Our Travels: Northern Oman

We’re often asked: “What’s the difference between World Words and other content writing agencies?” Our answer is simple: experience. While most agencies have rows of writers sitting behind desks and researching topics, our expert travel writers and editors are on the road, digging and discovering to get personal experience and insight to inform their content. Not only are our contributors based all over the world, from Europe to Asia, North America to Australia, but they love to travel too. We’ve itchy feet by nature, so we spend almost as much of our collective time exploring the world as we do writing about it. And that’s what makes World Words stand out from the pack.

To highlight our team’s wanderlust, we like to share their travel stories through a blog feature we call Our Travels. This month, our editor-in-chief Joe Reaney recalls a recent, unforgettable trip to Oman. Scroll down to read more…

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Joe on a sand dune in the middle of the Omani desert, as the sun slowly sets.

Why I went to Oman
A friend of ours had always talked at length about Oman. She had lived there a few years back, and was keen to emphasise its tourism credentials, and how different it was from neighbouring UAE. Expect traditional architecture not modern skyscrapers, and great outdoorsy opportunities from the desert to the coast, she said. We were sold, so when it came to choosing somewhere for a winter break, we didn’t hesitate to book a three-week trip around Oman. With a tent packed and a rental SUV booked, we were excited to start our off-the-beaten-path adventure.

My highlight of the trip
For sheer novelty factor, my highlight has to be driving amongst the sand dunes. We had booked a night’s stay in a Bedouin-inspired camp in the middle of desert, and to get there we had to drive 40 kilometres from the nearest road, straight across the sand dunes. As I was at the last petrol station before the desert, letting air out of the tyres for extra grip, I was feeling quite apprehensive. But I needn’t have worried. It was an amazing experience, driving up huge sand banks, weaving between desert shrubs, and skidding down dunes. We arrived at the camp an hour before sunset, which allowed us time to climb a sand dune to watch the orange glow of the sun slowly dissipate.

What else I love about Oman
Let’s start with the turtle watching. Oman sees literally thousands of sea turtles migrate to its shores every year to lay their eggs, so we decided to arrange a late-night trip to Ras al Jinz turtle reserve. We saw a giant Green Turtle giving birth, then burying the eggs in the sand. We also saw hatchlings racing to the sea under cover of darkness.

Another highlight was Masirah Island. It may not have sunbeds and cocktails, but it has some of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen – and not a single person for miles around. Then there were the dolphins. During a trip to the remote Musandam peninsula, we went sailing among the fjords, and we were followed by a pod of dolphins. They swam right alongside of the boat, occasionally dipping underneath to re-emerge on the other side. Magical.

Oh, and Muscat. This lovely city feels modern and developed but with a strong sense of tradition. No skyscrapers.

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A dolphin calf playing in the wake of our sail boat during a trip to the Musandam Peninsula.

Why you should go
I saw a good amount of Oman – during three weeks, we drove more than 2,500 kilometres around the northern half of the country, with an additional trip to Musandam – and it’s a liberating experience. As long as you have an SUV, a tent and a good supply of food and water, you can travel anywhere and sleep anywhere. There’s no need to pre-book hotels or restaurants, which means you can wake every morning and decide there and then whether you want to explore the stunning modern architecture of Muscat or the beautifully untouched beaches of Masirah.

How you can visit
Muscat International Airport has direct flights to 55 destinations in 27 countries, and this includes London, Zurich and Mumbai. But it’s also easy to fly into Dubai and travel onwards by land to Oman, whether you are going east to Muscat or north to the Musandam Peninsula. There are plenty of hotel options, but I’d recommend camping, as you can pitch a tent pretty much anywhere in the country. Desert, mountains, beaches, city parks; take your pick.

The team at World Words regularly write content about Asia and The Middle East – you can read some of our articles, guides and web copy on the region here. You can also stay in loop with all our latest news onĀ Twitter.

3 thoughts on “Our Travels: Northern Oman

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