The Wahiba Sands

The Wahiba Sands, also called the Sharqiya Sands, are a classic and beautiful Arabian desert, a vast sea of rolling dune ridges of fine red-gold sand stretching to the horizon in the east of Oman. Home to Bedouin families who still herd camels and goats, it is explored by four-wheel drive over the dunes, and the quintessential experience is an overnight at a desert camp, watching the sun set over the sands and the stars blaze in the clear night sky.

What you actually see

• The golden dunes - the vast rolling ridges of red-gold sand.
• A dune-drive - the four-wheel-drive adventure over the sands.
• A desert camp - the overnight camp and the starry night sky.
• The Bedouin life - the camel-herding families of the desert.

When to go

October to April for bearable temperatures, as the summer desert is dangerously hot; sunset and sunrise light the dunes most beautifully, and winter nights can be surprisingly cold, so bring a layer for a desert camp.

Honest expectations

Driving on the dunes requires a proper four-wheel drive and some skill or a guide, as vehicles easily get stuck; most visitors go with a tour or stay at a desert camp that arranges transfers. Camps range from basic to luxurious. Summer is punishingly hot. It is a genuine, beautiful desert experience, quieter than the tourist-heavy dunes of Dubai.

Nearby

Wadi Bani Khalid and the coastal town of Sur are nearby.