OFF ROAD IN SALALAH DURING KHAREEF, OVERLAND 5 DAY EXPEDITION TO OMAN, 23rd to 27th of August ‘2023
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OFF ROAD IN SALALAH DURING KHAREEF, OVERLAND 5 DAY EXPEDITION TO OMAN, 23rd to 27th of August ‘2023
SALALAH, THE COASTAL CAPITAL OF OMAN’S DHOFAR REGION IS THE MOST REMOTE DESTINATION IN THE SULTANATE. YET, ITS UNPARALLEL NATURAL BEAUTY OFTEN COMPARED TO THE TROPICS OF THE MIDDLE EAST ATTRACTS THOUSANDS OF VISITORS, ESPECIALLY DURING THE MONSOON (KHAREEF) SEASON WHICH LASTS THROUGH THE MONTHS OF JUNE TILL AUGUST OR EVEN TILL LATE SEPTEMBER.
A PROPER 4X4 VEHICLE, WITH A TRANSFER CASE, IS MANDATORY FOR THIS EXCURSION. AWD VEHICLES WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COPE WITH THE TERRAIN ON THIS DRIVE.
SOARING MOUNTAIN PEAKS RISE ABOVE THE CLOUDS, AND MAJESTIC WATERFALLS DROP INTO TURQUOISE RIVERS GUSHING THROUGH THE VALLEYS OF VERDANT ROLLING HILLS COVERED IN FOG, WIND-SWEPT TALL PALM TREES DOT THE WHITE SANDY BEACHES WITH HUNDREDS OF CAMELS FREELY ROAMING AROUND.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Eftalquot cliff and beach, Mughsail Beach, Marneef Cave, Fazayah Beach, Shaat Sinkhole, Shaat View Point, Rakhyut Beach, Abandoned ship beach, Masood Hidden Beach and many more.WE WILL BE HEADING DIRECTLY TO SALALAH FROM DUBAI AND TAKING THE SHORTER ROUTE, TO MAXIMIZE OUR TIME IN SALALAH, WE WOULD THUS BE TAKING THE MEZYAD BORDER IN AL AIN (WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE HAFEET BORDER).
AS A GCC (AND UAE) RESIDENTS, WE NO LONGER NEED A VISA TO ENTER OMAN, AS LONG AS OUR RESIDENCY IS VALID FOR A MINIMUM 3 MONTHS BEFORE THE TRIP, AND THE PASSPORT IS VALID FOR A MINIMUM OF 6 MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF THE END OF THE TRIP. THE VISA ON ARRIVAL IS FREE FOR UAE RESIDENTS, (SUBJECT TO NATIONALITY), AS A TOURIST IN THE UAE, HOWEVER, ONE WILL HAVE TO APPLY FOR OMAN VISIT VISA.
ONE CAN APPLY FOR THE VISA ONLINE VIA THE ROYAL OMAN POLICE WEBSITE, OR GET IT ON ARRIVAL AT THE BORDER (SUBJECT TO NATIONALITY).
UAE-OMAN BORDERS GET BUSY DURING WEEKENDS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS, SO VISAS ON ARRIVAL SHOULD IDEALLY BE AVOIDED OR ONE MUST ACCOUNT FOR AN EXTRA HOUR OR TWO FOR BORDER CROSSING.
THOSE, WHO MAY BE CONSIDERING THE OPTION OF COVERING THE 12-14 HOURS DRIVE IN ONE SHOT WITHOUT OVERNIGHT STOPS, ARE STRONGLY ADVISED AGAINST DRIVING AT NIGHT IN OMAN UNLESS ONE ABSOLUTELY HAS NO OTHER CHOICE. MOST OF THE ROADS WE HAVE TO DRIVE THROUGH DO NOT HAVE STREET LIGHTS, AND THE PRESENCE OF ANIMALS MAKES IT DANGEROUS.
THE MONOTONOUS ROAD DRIVE ON ROUTE 31 CAN EASILY MAKE A DRIVER FALL ASLEEP (EVEN DURING THE DAY, LET ALONE AT NIGHT).NEW MEMBERS WHO REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT ARE REQUESTED TO PROVIDE THEIR WHATSAPP NUMBERS IN THEIR PROFILE OR SEND A WHATSAPP MESSAGE TO +97152 703 6860 WITH THEIR USERNAME, SO THAT THEY CAN BE INCLUDED IN THE WHATSAPP GROUP, FOR ALL TRIP-RELATED INFORMATION.
