Desert Nights Camp Hotel

Oman

The Sultanate of Oman, situated between India and Africa, is a land of mountains, sand filled deserts and lush palm groves. Known as the Kingdom of Magan throughout antiquity, Oman is located on the southernmost end of the Arabian Peninsula opening onto the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman, facing Iran. Since the 8th century, the Sultanate has been the seat of Ibadism, a minority branch of Islam originally from Mesopotamia which advocates tolerance towards the numerous Christians and Hindus living in the country. Oman, the legendary land of Sinbad the Sailor and Ubar, the mythical city of A Thousand and One Nights, was also home to the palace of the Queen of Sheba. Its location at the crossroads of maritime routes between Africa and Asia made it an important cosmopolitan venue, adding to the rich historical and architectural heritage primarily influenced by the Portuguese and the Persians. All throughout the country, one can admire the numerous forts and castles which, like the one in Jabrin near Nizwa, are veritable palaces. Between Mascate, the capital, and Nizwa, there are at least twenty fortresses perched atop the cliffs which blend in perfectly with the surrounding landscape. Although Mascate’s architecture is contemporary, it nevertheless respects traditional forms, the opposite of what one finds in Dubai, Oman’s closest neighbor, where towering skyscrapers and artificial islands abound.

A luxurious oasis

The desert possesses one of the world’s most impressive landscapes, and yet it’s difficult to explain its fascination or the pleasure one gets from observing a sunset while seated atop one of the desert’s many sand dunes. It’s also difficult to share the emotional feeling of looking out onto an infinite stretch of red sand only interrupted by the waves made by the wind on the hot sands. In the midst of this magical setting however, an atypical hotel consisting of luxurious tents appears: The Desert Nights Camp. Located in the Ash Sharqiyah Sands desert (also called the Wahiba Sands) in the east of the Omani Sultanate, this upscale campsite possesses 28 accommodations. Its disarming simplicity combined with its five star rating makes it the ideal site for discovering and learning to love the desert. Basic services are carried out with efficiency and kindness, and the tent equipment is reserved and sober. The restaurant provides a generous and convivial cuisine as well as being a venue for guests to come together, get acquainted and exchange their impressions of this incredible landscape.

The bar is another meeting place with a pool table and dart board designed for warm and friendly evenings. The heart and soul of the hotel however, is not the site itself but the universe around it. The campsite is simply a starting point for the numerous activities offered including riding on the back of a camel, driving around in a SUV and a number of other fascinating excursions. Whether it’s a visit to the dunes with their hypnotic beauty or to the nearby villages, there is a great deal to explore and discover. One of the most popular visits takes guests to the Wadi Bani Khalid. A wadi, also called a oued, is a streambed. Although they are sometimes dry, the Bani Khalid has a strong current running through this desert landscape. It is one of the most well known in Oman for its spectacular aspect. The water carves a path through a gorge of white rocks creating natural pools with pleasantly temperate water. In addition to these bodies of water, the hotel’s spa offers a free treatment consisting of pools of small fish that eliminate our dead skin in a truly majestic setting!

One of the excursions offered includes meeting a Bedouin family and discovering the way these desert nomads live. It’s a very moving and instructive moment.