Muscat – With the National Day holiday getting clubbed with this weekend, the citizens and residents alike are all set to make the best of this rare opportunity of having a long break from Wednesday.

And in all this, Wahiba Sands has become the main talking point as a perfect getaway for the four-day break. 

The governorate of North Sharqiyah – one of the most sought-after tourist destinations – is gearing up to receive the influx of visitors not only during the National Day holiday but also throughout the winter season. 

The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) announced that the Department of Heritage and Tourism in North Sharqiyah has completed its preparations for the winter tourist season, which draws hordes of tourists – both domestic and international – from October to April every year.

The governorate is dotted with many tourist attractions such as Wahiba Sands, wadis, oases, sulphur water springs, castles, forts, popular markets and ancient archaeological lanes, in addition to having many distinguished recreational activities that bear the character of challenge, fun and adventure.

Muscat Daily spoke to a few camp owners in North Sharqiyah, who are all ready to welcome guests. 

According to Ali al Hajari, owner of Safari Desert Camp, tourists have already started booking for the weekend “as the winter season makes North Sharqiyah the perfect destination for outdoor activities”.

“What makes winters in Oman the best time to visit is the pleasant weather, which is neither too cold to force you stay indoors, nor too hot to make you feel uncomfortable when out in the sun,” Hajari said, while giving a background of this annual surge.

He further elaborated saying that tourists enjoy watching the sunset, sandboarding, riding quad bikes, and visiting heritage villages that display traditional crafts, including pottery making. “We are expecting a huge increase in tourists in the coming days for camping in North Sharqiyah.”

Badr Amer al Hajri, the owner of the Bidiyah Camp, said, “We are already witnessing a large turnout of foreign tourists, residents and citizens. We have 35 air-conditioned rooms that are full, especially during the weekends.” North Sharqiyah has mesmerising deserts and beautiful mountains. The best option to attract visitors during the winter season is to create a special economical fare structure for tourists which is otherwise quite high during the winter season, said Hajri. 

According to him, all camps are keen to present artistic programmes such as folk art and Omani handicrafts, in addition to Omani food, drinks, distinctive Omani clothes and handcrafted ornaments. “We organise trips and outdoor activities in the sands of Sharqiyah.”

Giving details about the activities that are regularly held in the sands, Hajri counted walking in the sand dunes, riding sand bikes, paragliding, sand skiing, and sand sports car races (locally known as ‘runs’) as the most notable ones.

Additionally, tour operators also organise camel and hot air balloon rides, apart from trips to water ponds in the wilayat of Wadi Bani Khalid, which is popular among tourists for rest and relaxation.

Winters in Oman allow visitors to experience the highly diverse terrain and topography of the country, which cannot be otherwise enjoyed completely during the rest of the year. 

‘Winters here mean to put on your adventure shoes and get in the wilderness to explore the real beauty of Oman’, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism stressed, adding that the upcoming holiday will be an opportunity for all to relax and reconnect with loved ones in nice locales.

It pointed out that the last tourist season in North Sharqiyah offered positive indicators in terms of profits, revenues, and hotel room occupancies, which at times reached somewhere between 60-90%.