A pioneer in the field of female adventure sports in the sultanate, the ‘Wanderlust Oman’ team is inspiring women from across Oman and abroad to encourage them to go out to discover the nature, thereby guaranteeing a return to a more sporty and healthy lifestyle.

Wanderlust Oman is one of the first female adventure sports teams in the sultanate which was established with the aim of preserving the traditions of the past by returning to use the paths people took to travel between villages and cities and getting closer to nature, thereby encouraging women to take up sports and outdoor activities. 

Zainab bint Saif al Kiyoumi, founder, Wanderlust Oman, said, “The team introduces adventure sports among women with the highest levels of security, safety and privacy. It aims at encouraging women to go out to discover new world by getting closer to natural life and to practice various kinds of adventure sports. It also allows participants to propose various programmes for the team to encourage women to learn about these type of activities, participate in them and experience self-discovery.”

She added that the team organises various sporting events and activities, taking into account all the necessary arrangements that ensure the success of these activities, including weather conditions, the required level of fitness, proportional number of female guides to the number of participants and proper equipment among other things.

“We ensure all the safety procedures are followed when we go out for events like hiking, climbing caves, valleys and desert activities, as well as camping and karting,” Zainab said, adding that the team’s events have got a positive response and participation not only from Oman but also from outside the sultanate.

“Organising such events contribute towards encouraging adventure sports among women that ensures their self-discovery, the power inherent in them, and the exercise of sport to enjoy good health.”

Wanderlust Oman is currently focusing on creating a set of diving adventure programmes by providing training courses in free diving and open water diving/scuba diving in cooperation with trainers in a number of diving centres in the sultanate. “This will motivate women to go on undersea adventures and contribute to sustaining the marine environment,” she said.

Touching on some of the challenges facing adventure sports in Oman, Zainab said there are many. “The foremost issue is the absence of an authorised body for adventure sports to provide training programmes for the general public as well as to train qualified guides.” She added that there is also need to provide professional training courses for tour guides to ensure own safety as well as safety of clients. “This is in addition to providing safety and rescue courses under one unified platform, 

Apart from local tours, Wanderlust Oman has organised trips to the Philippines, Tanzania, China, Lebanon, Bali, the Philippines, Mexico and India in the past couple of years. 

Israa bint Salem al Ajmi, media officer at Wanderlust Oman, said, in the current circumstances where there are restrictions on the movement of people due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team is taking advantage to develop skills in fields like safety and leadership through video and conference calls.