THanks John,

I do like mall of the emirates, but shopping can be a wee bit boring !!
We will rent a 4x4 i think. Can you recommend anywhere in oman? we arent particularly interested in guided tours so something that e can do ourself would be brillliant.

Thanks, Lara

One easy suggestion is to drive up past Ras Al Khaimah to the Omani border of the Musandam Peninsula. Go one way on the motorway extension of Emirates Road and return down the old coast road for a change of scenery. When you reach RAK, turn right at the clock tower roundabout, go across the mangrove/golf club causeway, follow signs for Nakheel and then Rams (a village in the UAE) and/or the Oman border. The road after RAK has improved considerably now that road works have finished.

The border crossing takes about 15 minutes (you'll need to take your passports) and costs 25 dirhams each to exit the UAE and 60 dirhams for an Omani visa.

Having entered, the good part starts. The road along the coast is beautiful and spectacular all the way to Khassab.

In Khassab (port), you can hire a speedboat (around 300 dirhams) to take you around to Telegraph Island or head instead into the wadi and visit Khor Najd - the only road access to the sea on that piece of coastline (N26 05 30.8 E56 19 31.0) - and the acacia forest (N26 02 34.4 E56 21 59.4).

The turn off to Khor Najd is at: N26 04 20.3 E56 18 39.0

You can easily return to Dubai in one day with a total of about 400km driven.

If you go towards Nizwa, Jibreen fort (N22 54 55.1 E57 14 58.1) is worth a visit as a lovely example of an old house-style fort - not the usual military ones which are everywhere in Oman.
Stephan

Hi Stephan,

Thanks for the post. It has been really helpful.
I have some futher questions for you if thats okay.
We are probably going to rent a 4x4 and my partner would like to travel on some off roads, not in the desert exactly, but not on main roads and then we would like to camp so if you have any suggestions on where to camp also that would be brilliant.

Thanks again,

Lara