Oman > 'Dune bashing' in the desert

Oman - The street in Sinaw with carpentry shops

I leave the grounds of the Holiday Inn in Nizwa and head toward the desert. Just outside Nizwa, I make a stop in the village of Birkat al Mawz. A natural hot water stream flows through the village. The residents have built various channels so that the bathing water is separated from other uses. In bathing stalls above the hot stream, people wash themselves. After Birkat al Mawz, I drive on to Sinaw, a regional town with an extensive souq. The souq is centered around a walled square near the fish market, surrounded by various small shops. As I walk out through the gate, I see a group of men squatting in the parking lot. Curious, I watch, and one of the men approaches me. It turns out to be a funeral. I am invited to participate, but I politely decline. I walk past small woodwork shops and enter an old, ruined town with remnants of mud houses. People must have lived here in the past, and probably not that long ago. From this area, I have a nice view over Sinaw. By bus, I continue toward Ibra. Near Ibra, I stop for lunch at a restaurant. After lunch, I transfer to 4x4 Land Cruisers. Soon, we leave the asphalt road and turn into the sandy desert. Achmed is my driver, a young man who unfortunately doesn’t speak a word of English.

Oman - Driving down the steep dunes with a Land Cruiser

He drives the Land Cruiser through the loose sand. Full throttle, he drives up the dunes, slipping through the sand. Sometimes I lift off the back seat. This is dune bashing, and I love it. The ride takes me to a Bedouin tent in the desert, where the Bedouins demonstrate how they live in the desert. The children hand out tea and dates. Back in civilization, the luggage is transferred into jeeps, and we drive eight kilometers into the desert to the desert camp. The camp consists of spacious two-person sleeping tents with regular beds and some tents with cushions on the floor for sitting and eating. Around four o’clock, I head back into the desert with the Land Cruisers for more dune bashing. The vehicles speed up the sand dunes and slide down the steep slopes again. It’s incredible that the vehicles can descend such steep inclines. I end up at the top of a dune overlooking the camp. Here I stay for the sunset. One vehicle drives down in advance with those who want to ride camels. Another vehicle, at my request, brings a snowboard to the top. I simply want to try sandboarding. Unfortunately, none of the locals can explain how it works. They do warn that the dunes aren’t moist enough.

Oman - Sandboarding in the Wahiba Desert

I decide to see how far I get. I walk about ten meters up with the board and strap myself in. I realize that my Tevas might not be the best footwear. Carefully, I stand up. I have never been on a snowboard before. I jump to turn the board. The sand provides more friction than I expected. Eventually, I slide down carefully. Amazing! I unstrap the board and walk back to the top of the dune. A little later, I slide down again. Finally, I choose a steeper section. I get progressively better at sliding down. The most important thing is to maintain my balance. I’m not daring enough to make a turn yet. As the sun nears the horizon, I decide to stop. Unfortunately, it’s too hazy for a beautiful sunset. I get back into the vehicle and drive steeply down the sand dune. In the evening, I have dinner in the Bedouin tent. I strike up a conversation with a German couple who also arrived today. I end the night by the campfire.