10 Best Hotels in Oman

Name: Nomadic Desert Camp
Address: Ash Sharqiyah South, Oman
Telephone: 9933–6273
Price range: $$

Muscat has a variety of world-class luxury accommodations as well as mid-range local and international chains. Other popular tourist destinations, including the mountains of Jabal Akhdar and the southern city of Salalah, also have a few high-end options. Reasonably priced hotels that are low- or no-frills (but still clean and comfortable) are available throughout the country. In the deserts of Sharqiyah, guests can find a range of camping options as well, from the luxurious to the rustic. Camping with your own tent and gear is allowed anywhere in the country and is a popular option for ecotourists who venture away from the cities into the deserts, mountains, and remote beaches.

Nomadic Desert Camp

$$ | Oman Fodor's Choice

A simple camp of traditional palm leaf huts (with no a/c or electricity), this family-run property offers a more local experience than some of the other resorts, with the friendly, on-site Omani owners who are extremely helpful. This might explain why most repeat visitors to the area seem to prefer this no-frills property over some of the more luxurious options. The reasonable rates include Omani-style dinner and breakfast, a short camel ride, and a guide to lead you in from Bidiyah if you have a 4x4 (otherwise pickups are available for a small fee). A fire is built nightly, and guests and locals gather to relax over a cup of tea under the stars.

Be sure to bring cash, as you can only use a credit card for the room; any additional activities or extras (like sheesha), will need to be paid for in cash.

Other camps offer more excursion options, but few that offer the remote, authentic desert camping experience.

Shangri-La Al Husn Hotel

$$$$ | Al Jissah St., Oman Fodor's Choice

Tucked between the sea and the rocky cliffs of Qantab, about 45 minutes from the airport, this sprawling resort actually has three hotels, the family-friendly Al Waha, the central-to-the-action Al Bandar, and the exclusive, romantic Al Husn, which is the standout. Chic, arabesque design touches—towering ceilings, curved doorways and windows—and the sweet smell of frankincense wafting throughout the halls give it the exotic feel you're looking for. Dramatic views of the mountainside beach are available from every spacious room, each of which has a balcony, where you can have your included breakfast. There are other extras, including a complimentary minibar, daily hosted afternoon tea, and pre-dinner cocktail hour. The Al Husn has its own adults-only private beach and infinity pool, which ensures quiet tranquillity, though the amenities of the other properties are only steps away, including 17 dining outlets and bars, kayaking and scuba diving lessons, a world-class spa, and a heritage village offering locally made, Omani handicrafts. The property has a complimentary shuttle bus to take guests into the historic Mutrah and old Muscat neighborhoods to experience some local culture. The main draw for this property is the complete escape it can offer, as guests can luxuriate in beautiful surroundings and choose to have as much or as little contact with the outside world, or even with the very well-trained staff, as they like.

1000 Nights Camp

$$ | Wahiba Sands Al Mintrib, Oman

This camp, which has more resort-style amenities than most others, offers several different levels of accommodations, from basic tents without electricty or bathroom facilities, to more luxurious tents with private baths and a/c, to small villas. All of the rooms are a bit run-down but are clean and comfortable enough. Breakfast and dinner buffet, fruit, water, and soft drinks are all included. On-site the resort has its own pool, sand volleyball nets, darts and billiards, and in the high season, Bedouin singers and dancers are often invited to perform in the evenings. As with most of the camps, the property can arrange all kinds of activities, including camel and horseback riding, dune-bashing, and desert trekking—albeit for a rather high fee. This property is not very remote, which makes it easy to find, but also means that it does not offer the quiet experience you may be looking for (it's in a part of the desert that is a popular camping and dune-bashing destination for locals, so it can be a bit noisy some nights). Pickups can be arranged in Bidiyah if you don't have your own four-wheel-drive vehicle.

