The Sharqiya (Wahiba) Sands

The Sharqiya Sands, also called the Wahiba Sands, are Oman's beautiful desert of golden dunes, some more than 100 metres high, running about 180 kilometres from north to south. They are about two and a half hours from Muscat via Bidiyah.

The sands offer a superb safari: four-wheel-drive dune climbs, camel rides and sandboarding, then a sunset from a dune crest and a night in a Bedouin camp under the stars.

We choose fine camps with air-conditioned tents and private bathrooms, a halal Omani dinner, and a visit to a Bedouin family for coffee and dates.

One night suits most families, best combined with Wadi Bani Khalid, about an hour away.