Travelling around - Reistips - Oman

Oman Visitor Map

Click for map-view of the trips listed below.
Full tracks and locations in Google Earth kmz files

• A bit on the Geography of Oman
• A bit on the Geology of Oman

Below are trips listed in time sequence.
Check map above for locations & GPS data

• Wadi Bani Awf (Sept 2001)
• Wadi Shab (Oct 2001)
• Jalaan and the Turtle coast (Nov 2001)
• Wadi Jizzi (December 2001)
• Northern Huqf (Dec 2001)
• Beaches of Yiti & Bandar Khayran (Jan 2002)
• As Sifah beach (Febr 2002)
• Bar Al Hickman (Febr 2002)
• Wadi Jizzi (March 2002)
• Jabal Al Akhdar (March 2002, 2005, 2010)
• From Nizwa to Bahla and Tanuf (Sept 2002)
• 'Turtle Beach' (Oct 2002)
• Tanuf to Wadi Bani Awf (Oct 2002)
• Wadi Ghul and Jebel Shams (Oct 2002, 2006)
• Wadi Bani Khalid &Wahiba Sand (Nov 2002)
• South-eastern Huqf (Dec 2002)
• Tour Oman (Reisverslag C Schreurs, Dutch Only, Dec 2002)
• Rain in Oman (April 2003)
• Qualhat (April 2003)
• Beehive tombs at Halban (April 2003)
• The Nizwa Area: the ruins of Manah, Fiqain and the Nizwa Goat Market (April 2003)
• Wadi Mistal (July 2003)
• Hawra Burghah (Sept 2003)
• Crossing the Eastern Hajar Mountains (Oct 2003, updated 2006, 2009)
• Masirah Island (Nov 2003, updated April 2006)
• Salalah Tour (Dec 2003)
• Ubar (Dec 2003)
• Jaaluni (Oryx, January 2004)
• Wakan to Hadash Walk (wadi Mistal, Feb 2004)
• Snake Gorge (Wadi Bani Awf, Oct 2004, update May 2006 and Sept 2006),
• Bilad Sayt walk (Jan 2005)
• Majlis Al Jinn; the Meeting Room of the Spirits; 2nd largest cave of the World (March 2005)
• Musandam (April 2005)
• Wadi Suwayh (April 2005)
• Boating to Bandar Khairan (Sept 2005)
• Jabal Madmar
• Ras Sudrah and Southern Huqf (Nov 2005)
• Hammam Al Ali - Hot Spring (Dec 2005)
• Wadi Dayqah Area (Jan 2006, July 2006
• Wadi Tayin, July 2006)
• Jebel Fahud, 50 years on (Jan 2006)
• From wadi Hawasinah to the Chain walk, wadi Fidda, the ancient ruins near Bat and Al Ayn and via Sint to the Jabal Shams Cliff Walk (Oct 2006)
• Khaluf Beach and Qarn Aswad (Oct 2006)
• Riyam Park to Muttrah 'wadi' walk (Nov 2006)
• Wahiba Challenge 2006 (Nov 2006)
• Bandar Jissa walk (Dec 2006)
• Umm As Samim & Empty Quarters (Dec 2006)
• The Sultan's Visitor's Book (March 2006)
• Wadi Mayh (through a lot of tighly folded rocks)
• Ghul (April 2007)
• Wadi Nakhr (Grand Canyon, April 2007)
• Cyclone Gonu hit Muscat on 5 and 6 June 2007
• From Halban to Fanja (Sept 2007)
• Climbing "Saddle Mountain" (Oct 2007)
• Through the Empty Quarters, Qarn Sahmah, Haima and Ras Madraka (Oct 2007)
• Wahiba Challenge 2007 (Nov 2007)
• Northern Huqf to Barr Al Hickman (Dec 2007)
• Jabal Shams ridge walk (May 2008)
• The Ras Al Hamra Cemetry and the Dhofar Insurgency (May 2008)
• Aqaba Saqba (July 2008)
• Al Sharquiya Woodlands, Khaluf, Rudists and Qarat Kibrit (Oct 2008)
• Wahiba Challenge (Nov 2008)
• From Jabal Shams to 1000 Nights (Dec 2008)
• Tawi Atayr, Dhofar (April 2009, April 2010)
• Sumhuram (Khor Rori), Dhofar (April 2009)
• Hasik, Dhofar (April 2009)
• Wadi Dirbat, Dhofar (April 2009)
• Al Baleed, Dhofar (April 2009)
• With the Shinas to Musandam (April 2009)
• Hasat Bin Sult (Hasat Bani Salt); monumental rock art near Al Hamra (June 2009)
• Ghadir Farras (June 2009)
• Yasib in the shade of Jabal Shams (July 2009)
• Wadi Damm; the hidden wadi between Jabal Shams, Jabal Misht and Jabal Khawr (September 2009)
• Jabal Dhawi, back in time (October 2009)
• Wadi Hajir, deep canyons, cave and the ruins of an ancient fortified village (November 2009)
• From Düsseldorf to Muscat in a snowstorm and from Ras al Jinz via the Wahiba Sands, Ibra to Finns (December 2009)
• To the terraced gardens of Halhal hanging on the cliffs of wadi Hijir in the Oman Mountains (January 2010)
• Salalah again (November 2009)
• The Tayq Sinkhole (Salalah, March 2010)
• Baobab Trees (Wadi Hinna Salalah March 2010)
• Jabal Samhan (Salalah, March 2010)
• Khasbar Cave paintings (Salalah, March 2010)
• Wadi Baw (Huqf, April 2010)
• Wadi Abyad (French TV, May 2010)
• Hail Al Aqbur Walk (7 May 2010)
• Fahal Island Swim (13 May 2010)
• Hail Al Gawari (August 2010)
  Goodbye to Oman; our last little trip

