Road tripping Oman

There’s only one way to truly explore Oman: by car or motorcycle. It doesn’t matter whether you’re cruising in a rental, hitching a ride, or relying on a friend’s wheels—just make sure you’ve got an engine to take you where the roads lead.

Is it cheap? No. But here’s the catch: public transport won’t get you anywhere beyond the basics. The buses between towns are fine for a quick hop, but you’ll miss out on the magic in between—the winding roads, hidden wadis, and endless desert landscapes.

The real cost? The car rental fee. Gas? It’s cheaper than water. At the time, I was paying just €0.23 per litre. Yes, you read that right.

Lucky for me, I met Zeina, a spirited Omani woman with a car called Boxy. We hit the road from Muscat to Sur, wind whipping through the windows, ready for whatever came next.

And what came next? Rain. Pouring rain. In Oman. Yes, you heard that right. The desert is supposed to be dry,  the average rainfall is 110mm per year… But on that day, the skies decided to break.
We laughed at the absurdity of it all. Zeina’s windshield wipers had never even been used, which explained the state they were in: practically nonexistent. So, we parked, waited it out, and soaked in the rare moment. When the rain eased, the sun came out—and with it, the beauty of the desert revealed itself.

Our first stop: a sinkhole. Not particularly picturesque in the rain, but I jumped in anyway. “Ain’t gonna let a little rain scare me off!” It was just perfect. We had the whole place to ourselves, and after a short while the clouds parted as if on cue.

After a long swim, we resumed our journey to Sur, where we spent the afternoon strolling the corniche.

Once the sun had set, we tried to find the campsite we had heard about. Quite the challenge, considering the road signs were either missing or not lit. The villagers tried to point us in the right direction, but our poor Boxy wasn’t powerful enough to handle the off-road terrain on the way there. So, we were guided to a “better” camping spot, quite literally in the middle of nowhere. We lit a fire with driftwood from the beach, the sea air cool against our skin. Suddenly, a fisherman in a pick-up truck popped up and drove us to a specific part of the beach to show us something “special”…

The rest of the night? Well, that’s a story for another time. Let’s just say it was eventful. And perhaps better shared over a drink than written down.
The next morning, we ate breakfast with the fisherman in a nearby village. Then, it was back on the road—driving, laughing, eating, soaking in the freedom of it all.

 

Oman—its people, its landscapes, its relaxed vibe, its culture—has captured my heart. The spirit of the place is contagious, and I know I’ll be back.

Shukran, Oman. And thank you, Zeina, for an unforgettable road trip. 

Would you consider vacationing in Oman?

The post “Road tripping Oman” first appeared on Travel Cake. 

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