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Heroes and Heroines Stay in Family Friendly Hotels
Relax and enjoy the pools, adventure zone, lazy river and private beaches at family friendly hotels.
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Our Team Steppes Travel is made by the people who work here. Incredible holidays are made possible because of their vast travel experience and the great enthusiasm they bring to their work.
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Our Tour Experts We carefully select our experts based on their knowledge, companionship and influence, ensuring that you can travel with the most knowledgeable leaders in the field.
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Heroes and Heroines The people who lead the way when it comes to those things which matter to us: exploration, the environment, women’s empowerment and education.
Family Holiday to Oman
A week-long family holiday to Oman based in beautiful hotels and within easy reach of camel riding, wild swimming, cliff jumping, sailing, dolphins, turtles and a whole range of other fantastic activities for you and your children to enjoy. Combine coast, mountains and desert for a rich experience of the Sultanate of Oman.
Key Highlights of this Itinerary
1
2Go in Search of Nimo
Spot dolphins and whales off the coast of Muscat.
3Ride Camels and Camp Out
Camp out under desert skies and explore the rolling dunes by camel or 4WD.
4Swim in Fresh Water Lagoons
Picnic and swim in the natural pools at Wadi Bani Khalid.
Why we like it
Oman is the perfect destination to go on holiday with your family. Distances are short, making touring around effortless and easy for young children. The country is clean and safe, with excellent infrastructure and the people are incredibly welcoming and friendly. The standard of hotels is world-class with family rooms, kids clubs and a wide range of international cuisine on offer. Oman has fast become an aspirational family destination in the Middle East rather than a stopover destination. It is also one of the few countries we can arrange for self-drive, which gives families the freedom to explore at their own pace.
Day 1-2
Muscat
Day 3
Muscat - Wahiba Sands
Day 4
Wahiba Sands - Jebel Akhdar
Day 5
Jebel Akhdar
Day 6
Jebel Akhdar - Muscat
Day 7
Muscat
Day 1-2
Muscat
Spend some time in Muscat to explore the forts and museums, wander along the corniche and haggle in the lively souq.
Day 3
Muscat - Wahiba Sands
Experience the thrill of dune driving amidst the desert sands of Wahiba.
Day 4
Wahiba Sands - Jebel Akhdar
Day 5
Jebel Akhdar
It is around 10 degrees cooler in the mountain ranges, which reach as high as 3000 metres. The scenery is extraordinarily dramatic.
Day 6
Jebel Akhdar - Muscat
Day 7
Muscat
More details
Family Friendly Shangri-La Resort
Set on a private bay outside Muscat, with superb facilities for all ages the Shangri-La is three hotels within one spectacular beachfront location. Young children play in supervised environments such as the Cool Zone Kids Club and the Adventure Zone while parents relax by the pool or chill out in the spa.
With year-round sunshine and pristine waters, it’s a heavenly setting for water sports for all ages: kayaks, paddle boards, sailing boats and more. Thrill seekers will relish banana boat rides, donut rides, water skiing, wakeboarding, and kneeboarding.
Dolphin and whale-watching trips are available from the jetty. Be on dolphin watch in the deep turquoise sea. There is also an Omani Heritage Village with traditional crafts such as henna painting.
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Meet the Bedouin Tribes
Experience an authentic Arabian experience, riding camels across the endless drifting dunes and spending the night at a Bedouin tented camp. Visit a Bedouin tribe, eat on cushions beside a campfire and sleep out under a starry sky if you choose.
Why not take a four-wheel drive across sand hills, known as dune bashing. Or take the more traditional two-wheeled transport of the desert. The desert provides a great place for children to learn more about the Bedouin who still rely on it for their camels and goats.
Splash in a Wadi
Wadi Bani Khalid, one of the greatest, most dramatic wadis in Oman, is a green oasis spectacularly set against a mountain backdrop. The village still farms in a traditional manner growing dates, bananas, mangos, and papaya. A walk through this remote and little visited community provides an insight into the lives of Omanis now and in many ways as they have always been.
The wadi flows out of the village and into a dramatic and steep-sided canyon, which winds up from its entrance, occasioned by rock pools ideal for a quick dip. A delicious picnic lunch can be arranged in the shade of the cliffs. The route is a combination of bouldering, hiking, and swimming that is great fun.
Mountain Adventures
Families are in good hands when staying at the Alila or Anantara hotels, Jebal Akhdar. The location in the Al Hajjar mountains makes a perfect contrast from the beach, with a refreshing climate year round. Both these hotels offer an engaging programme of activities at the kids and teens club.
Have a go at archery or why not take bikes and head out on a cycling tour. There are also fantastic children’s facilities available to keep the whole family busy. Children particularly enjoy watching cinema under the stars, with popcorn and refreshments before bedtime!
