in the soft evening light.

Walking the dunes was physically demanding - deep sand, strong winds, and sand getting everywhere. By sunset, the light faded quickly. At around 7 pm, our guides Badar and Abdul Malik lit a campfire. There were only a handful of guests that night, which made the evening feel intimate and special.

Dinner was served at 7:30 pm and included a generous spread with plenty of vegetarian options. After dinner, everyone gathered around the fire as the guides shared stories about growing up in Bedouin culture and life in the desert. Later that night, under a sky bursting with stars, we spent nearly two hours trying to photograph the night sky - the most stars we had ever seen in our lives.

We woke up around 6 am to catch the sunrise, which meant climbing up a tall sand dune in the cold desert morning. It was absolutely worth it. After soaking in the sunrise, we crawled back to bed.

From there, we began the long 4.5-hour drive to Jebel Akhdar. At the entry checkpoint, a policeman verified our license and confirmed that we were indeed driving a 4WD. The steep roads took some getting used to, but switching to manual mode made the drive much smoother than automatic.

We visited Diana’s Point, where Princess Diana is said to have spent time during a visit to Oman. From there, we went to Al Ain village, an inhabited mountain village with quiet, charming walking paths.

The last day of the trip came with a heavy feeling - we were genuinely sad that it was ending. While driving back, at the foothills of Jebel Akhdar, we stopped at Birkat Al-Mauz, an abandoned village that had been inhabited for centuries before being left behind in the late 1980s.

The village was designed for a very different era - narrow, donkey-sized paths instead of roads for cars. You could clearly see the outlines of homes and imagine how each space was once used - bedrooms, kitchens, living areas - and picture what life in a tightly knit village must have felt like.

Once back in Muscat, we went to the Royal Opera House, and then to Mutrah Fort for sunset. Realising we still had a bit of time, we checked what we had missed and noticed we hadn’t visited Al-Jalali and Al-Mirani forts or the nearby viewpoints. Since they were just a short drive away, we did quick photo stops before heading back to Mutrah Souq. We spent the next couple of hours aimlessly walking around the souq, sitting quietly by the sea, and letting the feeling of the trip ending slowly sink in.