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Al Areesh Desert Camp

$ | Oman

This is the only desert camp in the region that is accessible without four-wheel drive, and it is the least expensive property in the Wahiba Sands. The very basic huts have electricity and private bathrooms; breakfast and dinner buffets are included in the nightly rates. At night a large fire is lit, and during the busy season Bedouin performers sing and dance. Activities like camel rides and guided crossings can be arranged.

Al Raha Camp

$ | Oman

This camp is run-down, and the rooms are very basic, albeit clean with private bathrooms. It is one of the cheapest places to stay in the desert and is adequate for a night. The Omani owners can arrange pickups from town and desert excursions, and they maintain a good relationship with the local Bedouin and can arrange visits with them; Bedouin women to come to the camp each weekend to sell their handicrafts.This camp offers two meal options: breakfast only or half-board. Unless you plan to bring a cooler with your own provision, you should take the half-board offer. If you book during the summer, you must book a room with air-conditioning.

Arabian Oryx Camp

$$ | Oman

This camp's spacious bungalows are good for traveling families, and the resort can arrange all kinds of desert experiences; the layout—rows of square, air-conditioned cabins—leaves something to be desired. All cabins have two queen beds, air-conditioning, and private baths. Aside from Bedouin singing and dancing in the gathering halls after dinner, which is only scheduled during the high season, there are few things to do in the camp itself. But the food here is some of the best of any of the camps in the area, with a huge selection during both breakfast and dinner (which is included in the rates), including great barbecue and local Omani specialties like sweet, saffron-flavored halwa.

Desert Nights Camp

$$$$ | Oman

More expensive than most of the other camps, Desert Nights does offer nicer accommodations, though it is still desert "camping," so don't expect five-star standards. Nice additional perks include free camel rides and sunset drives up the dunes; other add-on desert activities, such as camel safaris, trekking, and dune-bashing, are reasonably priced. Breakfast and dinner are included, but be sure to request and reserve an outdoor table. Transportation can be arranged from Bidiyah or Muscat.

Hilton Salalah Resort

$$$ | Sultan Qaboos St., Salalah, Oman

You may not be awash in luxuries here, but you'll find everything that's expected from the Hilton brand in a location that capitalizes on the area's formidable natural beauty. Common and dining areas are airy, bright, and welcoming. Rooms are sizable and clean, many with floor-to-ceiling windows and ocean views from private terraces. The palm-lined outdoor pool and tennis courts are well maintained and overlook a wide stretch of sandy beach (although there is an industrial complex in view), and dining can be had indoors, on the terrace, or beachside.

Safari Desert Camp

$$ | Oman

This traditional, electricity-free camp is one of the most remote, with tents scattered around the site, each nicely furnished with carpets and two beds as well as an open-topped tent for the toilet and shower. If the camp is still not remote enough for your liking, there is the option for "wild camping" in a tent a few miles away from the main site; other than your meals being delivered, you will be left in peaceful solitude. Local Omani breakfast and dinner are included in the rate, and additional experiences, from Bedouin musical performances and henna tattooing to camel safaris and professional drivers to take you deeper into the desert, can be booked. Transfers from Bidiyah are available for a hefty additional fee. Though the camp is open year-round, we do not recommend booking at this camp from mid-May through mid-August due to the lack of air-conditioning.

Turtle Beach Resort

$$ | Oman

Forty minutes south of Sur, the Turtle Beach Resort is a remote retreat with a private beach, on-site water sports, a lively bar, and easy access to the turtle reserve in Ras Al Jinz. The rooms can be booked with just breakfast, half-board, or a full meal plan, which would be your best bet considering there are no other restaurants in the surrounding area. Some rooms are more traditional, with palm-frond roofs and no air-conditioning or attached toilets, while other rooms are fully modern, with en-suite bathrooms and air-conditioning. The resort is popular with families looking to totally disconnect, so most guests are not bothered by the lack of Wi-Fi in the rooms or the total dearth of activities and dining in the surrounding areas.

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