11 Things to Know Before Your Oman Road Trip

Located in the southeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, Oman is rarely the focus of international news. This is in no small part due to its political stability, which keeps it out of the headlines. Instead, you’ll meet friendly people and discover incredible nature, and frankly, what more could you ask for?. 

Get 100€ off your Oman 4x4 car rental using our promo code LUCAS100 when booking for 7 days or longer https://idrive4x4.com/

1. Safety

Oman is an incredibly safe country. There was not a single instance where we had a shred of doubt about our safety - well, except for when we ventured into the Empty Quarter all alone. Crime is absolutely negligible in Oman. People are friendly, welcoming, and very helpful. The same applies to the police - they are truly your friend and helpers. Equally, both the soldiers and immigration officers we met were always a pleasure to deal with. 

2. Best Time To Travel

If you intend to go camping or plan to spend any time outside of your air-conditioned car, avoid visiting Oman during the summer months. From May to September, temperatures are absolutely scorching. We are talking 50° Celsius here. Even in April, temperatures will exceed 40° C regularly. For that reason, the winter months from November to March are much better suited for traveling.

3. Car Rental

The most important element of a self-drive roadtrip is the right vehicle. If you intend to thoroughly explore the country, you will need a four-wheel drive with good ground clearance. This is necessary to safely venture onto the remote trails in both mountains and deserts. 

There are many rental companies in Oman, including well-known international players like Europcar. Generally, the standard of the cars is very high. However, very few companies rent out vehicles with camping equipment. 

The company we went with was iDrive4x4, which works in collaboration with the Omani rental company Al Maha Rent a Car. If you want to book with them, mention our discount code LUCAS100 to get €100 off any vehicle booking of more than 7 days.

iDrive4x4 specializes in camping roadtrips in Oman, Georgia, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, and Uganda. They are a well-organized, Dutch-run company that offers fast communication via WhatsApp both before you rent the vehicle and during the trip. If you encounter any problems, they will be there for you. 

iDrive4x4 supplied us with camping gear, including a spacious rooftop tent, chairs, a table, a small gas stove, and cooking equipment. We did not use the sleeping bags that came with it, as the temperatures in April often exceeded 25 degrees at night. We simply bought a thin blanket, which we used on the rare occasion that the temperature dropped below 20°C.

4. Wild Camping

In Oman, camping is extremely popular. It is all the more surprising that there is not a single established campground in the entire country. That means that wild camping is the only option. Luckily, wild camping is perfectly legal in most of Oman, so you can put up your tent pretty much anywhere. Only around Muscat, where the population density is comparatively high, will you have to drive a bit outside of town.

5. Water

Managing water is one of the most essential elements of desert travel. Always, absolutely always, take more water than you think you will need. In towns, make sure to buy bottled water and always keep a store of at least 10-20 liters somewhere in the car. On a hot day, each person will easily drink several liters.

If you are camping, make sure you carry a large water canister in addition to your drinking water. There are taps throughout the country where you can refill your water canisters. Local playgrounds, gas stations, some restaurants, and mosques have public restrooms and facilities where you can refill your water (sometimes even filtered drinking water) free of charge.

6. Driving

It is safe to say that Omanis and their guest workers from India, Pakistan, or Bangladesh are not the world’s best drivers. While most people roughly stick to the speed limits, the use of indicators is rare. Often, cars will simply change lanes, sometimes without as much as a glance. This is especially true for the Capital Area, where traffic can be rather dense. Everywhere else except Muscat and Salalah, however, traffic is minimal.

All of the main roads in the country are tarred and in excellent condition. The speed limit is often 100 km/h or even 120 km/h, allowing fairly swift progress. Most smaller roads are equally tarred and in great condition. As a matter of fact, encountering a pothole is exceedingly rare. Just watch out for sand dunes, which sometimes accumulate on the road unexpectedly due to strong winds.

If you really want to experience the country, though, you will have to leave the asphalt. Backcountry trails are often gravel and sometimes corrugated. Venturing into wadis, aka river valleys, is even more adventurous, as their surface can be made up of anything from dust to sand or rocks. For that, you’ll definitely need a high-clearance 4x4 with decent tires. The same applies to venturing into the Wahiba Sands or Rub al-Khali deserts. 

7. Navigation

Oman is a well-organised, modern country with plenty of road signage on all its highways. Saying that, you likely have no intention of always staying on major tarred roads. Anyone wishing to venture into Oman's deserts and wadis must be well prepared. Solely relying on Google Maps is not a good idea, as some parts of the country have no signal. Therefore, make sure you have downloaded offline maps for your GPS, so you will not get lost. A great app we have used for more than a decade is Maps.me.

8. Cash

Most places in Oman accept credit cards. This applies to restaurants as well as fuel stations or supermarkets. Saying that, it is still a good idea to get some cash at the airport upon your arrival, especially for more rural towns and small eateries, as well as some activities, such as the Wadi Shab boat crossing. When you withdraw cash, check if the ATM can give you something other than 50 OMR bills. Only supermarkets accept these large bills.

9. Fuel stations

Oman certainly does not have a lack of fuel stations. Every small town has at least one, but more often than not several. All of these accept credit cards. Additionally, the price is the same all across the country. Even better, in comparison to Europe, fuel is dirt cheap. We paid only around 59 cents per liter. 

10. Groceries

Buying food and beverages in Oman is incredibly easy. Every town has at least one, but more often several, well-stocked supermarkets. All larger cities have hypermarkets. The most common of them is a chain called Lulu Hypermarket. These are similar to Walmart or Carrefour, as they offer everything from groceries to fashion, camping equipment, and electrical appliances. Additionally, they have a large section for freshly made take-away food, which saves you both the time and hassle of cooking your own meals.

11. Restaurants

Going to a local restaurant is almost always a sensible option. The hygiene standard is very high in Oman, which makes eating out very safe. Additionally, the prices in local restaurants are extremely reasonable. Many times, a massive portion of chicken biryani - a very common lunch dish - costs no more than 1.5 OMR (roughly 3.50 Euro, 4 USD) per person. There are also plenty of vegetarian dishes available.

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Get 100€ off your Oman 4x4 car rental using our promo code LUCAS100 when booking for 7 days or longer https://idrive4x4.com/

Watch our Oman Travel Documentary on YouTube!