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Pictures of our trip 2013 to Oman – part 3
- with our vehicle in March 2013:
Sur - East Coast - Island of Masirah - Dhofar
 
 
Oman 1999 - from mid-March to mid-April 1999
Oman 2013 – Part 1 - February 2013: Musandam Peninsula
Oman 2013 – Part 2 - February 2013: Sohar - Muscat - Rustaq - Nizwa
Oman 2013 – Part 4 - March 2013: Salalah & Surroundings (Dhofar) - Nizwa
Oman 2013 – Part 5 - March 2013: Western Hajar Mountains
(Oman 2013 Part 6) - April 2013: Omani Madha Exclave in the UAE
 
 
 
Oman Map
 
   
 
         Middle East Map

                                         

 
latest picture: March 8, 2013
  • click a picture to see details

 
 
 
 
 
 
130  Uniform mass settlements are the newest
trend. They sprout everywhere like here in the
Hail al Ghaf area near Qurayat. It’s said that
these have been built for the victims of the
category 5 super cyclon “Gonu” back in 2007
131  Two adorable little girls are sitting
with a snack on the grass at the
„Wadi Daykah“ Dam
132  The construction of the “Wadi Daykah”
dam began in 2006 and was opened in
March 2012. There is an attractive viewing
area with picnic tables and flowers.
Camping however is prohibited
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
133  The green date palm oasis of Daykah
spreads picturesquely along the dry wadi,
framed by bare desert mountains. We
remember bathing in the pools during our
first visit in 1994, while being with friends
on a “Wadi-Bashing” weekend
134  Like in every oasis, the ancient
water system called “Falaj” is used to
distribute water among the community
at Daykah too
135  On the old road to Wadi Daykah,
we find a lovely camping spot. Liliana is
enjoying the peacefulness at breakfast
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
136
137
138
It is just amazing what different kind of flowers nature is producing even in the driest areas. They grow even between stones
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
139  A little gem: The „Sink Hole“ near
Dibab: The water is shimmering azure, tiny
fishes swim around, birds fly in and out of small
niches and all around are blooming flowers
140  Feral donkeys, which roam around
peacefully, are an often and always an
enjoyable encounter in Oman
141  Emil is filling a jerrycan of shower water
at a fountain of the small village of Ash Shab
near Tiwi. Mostly we can fill our water
supplies only at mosques
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
142  Along the East coast, there are miles
of deserted beaches like her east of Dibab
between Qurayat and Sur
143  Can a place be more peaceful?
The fishing village of Fins between
Qurayat and Sur
144  Coincidence or purpose? At the
nostalgic fishing village of Fins we discover
a wooden door with the Mitsubishi logo
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
145  Along the rugged coastline at the „White
Beach“ southeast of Fins we find a rocky
outcrop with lovely view for our lunch .....
146  ..... Liliana is dealing with our new
pressure cooker “made in India” on the
new gas stove “made in China”
147  Once more the rising sun is announcing
a new day – here near the „White Beach“
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
148  Fishermen are checking their laid-out
nets and head back to the shore
149  An Egyptian vulture (Neophron
percnopterus) is gliding through the skies
scanning the region for potential carrions .....
150  .... shortly afterwards it is landing
near our camp! – must have been
an erroneous assessment
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
151  The coastal village of Ash Shab/Tiwi
northwest of Sur spreads a peaceful
atmosphere with its fishing boats
bobbing up and down
152  Tiwi is also the starting point for
Wadi Ash Shab, to be explored by boat
and by foot. Early morning, when the sun
casts long shadows, the backdrop looks
especially moody …..
153  ….. and at dusk when the sun
is setting, it gets a mystical touch
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
154
155
156
Wadi Tiwi lies just east to Wadi Al Shab. It captivates with its wilderness and beauty, with its stunning mountain scenery, white boulders
and emerald pools, with blooming trees and remote villages surrounded by green date palm plantations. The village is named ‘Harat Bidah’
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
157  A female date palm branch: Date palms
belong to each oasis. With their long roots they
are able to fetch water from a depth up to 20 ft.
(male branch see Oman 2 – pic #117)
158  Date palms need care too:
At one of the Tiwi oases, a farmer
removes dry leaves …..
159  ….. while his wife walks back
from her garden with a freshly picked
pumpkin on her shoulder
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
160  It is spring time: The flowering tree
with its golden yellow blossoms
undermines the beauty of Wadi Tiwi
161  Our LandCruiser is on its
exploring tour through the narrow
Wadi Tiwi with its many bends
162  The crumbling tomb of Bibi Mariam in
the village of Qalhat northwest of Sur sits
picturesquely on a hill. Apparently Marco
Polo visited it already in the 13th century
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
163  On the eastside of Sur where fishing
boats line the sandy beach, the white houses
of the village of Ayjah gleam across the bay
164  One of the three watchtowers marking
the safe passage for the dhows into the
lagoon. Oman is known as great boat
building nation and traditional dhows
are still made by hand in Sur
165  The lighthouse and two watchtowers
add to the charm on Sur’s corniche
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
166  Traditional dhows line the shore of
Ras al Hadd, Southeast of Sur. They are
a reproduction of the dhow with which
‘Sinbad the Sailor’ sailed from Sohar
around the world according to the saga
167  Ras al Hadd is considered the
“last point” in the east of Oman and lies
only 10 miles from the most eastern tip
of the Arabian Peninsula: Ras al Jinz
168  Liliana enjoys the start of a day
at our idyllic camping spot between
Ras al Hadd and Ras al Jinz
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
169  The Ras al Jinz bay is a famous turtle
nesting site. In the season from May to
October yearly 30’000 of the endangered
green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) are said
to land here to lay their eggs. We saw their
reproduction struggle in French Guiana
170  Two rather white-black
flamingos (Phoenicopterus)
stalk in a shallow lagoon
171  Camouflaged nearly to perfection:
A tiny transparent gecko (Pristurus
carteri) that we discovered on
different camping spots
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
172  We drive along the chain of dunes of
the Wahiba Sands. The dunes respectively
its valleys run more or less north to south
and are interrupted by narrow channels
where some greens are growing
173  What an adorable sight: Camel
mother and baby walk through the desert
in search of food. Like in the time of the
1940’s expedition of Wilfred Thesiger, camels
are still used today for crossing the sands
174  Where the white crescentic dunes
of the Wahiba Sands and the blue
sea run into each other
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
175  The ride along the coastal road towards
the south is sandy and lonely. Now and then
we encounter a Bedouin with his LandCruiser
pickup, driving from or to his settlement
176  Landscape short of Qurun:
Desert as far as the eye can see
177  This is how a Bedouin family lives
in the sand near the sea. They even
have a draw well
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
178  Scattered Bedouin dwellings along
the east coast show up now and then.
Sometimes they are reached only by 4x4
through deep sand – here south of Qihayd
179  The desolate salt flat of Barr al-Hickman
replaces the dune fields when we drive to
the Shannah ferry terminal, where boats
connect to the desert island of Masirah
180  The sun is setting at the ferry terminal
of Shannah behind the dhows. We camp
there to catch the morning ferry to
Masirah Island
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
181  Two dhows leave the ferry terminal
of Shannah for the open sea. They are
loaded with food, ice bags (to cool the
fish catch) and heavy blue barrels with fuel
182  Our LandCruiser is on board the
ferry to the remote island of Masirah.
It costs Rial 10 = US$ 24
and it takes one hour
183  A special “passenger”: A camel with
a red-white head scarf loaded on a pick-up
is boarding the ferry to the Island of Masirah
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
184  This is Hilf, the main town of
Masirah Island – not much else than a
quiet fishing community which has
been spared from tourism yet
185  One wonderfully shaped bay after
the other lines the west coast, one lovelier
than the other. And all of them are deserted
186  Whenever screeching gulls gather,
fishing boats came home with their catch
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
187
188
189
Be it at the seashore or in the mountains, on the remote Masirah Island even the dwellings radiate peace and solitude
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
190  The East Coast with its blazing white
sandy bays is the place where from May to
October four species of turtles emerge from
the sea to lay their eggs. 87% or 30’000 are
“Loggerhead”. Others are “Hawksbill”,
“Olive Ridley” and “Green Sea Turtles”
191  The “Lost Boat“ – a stranded dhow –
at the West coast is the only “foreign body”
at the remote beaches where snorkeling
is wonderful. The boat is praised
as a tourist attraction
192  Also the modest white mosque in
front of the black hills reflects the simplicity
of Masurah’s islanders’ life style
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
193  There is not one guest at the lovely
hotel pool with sea view at the ‘Masira
Island Resort’ (formerly Swiss-Belhotel)
except Liliana. Until now Masirah has
been spared from mass tourism
194  Haqal, at Masirah’s eastside, is
our most treasured spot on the island:
The lagoon gleams in different colors
195  On our last desert camp on the
Island of Masirah , two wild donkeys
make for an unforgettable sunset
 
