It was beautiful! You'll get the real authenthic desert vibes even though it's not too far into the desert. Host and everyone who visited the place is beyond kind, hospital and lovely. Dunes are perfect and nearby for sand boarding, I recommend it during sunset or sunrise. We arrived at 6.00 pm (with free pick up and drop off service through desert) and left the next morning around 9 AM to avoid heat in May, everything was just perfect. Food, especially camel meat was delicious and all tasted like real food. Special thanks my welcoming brother and host Said!!!

Everything was perfect!

We drove 2 hours from Masqat for 1 night in tents in the desert. Sounds crazy, right? But what an experience!!! The camp is a bedouin family business with Saïd at the helm. A few days in advance we got the 'menu' for things to do: we opted for a camel ride (external provider), some dune bashing, diner and breakfast at the camp. We asked total cost of bookes activities and received a decent quote on request and paid cash the agreed amount at the end of our stay. No surprises, honest dealings. On arrival we parked the car near the 'entrance' to the dunes, messaged the camel owner who came and picked us up. After the ride, he dropped us off again and a little later Saïd's brother Hamdan picked us up to take us to the camp to drop off our stuff and have some tea or coffee with sweets and dates. Then he took us into the dunes to 'sandsurf' on a 'sandboard' and to do some exhilirating dune bashing. After paying the family camel family a visit for a hug and to pose for a photo opp, we returned to the camp just in time for the beautiful sunset. The camp is situated on the flank of a stunning 'valley' between two large dunes. After sunset stars and planets appear, which Saïd eagerly helps identifying. Two tents were set up, each with sturdy beds and a warm blanket. Yes, it gets cold in the desert at night! Due to the winding down near the start of the hot season, we had the camp mostly to ourselves. The camp is primitive but it does have running water (thanks to tanks and gravity), even showers, and electricity (thanks to a solar panel and a battery). There are plans for future amenities. The diner was excellent and breakfast decent, the conversations and interactions with the family genuine. Because they hadn't seen each other for a while, a bunch of brothers and cousins showed up to share a moment of prayer, some fruit, and tea and coffee in the desert.

There are streamlined, luxurious commercial camps in the area. They are also noisy and flashy...literally. Luckily the noise is a distant and not too loud rumble. The sky beams interfere a little with the star gazing. But there's nothing they can do anything about. In fact, there is more positive things to write about instead, such as getting advice on what to do in the area after checking out of the camp. After buying some swimsuits at a hypermarket (because we left ours at the hotel), we indeed went to Wadi Bani Khalid on recommendation to continue the relaxing in the natural pools.

An absolutely amazing experience - the place, location, camp, hosts, everything was perfect. We were truly delighted! Thanks to the wonderful hosts, the desert (which is already magical on its own), became even more magical for us. Highly recommended! 🌟

Loved everything

The camp is absolutely wonderful! The hosts will arrange a pick up if you need. At night everyone is stilling together, sharing stories and having a good time. The food is delicious and the tents spacious. There are showers and a common area. You can hike up the sand dunes in the back to get a wonderful view. The camp offers sand dune dashing which is fun but honestly a bit pricey. But if there is more people you can share the costs. I can highly recommend staying here :)

Everything was great but if I could choose I would love for the camp to be even more remote, so further out into the desert ^^