Sail a Traditional Dhow
You can take a boat trip on a traditional dhow, surround yourself by countless dolphins, go snorkelling off deserted beaches of the beautiful Dimanyat Islands, and from July to October, watch sea turtles drag themselves ashore to lay their eggs or new hatchlings making their way down to the surf by moonlight.
For families looking for a private experience, we can arrange an exclusive fully crewed charter yacht to sail around the islands and explore the coast. If you are travelling in September swim with the whale sharks that are migrating south through Omani waters.
The Zighy Bay Experience - North Musandam Peninsula
Six Senses Zighy Bay has become a household name amongst parents at the school gate. There is a good reason for this. The family-friendly resort, nestled among craggy mountains, offers castaway barefoot luxury with babysitting.
Zighy Bay is a magical destination for children of all ages. The hotel offers the Chaica’s Club for children from four years upwards. There are watersports, sand castles, treasure hunts, and some fun history lessons including Arabic events and local culture. The Teen Club offers adventure hikes, wadi swimming, canyoning or just learning new skills like archery, raft building and abseiling.
Cinema Paradiso keeps all the family entertained with movies on the beach under a blanket of stars while ushers serve five flavours of popcorn, 40 flavours of ice cream and soft drinks. Explore Arabic cooking with master chefs in the Organic Garden. Pick your ingredients before learning and practising details of the wholesome nature that is prevalent in Arabic cooking. For younger guests, cookie and cake making are a fun but messy affair. There is a top-notch hammam for spa pampering, personal push-bikes to get around the resort and spacious villas to accommodate all family members with ease.
For adventurous spirits who want to do more than snorkel off the beach, you can go water skiing, rock climbing or even make an entrance by paragliding down from the cliffs above.
Although in Oman, the arrival airport is normally Dubai. A smooth road trip between the airport and hotel including the border crossing should take approximately two and a half hours. Zighy Bay is isolated, so there is no option for hopping in a taxi for the local town.
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Accommodation
Below you can see some of the wonderful places we have recommended for this journey.
Desert Nights Camp £££££
- Oman
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Tented Camps
Desert Nights is a luxurious desert-style camp based in the heart of Wahiba Sands, Oman.
A note on price
Prices will vary depending on the time of year you are travelling. Prices do not include international flights. Please ask one of our Travel Experts for an accurate quote. Flights purchased through Steppes Travel departing from the UK are ATOL protected.
This Itinerary
Price
From $3,238 Per person
When to travel
Oman in January
Oman will generally experience cooler temperatures and occasional rainfall, making both January and February an ideal time to visit for comfortable sightseeing but as a result, some regions may become busier.
Oman in February
February is an ideal month to travel to Oman with over 10 hours of daily sunshine and average temperatures of 24°C, perfect for some winter sun.
Oman in March
As temperatures start to rise, March is a preferred time to travel to Oman in order to experience a warm climate, but without the intense humidity, that summer can bring.
Oman in April
Slightly warmer than March but cooler than the peak summer months of July and August, April can be a good time to travel to Oman with the country experiencing average temperatures of 35°C.
Oman in May
As May brings the start of summer, temperatures will be high throughout the country with marginally lower levels of humidity than the peak summer months.
Oman in June
Frome June through to August, the southern region of Dhofar catches the Indian Ocean monsoon rains, known as Khareef. This can be a welcome break from the intense summer heat, but makes Salalah, the capital city of Dhofar, very busy during this time.
Oman in July
Due to the high temperatures experienced in Oman during the months of July and August, this can be a less comfortable time to travel to the country unless you visit the Southern regions.
Oman in August
With Oman experiencing Khareef, the country’s monsoon season, visit the South of the country where the monsoon rains have created lush, green vegetation across the landscapes.
Oman in September
With both the monsoon season over and as summer draws to a close, September experiences high temperatures with very little rainfall.
Oman in October
The best time to visit the country is from late October through to mid-March with Oman experiencing temperatures ranging from 25°C to 35°C, with cooler balmy evenings.
Oman in November
The best time to visit the country is from late October through to mid-March with Oman experiencing temperatures ranging from 25°C to 35°C, with cooler balmy evenings.
Oman in December
December is the coolest time to visit Oman with a maximum average of 26°C. Mountainous regions, however, can experience considerably lower temperatures at night.
Holiday Inspiration
Our experts have created and curated these tailor-made holiday ideas to get you started. Take the time to search through them and find something that is the spark for your unique adventure.
Why Choose Steppes?
Our knowledge and expertise set us apart. So too our curiosity. It is this that drives us to create a journey that is really bespoke to you, all the while ensuring we travel and operate sustainably.
Are you ready to discover extraordinary once again?
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