Did you Know?

• The earliest land plants in the world have been found in a deep exploration oil well in Oman.

• Indications of the earliest animal life on earth also come from Oman.

Oman Weather

• The best site to check satellite maps
  with weather data on Wundermap

More about Oman Geology

• Oman's Geological Heritage, 2nd edition 2006, edited by K.W. Glennie (check-out www.pdo.co.om)
• Andrew Thomson, 2000, Origins of Arabia, Stacey International, ISBN 1 900988 04 6
• Also check-out the website of the Geological Society of Oman (GSO)
• A bit on the Geology of Oman.
• The desert is full of meteorites
• A great website hosting a Virtual fieldtrip through the Oman ophiolites maintained by the "laboratoire de Tectonophysique de Montpellier".
• Wadi Jizzi Geological Excursion (3.2 Mbytes)
• Forbes, G., H. Jansen and J.Schreurs, 2010. Lexicon of Oman Subsurface Stratigraphy. GeoArabia Special Publication 5, 371 pages ISBN 978-99901-10-56-2. Gulf Petrolink, Bahrain.

In the September issue of the PDO magazine "Al Mahal" two contributions on Oman's outstanding geological beauty
(Files in Adobe Acrobat PDF Format)

• The geology of the Oman Mountains and the Ophiolites (464 Kb)
• The Wahiba (Al Sharquiya) Sands (167 Kb)

Selected references on Oman

For Tourist visitor:

• Peter, J. Ochs II 1998 ‘The Maverick Guide to Oman’,

• Diana Darke 2000 ‘Discovery Guide to Oman’

• Hatim Al Taie, John Pickersgill & Nasser Al Taie, 1999 ‘A Comprehensive Guide to the Sultanate of Oman’

• Anne Dale & Jerry Hadwin, 2001, Adventure Trekking Oman, Hadwin, Dalew & Yusuf, ISBN 0 9537854 0 8

• Mark Grist 2006 ‘Oman off-road’ (ISBN 13 978-8162-48-7)

• Oman Trekking (1st edition, ISBN 976-8162-62-8)

• Oman Explorer (ISBN 976-8162-07-5)

• Oman 2 Day; a monthly magazine featuring adventure and leisure in Oman, with maps of greater Muscat area and monthly updates & details on all main hotels and restaurants.