 
More websites from Oman:
Oman 1999 - from mid-March to mid-April 1999
Oman 2013 – Part 1 - February 2013: Musandam Peninsula
Oman 2013 – Part 2 - February 2013: Sohar - Muscat - Rustaq - Nizwa
Oman 2013 – Part 4 - March 2013: Salalah & Surroundings (Dhofar) - Nizwa
Oman 2013 – Part 5 - March 2013: Western Hajar Mountains
(Oman 2013 Part 6) - April 2013: Omani Madha Exclave in the UAE
 
More websites from the Middle East:
Fairytale Wedding in Dubai - United Arab Emirates - with our car from February 7th, to May 20th, 1999
Sharjah + Dubai: United Arab Emirates - without our vehicle from February 19th, to 27th, 2011
Sharjah/Dubai/1st Traveler's Festival/Emirates National Auto Museum - UAE with car Nov. 2012 to Jan. 2013 - part 1
Liwa - United Arab Emirates with our car in February 2013 - part 2
Al Ain, Eastcoast & Ras al Khaima - United Arab Emirates with our car in April 2013 - part 3
Welcome to Kuwait on March 3rd, 1996
Yemen car trip (from Oman to Saudi Arabia) - from May 16th, to June 15th, 1996
Sandstorm in Saudi Arabia on February 4th, 1999
Trip to Dubai in January and February 1999
Iran 2013 – Part 1: Ferry Port Bandar Abbas-Shiraz-Persepolis-Pasargad (between Persepolis and Yazd)
Iran 2013 – Part 2: Pasargad (excl.)-Yazd-Esfahan May 2013
Iran 2013 – Part 3: Esfahan (excl.)-Chelgerd-Hamadan-Sanandaj-Orumiyeh May 2013
Turkey 2013 Eastern Anatatolia - June 2013
Socotra - without our car from February 9th, to 19th, 2011:
Part 1: Socotra trip in Yemen (East) Hadibo - Dihamri - Arher Beach
Part 2: Socotra trip in Yemen (South) Homhil - Aomak Beach - Wadi Daerhu - Dicksam Plateau
Part 3: Socotra trip in Yemen (West) Qalansiya - Shouab Beach - Qadama Beach - Momi Plateau - Wadi Ayhaft