Overview
The yin to the United Arab Emirates’ yang, the mysterious and slow-paced sultanate of Oman is “old” Arabia, harking back to the days before the distorting lens of gaudy wealth turned much of the Arabian Peninsula into glitz and glamor. Utterly photogenic, Oman has everything fabulous that the Arabian Peninsula has to offer: Traditional and affable Arab and Bedouin cultures… colorful carpet-filled souks teeming with frankincense and spices… glittering gold markets… old Arabic and Portuguese forts… and abundant natural beauty, from rugged mountains and verdant wadis to vast expanses of sand perfect for camel safaris.
We’ll visit when Oman’s wonderful winter climate is at its most perfect. Plus, we’ll stay at some of the region’s top hotels, including a luxury desert camp amid the dunes! Join renowned travel journalist and National Geographic photographer Christopher P. Baker on this memorable one-of-a-kind photo tour.
Itinerary
*Subject to change*
Day 1: March 13
Participants arrive and settle into our hotel in Muscat. Meet with Christopher in the evening for orientation, plus a set-the-scene slide show, then a welcome dinner. Overnight in Muscat.
Day 2: March 14
We begin by visiting the Mutrah fish market, where the day’s catch is delivered at sunrise. Then we’ll explore the famous and ūber-photogenic Mutrah souk—full of stalls selling frankincense, intricately embroidered hats, and antique khajars (curved daggers). After resting the midday hours at our hotel, we’ll roam the backstreets of Mutrah, Muscat’s oldest area, and photograph from atop Mutrah Fort before spending the “blue hour” shooting along the iconic Corniche waterfront, with its floodlit mosque. Dine on the Corniche. Overnight in Muscat.
Day 3: March 15
Depart Muscat and follow the Qurayat-Sur coast highway, along the scenic base of the Hajar Mountains, via Wadi Shab, a palm oasis with pools and ancient aqueducts. Arriving at the ancient fishing village of Al-Ayjah, we’ll explore the old town (where houses feature elaborately carved doors and lotus-pillar porches) and neighouring Sur, with its fascinating Maritime Museum (recalling Sur’s once-mighty prowess as a maritime port). Our photographic highlight here will be witnessing boat-builders at work in the dhow shipyard—the only one of its kind still remaining in Oman. Our sunset shoot offers a dramatic panorama over the bay and historic city. Overnight in Sur.
Day 4: March 16
This morning drive west to the gorgeous mountain oasis of Wadi Bani Khalid—a chance for a refreshing plunge in natural freshwater pools. Then continue to the legendary Sharqiya Sands (formerly Wahiba Sands) Driving into the sands proper, we’ll thrill to two nights camping atop the dunes in a luxury barrasti (tented camp) like something straight out of 1,001 Arabian Nights. We’ll photograph a Bedu and his camels at sunset. Overnight in Desert Nights Camp or similar.
Day 5: March 17
Rise early to photograph the desert sunrise with camels! Then, after relaxing at the camp throughout the morning, we’ll ride to a Bedu camp, where we’ll engage with a Bedouin family—a chance to photograph the normally reticent Bedu women, dressed in exotic abeyas (robes) and beaked half-face burqas (many adorned with glittering jewels). We’ll also stop at such desert villages as Shahek and Al Raka for late afternoon street photography. Overnight in Desert Nights Camp or similar.
Day 6: March 18
Up early today to catch the camel market in the town of Sinaw. Here we’ll explore the exotic souk, where colorfully adorned Bedu (bedouins) trade goats and other livestock. Sinaw souk is also famous for its craftsmen skilled at making classic khajar curved daggers. After lunch, continue to Nizwah, where we’ll check into our hotel in mid-afternoon then photograph the spectacular new Sultan Qaboos Mosque at sunset and the blue hour. The nighttime photography in Nizwah is sensational as we explore its dusty backstreets, souq, and 17th-century fort. Overnight in Nizwah.
Day 7: March 19
Up with the dawn this morning to visit the Friday-only livestock market, where goats, cattle, and other beasts of burden are sold off amid boisterous bargaining by bearded old men in colorful turbans and jalabas. We’ll then explore the larger souq, Nizwah Fort, and the narrow lanes of “Old Nizwah”–a warren of antiquity rapidly in the process of gentrification. After lunch and a mid-day rest at our hotel, we head to Nizwah’s Oman Across the Ages Museum, a stunning contemporary architectural masterpiece whose mission is “to promote an appreciation and understanding of Oman’s unique character, history and its Renaissance.” Here we’ll be joined by Toqa, a local female photographer who will share her own artistic vision as we explore the museum together. Overnight in Nizwah.
Day 8: March 20
In the morning, we’ll head to Bahla to photograph the Aladawi potteries, where terra-cotta vases and other earthenware are made in traditional manner. Then, on to Bait Al-Safah, a “living history museum” in Al-Hamrah, one of Oman’s oldest mudbrick oasis villages—superbly photogenic for its semi-decrepitude. Here we’ve arranged for a private photo-op with Omanis in traditional costume. Then, ascending via a spectacularly sinuous highway, we’ll arrive at the Anantara Al-Jalal Al Akhdar, a luxury hotel atop the Saiq Plateau. Its spectacular cliff-top location offers sensational sunset views from Diana’s Viewpoint. Overnight in Indigo Jalal Akhdar.
Day 9: March 21
This morning we’ll hike to Wadi Bani Habib, a palm-lined canyon with groves of apricots and pomegranates and abandoned hillside mud-walled hamlets. We’ll also visit a traditional rosewater factory (Damask roses bloom on these mountainsides from March through May). This afternoon is free to relax by the pool or partake of optional activities offered by the hotel, including an optional sunset drive to a viewing platform 2,600 meters above sea level. Overnight in Indigo Jalal Akhdar.
Day 10: March 22
After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll return to Muscat, stopping en-route to photograph Sultan Qaboose Mosque, with its stunning contemporary architecture, breathtakingly rich prayer hall, and the world’s second-largest hand-woven rug. The balance of the day is at leisure. Overnight Muscat.
Day 11: March 23
Our last day begins with a sunrise shoot of the fishing boats and mosque at Sihab. We then spend more time roaming the souks and backstreets of Mutrah. The afternoon will be at leisure to relax, perhaps by the hotel pool with its superb views over Qurm Beach, or for further photography in Mutrah souq and the Corniche. Overnight in Muscat.
Day 12: March 24
Guests are transported to the airport to catch their flights home.