Essence of Arabia
- ‘The most wonderful place I have ever been’ – the verdict of our most widely travelled staff member.
- Remarkable and varied landscape, hill forts, traditional souqs, archaeology.
- All the hotels are comfortable, some are superb, plus a night in a tent.
- A busy tour: 7 hotel/tent changes, quite a lot of driving, 3 internal flights, walking on rough ground unavoidable.
- We recommend you keep diaries clear for a day either side of these dates as flight schedules change.
Wilfred Thesiger was motivated to cross the Empty Quarter not only by his desire to gain further recognition as a traveller but by the hope that he would find peace and solitude in the remote desert landscapes. He also yearned to gain the friendship of the Bedu who journeyed with him and whom he encountered during his traverse. The possibility of travelling to little-visited locations, relaxing in inspiring surroundings and developing understanding with new peoples is no less possible in Oman in 2008 than it was in 1946.
The country provides a diverse range of extraordinary natural beauty: deserts, mountains, fjords, wadis, beaches. ‘The most wonderful place I have ever been to’ was the verdict of our most widely travelled staff member. Visitors also experience the kindness and friendliness of the Omanis. With relatively few visitors a year, Oman is not over-developed, unlike some of its neighbouring Gulf states.
Evidence of settlement dates back to the fourth millennium BC with early indications of dependence on trade. First copper and then frankincense (southern Oman is one of the few places in the world where the ‘sacred frankincense’ still grows) played a key role in the country’s history. Desire to control the supply of frankincense led to incorporation in the Achaemenid and Sassanian empires until the Persians were forced out in the seventh century.
Omanis readily embraced Islam and submitted to the Umayyad and the Abbasid Caliphate. Trade and naval power continued to expand. Occupied by the Portuguese from 1507 to 1650, Oman flourished again after their departure with an empire reaching into East Africa, particularly Zanzibar, and the Indian Ocean. Treaties agreed with the British to protect communications with India marked the beginning of a special relationship, which continued beyond the formal termination of the protectorate in 1971.
Meanwhile, the division of the Omani empire between the sultan of Zanzibar and the sultan of Muscat in 1856 resulted in economic decline for both and internal conflicts in the latter. Successive sultans failed to tackle the problems and Oman stagnated.
The coming to power of Sultan Qaboos bin Said in 1970 heralded a new era. Though its oil revenues are relatively small, they have been used wisely to the benefit of the Omani people, for infrastructure, employment and education. Development has been rapid but controlled, guided by a determination to preserve Omani traditions.
Our comprehensive itinerary includes the highlights of this vast country: from the inland forts of Nizwa and Jabrin to the little-visited archaeological sites of Al-Balid and Khor Rowri, from spectacular mountain scenery in the Jebel Akhdar to the remoteness of the Wahiba Sands, from the bustling capital Muscat to the spectacular fjords of the Musandam Peninsula and the contrasting landscapes of the southern region of Dhofar.
Other features of this tour are the opportunity to camp overnight in the Wahiba Sands, observe birdlife from a traditional dhow and shop in suqs suffused with the scent of frankincense. More active participants can swim in luxuriant wadi water pools or ride a camel. Oman is opening up, slowly, to a privileged few.