Oman Journey: Souks and Stargazing

Overlooking the Gulf, the Omani capital’s ancient sites, colonial fortresses, modern high-rise towers and colorful souks are huddled between mountains carved from the earth’s mantle and the Arabian sea. The skyline is pierced by neat rows of date palms and the minarets of Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, while some of the best beaches and most elegant resorts in Oman can be found on this glittering coastline. 

Three thousand meters above sea level, the Jebel Akhdar Mountains are rugged and rocky, with craggy, pink-ochre peak punctuated by green terraces of fruit orchards and date plantations, watered by mountain springs. Tucked away here and there are traditional, lost-in-time villages of stone and mud houses, which overlook the spectacular peaks, gorges and wadis.  

The peaks, plains and ridges of Sharqiya Sands have been shaped by centuries of wind, the ever-shifting sands sculpted by natural elements into an otherworldly landscape. Named after the nomadic Sharqiya Sands Bedouin tribes, villages of sun-dried adobe and mudbrick emerge from the golden dunes like a mirage, whilst improbable canvas campsites pop up and leave no trace. Staggering sunsets and stargazing make Sharqiya Sands one of Oman’s most spellbinding destinations.