Let's Embark on an Exciting, 12-Day Adventure to Oman
5 Must-Do Activities for an Incredible Visit
Last week, I (Mike) arrived home from a 12-day trip to Oman with three of my best friends. Oman might not be your typical vacation spot, but let me show you why it should definitely be on your radar. In this post (and the ones to come), I'll take you through the wonders of Oman, from stunning wadis to bustling goat markets. We’ll explore the true beauty of this hidden gem together, and who knows, Oman might just earn a top spot on your future travel list.
1. Wadi Shab
Oman is known for its many Wadis.
A Wadi is a dry riverbed that contains water during the rainy seasons and is usually located in a valley-like area or desert. One of the most beautiful Wadis in Oman (according to 4 Dutch guys in their 20s) is Wadi Shab.
When you arrive at the starting point of Wadi Shab, you have to take a short 1-minute boat ride to the other side of the river where a hike starts. The hike isn’t anything difficult, but will take you between 40 and 60 minutes, depending on how fast you walk.
Then you get to the good part: the first of three pools.
Many people will stay at this first pool to enjoy cooling down from the hot climate, but I can promise you that venturing into the remaining parts of the Wadi is absolutely worth it.
Top tip from someone who didn’t bring water shoes or a waterproof bag: they can be very handy here. The stones can be very rough and a bag would help you take your stuff with you through the wadi. But then again, we also survived without 😉
The pools are connected by either shallow water where you have to walk over small rocks, or you have to climb out of the water into the rocks and dip into the next pool. All areas can be pretty slippery, so make sure to be careful not to slide and fall.
After you finish channeling your inner Michael Phelps and arrive at the end of the 3rd pool, there is an option to swim into a cave.
The entry of this cave is pretty small.
Like your head-hardly-fits-between-the-rocks level small.
Although this sounds pretty scary and claustrophobic, it’s more than worth it in my opinion.
Once you enter the cave, you are greeted by a small waterfall and you can swim around and enjoy swimming in the cave until you are starting to feel tired from threading water.
Exploring Wadi Shab in Oman was an unforgettable adventure, showcasing the stunning natural beauty of Oman’s wadis. It’s not often that you can swim in between rock cliffs and enter a cave with a hidden waterfall.
2. Nizwa Goat Market
Every Friday at 6 AM, there is a goat (and other livestock) market in the previous capital of Oman, Nizwa. Here you can witness the age-old trading rituals. This is where the heart of Oman beats the strongest. Both locals and tourists come together to see the lively exchange of livestock under the early morning sun.
Once everybody has taken the first hour to find a spot on the square and collect their animals, the bidding starts.
This works as follows:
A large circle of potential buyers gathers around the square, while the sellers navigate through the middle with their goats, dromedaries, and cows. The sellers will walk multiple rounds and (hopefully) take multiple bids. Then, when they agree on a price, they’ll make a deal and give their animals to their new owners.
The first hour is dedicated to goats, then dromedaries, and finally, the cows enter the square. And that’s also the moment where we got a bit nervous. In case you haven’t seen a cow up close in a while, allow me to remind you:
They’re massive.
And whilst is funny for a goat to escape from their owner, it’s a whole different story when a cow does so.
Multiple times, we saw cows breaking free from their owners and colliding with people in the outer circle. Therefore, when visiting the Nizwa Goat Market, make sure you don’t stand too close to the madness when the cows enter the square.
The market typically wraps up around 9 AM, or when all the buyers have finished buying their desired livestock.
Even though around 30% of the attendees were tourists and were only there just to enjoy the experience and take pictures, we had multiple nice conversations with local Omanis who wanted to explain the details of what was happening there.
Although we initially had some trouble planning this in our itinerary, I’m super happy that we were able to make it happen. Nizwa Goat Market was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. It’s not often that you can get a glimpse of such authentic, traditional culture.
3. Exploring the Desert
A big part of Oman’s land area is composed of desert. One of the more famous places in the desert is Sharqiya Sands, formerly known as Wahabi Sands.
Since there is almost no public transport in Oman, we chose to rent a car for our whole stay. We also made sure this was a 4x4 car so we could drive it easily into the desert and the mountains.
