OMAN PHOTOGRAPHY EXPEDITION
10 days
Mystical Oman is a country, situated at the Eastern corner of the Arabian peninsula. It's unique location, separated from the other Arab countries by the great desert, gave Oman opportunity of isolation and unique development through the history. The friendliness and hospitality of the locals, developed country, modern and traditional architecture and cultural heritage are among the most popular places in the last few years in travel and photographic community. Photographic motives such as easy going and relaxed capital of Muscat, old towns of Nizwa and Sur and breathtaking deserts, wadis and mountains of Al Hadjar with amazing Wadi Ghul - known as Arabic Grand Canyon.
10 days expedition with the local guides and modern 4 wheel drives with the combination of camping, glamping and hotels will be more on adventure side than classic traveling. The workshop will visit all the great photography places in the country. The photographic opportunities are amazing and Oman sure is one of the countries to experience true Arabic world.
Wahiba sands
Wahiba light painting
Beduin in the area of Sharqiya
Wahiba sands
Instructors: Nejc Trpin & Leni Ozis
Tuition: 5900 EUR
Deposit: 1490 EUR
Price includes: tuition, accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner, transportation, entry fees, parking fees, water/karak tea.
Price excludes: Airfares and visas, travel & gear insurances
Group size: 8 people
Level: Intermediate and Advanced
Fitness level: Normal to Moderate
Starting and ending point: Muscat
Highlights:
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Sultan's mosque in Muscat
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Traditional souqs of Nizwa
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Villages of Barka, Misfat al Abriyeen and Balad Sayt
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Wadi Ghul and Snake Canyon
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Wahiba desert crossing
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The white dunes of Al Khaluf
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Expedition way of travelling
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Experienced guides and pro photographers
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Luxury 4wd cars for transportation
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Camping under million stars
Itinerary
Day 1:
Arrival to Muscat, pickup at the airport or hotels and welcome dinner in one of the Muscat's restaurants. Easy and relaxed evening. Overnight in the hotel in Muscat.
Day 2:
Morning in one of the viewpoints above the city. Today we will visit the capital of Oman. After breakfast we will head up for the city. In the morning we will go to the modern fish and vegetable market in Muttrah region. After photographing every day life, we will spend some time to visit the traditional souq, where you can find different traditional things that are famous such as the Khanjar knife, Frankincence, oil, silvery, textile and other souvenirs. You can also turn yourself into a proper Omani buying their traditional kummah and dishdash. In the afternoon we will visit the famous marble Opera house and finish the photography day with the Sultan Qaboos mosque photo session. Overnight in Muscat.
Day 3:
In the morning we will visit the Sultan Qaboos mosque. After visit, we will departure towards Sur. On the way we will stop in the famous Wadi Shab, where we will take a 2-3 hour easy hike through an extraordinary canyon which finishes with the lake. We will take a dip to the lake, the brave ones, can swim upstream to explore the upper part of the canyon. After refreshment in the water we will proceed to Sur. Sur is a medieval port city, known about the construction site of the famous Arabic ships known as "Dhow". Evening in the green turtle resort of Ras al Jinz. Overnight in Sur or Ras Al Jinz.
Day 4:
Early morning and sunrise session on the coast of Ras Al Jinz. Today we have a long drive to the white desert known as Al Khaluf. On the way we will stop in the town for some lunch. We will arrive to the dunes late in the afternoon and set up a camp. If somebody is up for a swim, there is a beach nearby. The evening photo session in the white dunes and some night/astro photography session after dinner for the brave. Overnight camping in the Al-Khaluf dunes.
Day 5:
Sunrise close to our camp in the white dunes. Today the real expedition starts. We will start to explore the possible ways up north to cross the famous Wahiba sands. Off road driving through the dunes and passages on our way towards the camp where we will spend the night. Picnic in the sand and some off road action for photography. Mesmerizing views on the big yellow sea of the sand. In the late afternoon we will arrive to our camp. Dinner and sunset photography session on the dunes above the campsite. The strong ones will go for another night shooting session after dinner. Overnight in the organized bungalow campsite in the Wahiba sands.
Day 6:
Sunrise session on one of the big dunes above the campsite that we will try to conquer with the 4wd beasts. Breakfast in the camp. On our way we can stop at the beduins and take a photo or two of their life in the desert. We will go to relax and wash the sand in Wadi Bani Khalid, where we can forget about all the worries. In the late afternoon, we will proceed to Nizwa, where we will photograph the Sultan Qaboos mosque in the evening. Overnight in Nizwa.
Day 7:
It's Friday and in Nizwa, this is a rare opportunity to see the amazing cattle market. We will deep in the screaming and bargaining crowd, who wish to sell their cattle to the buyers. So many faces, expressions, joy and even tension on the faces of sellers and buyers. True market in the front of our eyes. Don't forget your portrait lens for this session. And it happens early in the morning - guarantee for the soft light. Return to the hotel, refreshment and departure towards Al Hajar mountains. On the way we will stop in the amazing villages of Misfat al Abriyeen and arrive to Jebel Shams s plateau in the afternoon. Sunset session in one of the places on Jebel Shams, with the view on the highest mountains in Oman and the Grand canyon of Arabia. Overnight in one of the resorts in Jebel Shams.
Day 8:
Morning/sunrise session above Wadi Ghul, the Arabic Grand Canyon. After breakfast, we will go for an easy 2 hour hike above the Wadi Ghul following the marked trail, called the Balcony trail. It offers great views across the whole canyon and it is appropriate for almost everyone. When we return to the cars, we will drive to the area of Dar al Baydah where we will stay overnight. Overnight in the hotel in the mountains of Al Hadjar.
Day 9:
Sunrise above Shorfet al Alamin with the view on the highest mountain of Oman, Jebel Shams. After breakfast, we proceed with an offroad 4wd drive through Wadi Bani Awf and stop at the idyllic village of Balad Sayt. On the way to the coast, we stop at the entrance of the Little Snake Canyon, where we can stretch our legs and take some adventure photographs. We proceed back to Muscat in the late afternoon. Evening boat ride in the bay of Muscat. Dinner and overnight in hotel in Muscat.
