Oman Photography Tour
The Sultanate of Oman offers photographic enthusiasts a captivating blend of natural beauty, rich history and warm hospitality. Still under the radar of mass tourism, Oman offers incredible opportunities for catching original photos.
This trip will be led by: Daniel Heilig who speaks Deutsch, Englisch
Location
Where do we go?
Within this 7-days roundtrip we will be exploring the bustling heart of Oman, Muscat, before going on an adventurous journey through diverse landscapes such as pristine beaches, valleys, dry riverbeds, dramatic mountain ranges and desert dunes. We will be accompanied by an officially certified local tour guide so that learning about the Oman culture and rich history is part of the journey. Depending on the size of the group, we will either have one or two 4x4s jeeps to ensure everyone has plenty of space to take unblocked pictures of the stunning views on the road trip.
We will be doing a diverse set of activities to be able to capture different photography styles, such as:
· Omani architecture such as the Grand Mosque or the Royal Opera House
· Dive in to the beautiful landscacpe of Birkat Al Mouz, the palm oasis of Oman.
· Discover the abandoned village of Al Hamra and one of Oman’s oldest town Misfat
· Going to Jebel Akdhar and Jebal Shams, the highest mountain peaks of Oman
· Vibrant street photography: Nizwa goat market (souk) and the Muttra souk in Muscat
· Spending the night in a desert camp with fascinating sunset and sunrise
· Discover how traditional Dhow ships are manufactured
· Learn about turtles in a turtle reserve tour (part of UNESCO world heritage)
· Look out for dolphins and turtles on a tour with a local fisher
· Fascinating landscapes: Wadi Shab waterfall, Wahiba Sands desert and Jebal Shams, the so called Grand Canyon of Oman
Trip highlights
What you can expect from this trip
- Muscat Grand Mosque, Royal Opera House and sunset hike
- Palm oasis, mountain ranges and Nizwa fort
- Goat souk, abandonded as well as very old villages, Grand Canyon of Oman
- Oman Across Ages museum and driving into the desert
- Visiting traditional ship factory and a turtle reserve camp
- Turtles and dolphins tour, enjoying a Wadi hike, going back to Muscat
- Going to Mutrah, the old part of Muscat with its famous souk, enjoying sunset at the waterfront
See full itinerary here
Day 1
Muscat Grand Mosque, Royal Opera House and sunset hike
We start our first day in Muscat. In the early morning and with comfortable temperatures, we will be discovering the Grand Mosque with its superlative chandeliers, prayer rug and minaret. After a little rest, we will be visiting the Royal Opera House in the late afternoon. Our first day will end with a little hike and a beauitful sunset at the Yenkit fyord close to Muscat.
Day 2
Palm oasis, mountain ranges and Nizwa fort
On our second day, we will be leaving Muscat and driving to Nizwa, the former capital of Oman. Close to Nizwa, we will be taking a rewarding detour with a stop in Birkat Al Mouz with is famous palm oasis. From here, we will be driving up to Jebel Akhdar and enjoy the beautiful landscape. Our day ends at the ancient Nizwa fort with a magnificent sunset.
Day 3
Goat souk, abandonded as well as very old villages, Grand Canyon of Oman
In the very early morning, we will be going to the Nizwa goat souk (traditional market) which is famous of its vibrating atmosphere. From Nizwa, we will be driving to Al Hamra where we can discover the abandoned mud village. From Al Hamra, we will have short stop in Misfah, a very traditional and old village with its famous falaj irrigation systems. From here, we will take an off-road route up to Jebel Shams and end the day with an astonishing sunset.
Day 4
Oman Across Ages museum and driving into the desert
After two days filled with many activities and stops, we will have pleasing day. First, we will have a stop at the Oman Across Ages museum that has a very exciting architecture to offer. After the museum, we will be driving to Wahiba Sands. Once we leave the last check point, we will be driving 25 km into the vast desert, enjoy a fascinating sunset and stay over night in a small desert camp.
Day 5
Visiting traditional ship factory and a turtle reserve camp
We start the day very early to climb up the desert dunes and see the sun rising above the dunes. Once we are back in civilization, we will be visiting a Dhow (traditional Omani ship) factory in Sur, a famous harbour city. From here, we will be driving to Ras Al Hadd and end the day with an exclusive tour in a turtle reserve camp.