We stayed at Sunrise Desert Local Private Camp for two nights. This camp is a 40-minute drive into the desert and consists of 5 tents. Each tent has its own toilet & shower, and a small patio where you can sit and enjoy the view.
During your visit to the desert, you can do multiple activities (the range of activities is also dependent on your camp), such as quad riding, dune bashing, camel riding, enjoying sunset & sunrise from the dunes, star gazing, and enjoying a campfire.
We stayed in the desert for a total of two nights,
Most people stay in the desert for only one night since it turns out there’s very little to do there in the afternoon and not everyone wants to be in a desert in the middle of the day during the heat 🥲
We went against the recommendation and stayed for two nights in the desert, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time in the desert. We did some quad riding & dune bashing, we watched all the sunsets and sunrises, listened to the silence of the desert next to the campfire, and enjoyed the sky in complete darkness.
Although I can now actually confirm: if you don’t have a camp where you can do something during the day (I have seen desert camps with a swimming pool and all), prepare yourself for some silent hours in the desert. Perfect time to read a book if you ask me!
4. Hiking in the Mountains
Although you might not think of mountains when you think of Oman, the country's diverse landscape will surprise you. Its impressive mountains and valleys are just waiting to be explored.
Jebel Shams and Jebel Adkhdar are famous for their breathtaking views and challenging hikes.
We stayed in an Airbnb at the start of the Balcony Hike. We could basically roll out of bed and start the journey along the rocky path.
The Balcony Hike takes you along the mountain edge for a 2.5-4 hour out-and-back hike where your halfway point is a plateau of stone that looks out over the large valleys into the mountain.
The hike is very doable since the elevation difference is only 200 meters. Just watch out for many loose rocks and “natural” underground.
The most interesting part is that you walk relatively close to the edge of the mountain, which has a pretty steep cliff.
What also makes the hike a bit more fun, is that you are constantly greeted by mountain goats, who are scaling the mountain like it’s nothing. Watching us regularly struggle to secure a footing while they walk up a steep cliff like it’s not even there. It was a humbling experience for sure
5. Mosques and Architecture
Every large city and small village in Oman is decorated with many mosques and beautiful architecture.
When we were enjoying the view in one of the smaller cities, we were able to count 14 mosques!
The Omani architecture really impresses with a blend of ancient traditions and modern design, also visible in its everyday houses. Traditional Omani homes often feature intricate wooden doors, arched windows, and beautifully decorated facades. Oman is one of the few countries where you can see so many different designs in everyday houses throughout the country. This truly reflects the country's rich cultural heritage and attention to aesthetic detail.
Lastly, one of Oman’s many highlights is the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat. This mosque was completed in May 2001 and stands out with a large prayer hall, the second-largest chandelier in the world, and the second-largest hand-woven carpet in the world. (The Grand Zayed Mosque in UAE now holds both records)
So what do you think?
Have these activities made you curious to visit Oman yourself? Does swimming in natural springs, staying in the desert, and hiking in the mountains sound like your cup of tea? Oman might be your ideal next holiday. Oman is also perfectly combinable with a visit to the UAE, and we spoke to many other travelers who were on a tour through the UAE & Oman.
If you’re curious about where I stayed during the trip, here are all the hotels & accommodation and what I thought of it:
Muscat ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sur ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wahabi Desert ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nizwa ⭐️
Jebel Shams ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Muscat ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oman also has plenty to offer if you prefer your traveling more on the luxury side. A few examples include:
What are you still curious about traveling to Oman? Would you go there yourself? Let me know in the comments below!
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Thanks for reading this week’s Mapping Memories!
Next week I’ll share what it’s like to miss your connecting flight and have an involuntary 24-hour layover (ours was in Abu Dhabi, which I had just been to in November 🥹).
There is so much around us if only we care to stop and look/listen.
BTW I’ve got 2 Arabian Mau (both rescues) one of which is an Omani Mau. Comparing the two, the difference is clear.
Speaking of Oman, did you know that the Omani Arabian Mau (cat) has some of the genes of the Omani or Gordon’s wildcat in its DNA? These Maus have evolved naturally over a period of a 1,000 years.