• Maria Dekeersmaeker , 2011, The DNA of Salalah, Dhofar. A Tourist Guide. Recommendable treasure of information. For sale as e-book at Amazon

Best feel for old and modern times

• Bertram Thomas, 1938. Arabia Felix. Alden Press, London.

• James Morris 1957. Sultan in Oman

• Wilfred Thesinger’s 1959 ‘Arabian Sands’

• Wendell Phillips 1966, Unknown Oman, David McKay NY

• Wendell Phillips 1967, Oman, A History, Reynal & Company

• P.S. Alfree 1967. Warlords of Oman

• Ian Skeet, 1974. Muscat and Oman. The end of an era. Faber and Faber, London.

• Pauline Searle, 1979. Dawn over Oman. George Allen & Unwin, London

• Colonel Tony Jeapes 1980. SAS Operation OmanJohn Carter 1982, Tribes in Oman. Peninsular publishing, London.  ISBN  0-907151-02-7 

• Philip Ward, 1987. Travel’s in Oman.

• Stanley Price, M.R., 1989. Animal Re-introductions. The Arabian oryx in Oman. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

• Ranulph Fiennes, 1991, 1993, The Feather Men, Dell Publishing, New York.

• Chatty, D., 1996. Mobile Pastoralists. Development, Planning and Social Change in Oman. Columbia University Press, New York

• Don Sheridan, 2000. Fahud the Leopard Mountain

• Brunce Kirkby, 2000. Sand Dance. By camle across Arabia's Great Southern Desert. Motivate Publishing. Dubai.

• David Gwynne-James, 2001.Letters from Oman

• Ministry of national Heritage & Culture, Sultanate of Oman, 2005. Oman a seafaring nation. Al Nahda printing press.

• Gardiner, I., 2006, In the Service of the Sultan; a first hand account of the Dhofar Insurgency.

• Quintin Morton 2006 ‘Into the Heart of the Desert’

• Sir Terence Clark, 2007. Underground to Overseas. The story of Petroleum Development Oman

• Bryan Ray, 2008. Dangerous Frontiers. Pen and Sword, Barnsley, UK.

• Mark Evans and John Smith 2009. Desert Voices. A 28 day Journey through the Empty Quarter of Oman. Al Roya Press and Publishing House, Muscat

Archeology

• Nicholas Clapp 1998 ‘The Road to Ubar’, describing the fascinating story of the lost city of Ubar and its link with the ancient frankinsense trade. You should also read its companion book by Fiennes which provides more context of the search itself:

• Ranulph Fiennes, 1992, 1993. Atlantis of the Sands. Penguin Books, London.

• The ‘Journal of Oman Studies’ provides a series of papers on Oman’s archaeology and cultural heritage. It is issued by the Historical Association of Oman

• Geoffrey Bibby’s 1970, 1996,  classic ‘Looking for Dilmun’ (Stacey International, ISBN 0 905743 90 3)

• Serge Cleuziou, Maurizio Tosi., 2007. In the shadow of the ancestors: The prehistoric foundations of the early Arabian civilization in Oman. Ministry of Heritage and Culture.

• Publications by Paul Yule "Schriften von Paul Yule zu Arabien" at the University of Heidelberg library in the programme 'Propylaeum-DOK', containing many publications on his archeological work in Oman.

Trekking,  Climbing and more adventure

• Oman Adventure Sports

• Trekking in Oman

The Environment

• Oman Environmental Society

• Oman Whale and Dolphin Research Group

Oases of Oman

• Andreas Buerkert and Eva Schlecht 2010. Oases of Oman. Livelihood systems at the crossroads. Al Roya Press & Publishing House Muscat. 
  For me a must have book, slightly heavy written, but with a lot of information supported by great imagery of the wide variety of Oman oases villages.