Day 6
Turtles and dolphins tour, enjoying a Wadi hike, going back to Muscat
In Ras Al Hadd there are many turtles to be discovered either at the beach or in the ocean. With a local and experienced fishermen we will be doing a boat trip to look out for turtles and dolphins. If you are interested, snorkeling is also possible. Once we are back at land, we will pack our stuff and drive to Wadi Shab, one of the most famous riverbeds. We will take a 45 min hike, with fascinating mountains and a rewarding waterfall and natural pool at the end of the hike. After the hike, we will have a comfortable drive back to Muscat.
Day 7
Going to Mutrah, the old part of Muscat with its famous souk, enjoying sunset at the waterfront
Our journey ends in Muscat. We will be visiting the old part of Muscat and Mutrah souk, a very vibrating market with local goods. After the souk, we can enjoy a lovely sunset at the Qurum watefront.
Accommodation
Where do we stay?
At our first and last day in Muscat, we will be staying in a 4 stars hotel such as Radisson, Hilton, Sheraton or similar. It depends on the current availability. We are aiming to get a hotel with a pool so refreshing and relaxing will also be possible. 4 stars hotel in Muscat correspond with the level of standard comparable to Europe, sometimes even higher. Breakfast in Muscat will be included. As there are plenty of delicious restaurants in Muscat that serve traditional as well as modern food, we encourage you to have dinner with us outside of the hotel. We can make reservations for the entire group and you feel very welcome to join us at dinner.
In Nizwa, we are going to stay in a basic hotel with traditional accommodations right in the city center of Nizwa. This can be Bustin Inn, Heritage Inn, Antique Inn or similar. In the Jebel Shams mountains, we will be staying at the Sama Height resort. Besides breakfast, also the dinner is included here. In the Wahiba Sands desert, it really depends on the availability of the desert camps. One possible accommodation could be the Safari Dunes camp with 8 little houses. In case this place is not available, we will be booking accommodations that are similar. Breakfast and dinner are both included in the desert. In Ras Al Hadd we aim to stay in a guesthouse of a private B&B host close to the sea.
All hotels have private bathrooms and toilets as well as electricity. From our experience, all mentioned accommodations offer free wifi internet connection but please be informed that it is very unlikely to have a cellular internet connection in the desert in the Jebal Shams mountains. Dinner at the hotels are mostly rice with chicken as a main course but there is typically enough choice for vegetarians. At remote place such as Jebal Shams and Wahiba Sands desert we can make a note of any food preferences but we cannot guarantee that the host can make It possible.
At any time of our journey, we will have enough snacks and water with us.
Included
· Water & Snacks
· Entries to museums, forts, reserve, etc
· Gasoline, Costs for car renting, car insurance
· Tourist VISA not required
· Transportation
· Guided tours
· Accomodation, breakfast and dinner where mentioned
· Photographic support and advice
Not included
· Flights to and from Oman
· Accomodation before and after the trip
· Insurance for health, travel, cancellation, etc
· Not mentioned meals and beverages
· Personal expenses such as souvenirs
· No desert activities (i.e. camel riding, dune bashing or sand buggies)
Your instructor
Daniel Heilig
Daniel HeiligLanguage: Deutsch, Englisch
It is all about connecting – that is what photography stands for. Daniel’s first camera ever was actually an Apple iPhone 3G S. Starting in 2014, mobile photography has helped him to gain an easy and playful access to photography and to express his strong design sense and intuition for aesthetics. Ever since, Daniel wants to connect people with their environment to illustrate the soul of a place. By using all kinds of compositional and harmonic elements such as lines, forms, patterns, light and proportions, Daniel playfully educates the viewer that beautiful and artsy moments can be found everywhere and at any time. In his approach as a quiet photographer, he mindfully observes the environment to capture random occurring and fleeting moments. Putting his captured impressions into a temporary spotlight, visually isolated from the surrounding chaos, he carefully masters the balancing act of getting an aesthetical interpretation without creating a posed appearance and highlighting the surprisingly appealing strangeness of a place. As part of this concept, he intentionally uses his smartphone only. For Daniel, it is crucial that mobile photography is immediate and reactive and allows him to create visual stories and sensitive insights without disturbing the environment. In 2019, some of his work has been shared by Apple and Adobe. In addition, his work has been awarded at the International Photography Awards (Smartphone Category) and as Grand Prize Winner of the Mobile Photography Awards. One of his pictures, taken with his iPhone, made it to the Shortlist of the renowned Sony World Photography Awards.
