Oman

A beautiful winter escape from December 2018 to January 2019, five weeks in a 4x4, a Mitsubishi Pajero rented on arrival in Muscat. Sites visited: the capital Muscat and its surroundings Yiti and Al Buthan, the Batinah and its forts up to Sohar, the Wahiba Sands desert, the village of Misfah, the town of Sour and the Wadi Al Arbeieen, then the coastal road, staying as close to the coast as possible (Ras al Hadd, Ras Al-Khabbah, Asilah, Al Ashkara, Sharkh) to the port of Shannah to board for the island of Masirah. We then picked up Route 32 to the port of Duqm and on to Ras Madrakah. We took Route 41 back to Lakabi, then left the Al-Wusta region for Dhofar. Routes 41, 42, 49 to Mirbat and the town of Salalah in the south, and finally the beach of Al Mughsail near the border with Yemen. The return journey ran along the inland road (31) toward Nizwa. Visiting the Nizwa region, Al Ayn, Jebel Shams and Jebel Akhdar, then back to Rustaq and Muscat via the Wadi Sahtan road.

a break in the Batinah camel herders [Suwadi Al Batha] fishing village [Batinah] camels and pylons [Batinah] Route 17 Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque [Muscat] Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque [Muscat, Oman] Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque [Muscat] Al Bustan [Muscat] Royal palace square [Al Alam Palace Place, Muscat] Royal palace - Muscat The corniche - Blue mosque, Masjid Al Rasool [Muscat] khanjar and smartphone [Nizwa Fort] The dancers rest.. [Nizwa] Dances of Oman [Nizwa Fort] Al Ayjah [Sour] On the way to Al Ayn the mountain track Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque - Muscat Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque - Muscat Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque - Muscat Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque - Muscat The embroiderer [Nizwa Fort] the singer [Nizwa Fort] Beehive Tombs [Wadi Al Ayn, Oman] the track in the sands [Wahiba Sands, Oman] Sultan Qaboos Mosque - Sour Sour Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque - Muscat Nizwa Gates Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque - Muscat fun on the track Opera House [Muscat] Bedouin camp [Wahiba sands] Bedouin [Wahiba, Ach-Charqiya] Camels [Salalah] Kentish Plover [Awqad Al Janubiyyah] Ferry [Masirah island] The gate in the morning [Nizwa] Dances of Oman [Nizwa Fort] songs and dances [Nizwa] around the souk [Nizwa] Village entrance [Misfah] the old village [Misfah] Nizwa Gate watchtowers [Sour] West Souk [Nizwa] Al Ayjah Bridge [Sour] the mosque [Nizwa] mountain path [Misfah] Livestock souk [Nizwa] path [Misfah] field work [Misfah] Livestock souk [Nizwa] Fruit and vegetable souk [Nizwa] Souk grocery [Nizwa] the old village [Misfah] on the way [Misfah] the moored dhow [Sour] the palm grove [Misfah] On the way [from Misfat to Al Ayn] resting [Misfah] the old village [Misfah] the old tower (Misfah] Picnic at Jebel Shams [Hajar mountains] village in the wadi terraces - Jebel Akhdar [Hajar mountains] terraces - Jebel Akhdar [Hajar mountains] villages and terraces - Jebel Akhdar [Hajar mountains] the terraces - Jebel Akhdar [Hajar mountains] lizard in the sun [Jebel Shams] Anantara [Jebel Shams] Anantara [Jebel Shams] Jebel Shams [Hajar mountains] Jebel Shams [Hajar mountains] the beehives [Misfah] Anantara [Jebel Shams] Diana's Viewpoint [Jebel Akhdar] Wadi Al Arbeieen the convoy took a break [Wadi Al Arbeieen] Wadi Al Arbeieen Wadi Al Arbeieen the goat in the wadi Falaj [Wadi Al Arbeieen] Bimmah Sinkhole [Hawiyat Najm Park] Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque [Nizwa] Dhow at the workshops [Sour] Dhow under construction [Sour] the beach and coconut trees [Salalah] Flamingos near Mughsail [ Wadi Ashawq, Salalah] Mughsail Beach [Salalah] coffee break Al Amin Markets & Bakery [Nizwa] an odd crew [Haima] Mughsail [Salalah] On the way to Sour Al Ayjah [Sour - Oman] the tourist convoy goes by.. Nizwa Small dhow [the corniche - Sour] The children [Mirbat] Bin Ali tomb [Mirbat] from the rooftops [Salalah] First flare stack (Southern Oman - Salalah] the unlikely mosque [road to Salalah] East coast [Masirah] East coast [Masirah] Terns and Cormorant [Masirah] sunset (Wahiba Sands] in the sands [Wahiba Sands] [Wahiba Sands] An unlikely tree [Wahiba Sands] the track [Wahiba Sands] camp in the sands [Wahiba Sands] arriving at the Safari Desert Camp [Wahiba Sands] toward the sands [Wahiba Sands] on the way to Safari Desert Camp [Wahiba Sands] Ain A'Thawwarah hot springs [Nakhal Fort] room [Nakhal Fort] [Rustaq Fort] Nakhal Fort the water skin [Nakhal Fort] Al Ameen Mosque [Muscat] Al Ameen Mosque [Muscat] Fish market [Muscat] Barber [Muscat souk] the incense burner [Riyam Park, Muscat] Prayer [Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque] The Great Chandelier [Qaboos Grand Mosque] Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque mausoleum of Imam Saif [Rustaq Fort, Oman] Rustaq Nakhal Fort Imam Ahmad bin Said Mosque [Rustaq Fort] in the evening [Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque] [Muscat] Nakhal Fort the 4x4 Mitsubishi Pajero in the evening [Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque] the harbour [Batinah] wadi [Oman] village on the mountain track nightfall [Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque] the track [Oman] the track landscape the track Nizwa [Fort]