6 independent reviews for Oman highlights tour
Reviews for Oman highlights tour
Malcolm Gray review 28 Nov 2022
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Possibly the walks. However all experiences were very good.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Having a driver and not being part of a coach party was a huge advantage in freedom to act.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Neutral4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent. Augmented by the welcoming hospitality of Omanis. I stayed on some extra nights in Muscat.Andrea Gullo review 30 Apr 2022
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Everything2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
No. The desert is a landfill. The night-camps and local campings are not yet sustainable. Recycling in Oman is not yet available (at least in the tourism sector). Hence high level of garbage is produced and not recycled.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Great tour and well organised!Read the operator's response here:
The Wahiba desert camp, 1000 Nights Camp, which is locally owned and employs local Omanis to help run it. It is furnished and decorated using regional furniture and materials and provides locally sourced food and traditional entertainment to help support the local community. There is no electricity at the camp with no light pollution or sound pollution as the camp uses natural resources to blend in with the environment. All waste from the campsites is taken away and recycled. There is no evidence left of any travelers staying in the desert
The Atana hotel in Musandam provides a fascinating insight into Omani Culture and leads a drive to involve and support local communities with their future development using sustainable projects.
Our agents are aware of the buildup of rubbish around the countryside and all drivers carry equipment to pick up and remove what they find.
Christian Donovan review 19 Nov 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Seeing turtles on Ras al Jinz beach, swimming in Wadi Bani Khalid, 4x4 driving over burnt umber coloured sands, and much much more.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Take plenty of spending money, everything is more expensive than you would think. ATMs are widely available, cash exchange not recommended.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, in that local guides were used throughout and we visited local people's houses and cafes.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
An excellent vacation which had been well-organised for us.Dr William Warnock review 21 Oct 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
All of the parts of the planned vacation were memorable and exciting - it would be almost impossible to pick out a favourite place or activity. I enjoyed the first couple of days in Muscat - the hotel was excellent, the tours provided were interesting and provided a good background on some cultural and historical matters - and simply browsing, walking or swimming was also fine. The trip to Musandam, with dhow cruising plus opportunity for snorkelling/swimming was excellent and scenic, as was the following half-day trip into the hills. After that I returned to Muscat, picked up a 4x4 together with excellent route guidance provided by the local agents, and set off for the mountains for 4 days.. The mountains are fantastic, full stop. Magnificent scenery, amazing roads, fascinating villages and comfortable places to stay - one of them indeed positively luxurious. I also enjoyed a leisurely day walking around the terraced fields and villages on the Sayq plateau. Following that, the trip into Wahiba Sands was interesting - quite different terrain from the previous parts, with its own timeless majesty. I was surprised how fast people drive over the sands! The desert camp was certainly not luxurious, but very adequate for a short stay. The next stop, the turtle center as Ras al Jinz was again, for me, something entirely new and fascinating. The two expeditions to see turtles, at 9pm and again at 5am, were both productive, and participants saw a number of adult green turtles nesting (laying and covering eggs) and returning to the ocean, and a lot of newly hatched baby turtles also endeavouring to reach the sea. There was also opportunity to learn a lot more about turtles, with a good museum and expert staff. The final part of my trip was intended to be 3 days in Salalah, with a number of tours. However the imminent arrival of a tropical storm on the S Oman and Yemen coasts made replanning necessary. I returned to Muscat, but kept my rental car and was readily able to organise additional activities for myself - another trip into the mountains (surprise!) with visits to Ar Rustaq and Nakhal forts and an excursion up Wadi Bani Kharus then another day in Matrah and further down the corniche.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Do not hesitate to do things on your own. It is perfectly possible to manage without drivers and guides - even driving on mountain tracks. I had immense fun and never felt unsafe - and I am 76.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I firmly believe that tourism - especially outside cities - brings great benefit to many local people. It is also clear that Oman gives considerable attention and priority to long-term projects designed to protect and improve the environment. In this respect it is strikingly different from some other countries in the region.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Great.Frank Wellgate review 15 Mar 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The five day trip to the mountains. The scenery was wonderful and the guide and driver that we had made it even more memorable because they were such lovely people. They treated us as friends and really added to the trip.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Take your time! There is so much to absorb. Two weeks was only just enough and we're really glad that we built in a couple of days with nothing planned.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Our guides were fantastic Omani people and we did come across a few other Omanis working at Nizwa Fort and Jabrin Castle. Unfortunately there don't seem to be many small locally run hotels and as we stayed in mainly big resorts we felt that they didn't benefit local people, being staffed by "ex pats", had huge environmental impact in both their construction and day to day running - all that water being used for endless washing of towels and watering of grass! All the hotels we stayed in said they were concerned to employ local people and to care for the environment and some did it better than others. Tourism in Oman does seem to focus on big international hotel resorts. Very comfortable and in some cases exquisitely luxurious but we did feel that the environmental impact was great.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Fantastic. Amazing varied scenery, friendly hospitable people. Excellent hosts.Read the operator's response here:
Hi Frank, I am really pleased you enjoyed your vacation and thank you for your comments. Regarding hotels in Oman at present there are very few small boutique properties however the hotels are of very high standards both in terms of facilities and service.
The staff in the hotels are normally expats as Omani people tend to work in management or more senior roles in and around Muscat; jobs are not being taken away from locals as a result of tourism.
Culturally in the past Omani women have had a more domestic role although that is slowly changing and they are being educated to a higher level and entering many industries that have traditionally been male dominated. The tourism industry remains slow to attract locals especially women due to cultural factors.
There is a strong traditional emphasis on farming and fishing roles which are still Omani dominated although many of the younger people are being attracted to cities and want a more modern way of life. I guess this is the same the world over?
Anne Tunwell review 14 Nov 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Meeting with our Omani guides and getting so much information from them. Staying in the most amazing hotel- alila hotel, jebel akhdar with stunning architecture. Scenery, views and walking were amazing.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Good cover for women at the mosques but otherwise fairly relaxed for westerners.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Some local people, not sure who owned hotels. Mass tourism does not reduce environmental impact, nor does it support conservation however hard we try. The country is building hotels at a huge rate to cope with tourism. It may bring in funds but at an environmental cost e.g. Providing unlimited water to hotels when locals have rationing.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
An excellent trip, well organised and supported by the local tour operator and everything worked to planHoliday Reviews
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