THE BOOKINGS FOR THIS EVENT CLOSE AT 12 AM, MIDNIGHT, ON MONDAY THE 21st OF AUGUST ‘2023.
A WHATSAPP GROUP WILL BE CREATED AFTER THE CLOSURE OF THE BOOKINGS AND THE RELEVANT INFORMATION WILL BE DIRECTLY CONVEYED TO THE CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS, ON TUESDAY THE 22nd OF AUGUST ‘2023, ONE DAY PRIOR TO THE DAY OF THE DRIVE.
TRIP CHARGES:
AED1,000.00 PER PARTICIPANT, OR AED2,000/- PER VEHICLE.
AED500.00 PER DUBAI OFFROADERS MEMBER, OR AED1,000/- PER VEHICLE
CHILDREN BELOW 12 ARE FREE TO JOIN
Meeting Time: 8:00 AM 0800HRS. on Thursday, the 23rd of August ‘2023
The drive ends at 6:00 PM 1800Hrs. Sunday, the 27th of August ‘2023MAXIMUM 20 REGISTRATIONS.
MINIMUM OF 10 REGISTRATIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE TRIP TO PROCEED.
Meeting Point: To be announced.
Please be punctual to avoid making many others wait for you, as well as to maximize our time on the adventure.
IMPORTANT:
a. The Driver of the vehicle must have a Valid UAE/ OMAN Driving License and the vehicle, Driver, and passengers must be covered by an appropriate insurance cover.
b. The Driver and all passengers of the vehicle should have read and be aware of the disclaimer of Dubai Offroaders, that they indemnify all the officials and Marshals of Dubai Offroaders and that they themselves bear full responsibility for any risk of property damage, bodily injury or death while participating in this Adventure sport.
c. This drive is not recommended for children under the age of 3 years.
d. Any child on the drive must be secured in an age-appropriate car seat or booster seat.
e. Seat belts must always be worn by the Driver and all/ any passengers.Please read, understand, and make sure that you are prepared with the following, prior to the drive,
https://dubaioffroaders.com/web/4×4-offroad-checklist/
Checklist:Fully functional four-by-four vehicle with a full tank of fuel.
Oman Visa, ideally taken prior to the date.
The cost of the Visa will vary depending on the applicant’s Nationality.
Cooking & BBQ equipment
Change of clothes, and swimwear.
The First Aid kit is detailed later.
Closed-toe footwear, waterproof material is preferable for Wadi hikes.
Refreshments for yourself and your passengers.
First Aid Kit Standard First Aid KitINCLUSIONS Route plan, guidance & on-site support, throughout the drive.
CANCELLATIONS NO CANCELLATIONS OR REFUNDS WILL BE ENTERTAINED ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE DRIVE, AFTER THE 16TH OF AUGUST ‘2023.
EXCLUSIONS
UAE border exit fees and Omani visa fees.
Boarding for 3 + 1 optional night/s, in separate Hotels, depending upon availability.
There will be a one-night stay at Duqm, two nights at Salalah, and one night at Nizwa if someone wants to break the return journey.
THE PARTICIPANTS ARE WELCOME TO MAKE THEIR OWN HOTEL ARRANGEMENTS
Any food and beverages for the trip
All entrance and/or guide fees, if visiting any tourist spot/ attraction.
The fact of the matter is that, depending upon our Nationality, most of us WILL need an Omani Visa, even if we are eligible for Visa on arrival.
Everyone first and foremost
PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THE PASSPORT IS VALID FOR A MINIMUM OF SIX MONTHS.The Visa has to be applied for on the Royal Oman Police website,
https://evisa.rop.gov.om/visa-eligibilityOne can just apply online and pay and the Visa is typically approved and emailed, in a few hours.
There is an exit fee of AED35.00 for each person when exiting.
The Visa on arrival is free of charge for UAE residents, at the border but one may have to wait for some time, in case of queues as well as for approval.
I personally prefer to apply online and have the Visa in hand, prior to the date of the visit, to eliminate this waiting period, at the border.Those who are going to sponsor their family members have to first apply for and get their own Visa under 29A, from the Royal Oman Police website.
There is a charge of OR 5.00, when applying online.The visa will typically be approved within a few hours and the applicant will receive an email confirmation.
Once the main applicant’s Visa is approved, it can be downloaded from the ROP (Royal Oman Police) website.One can then apply for the other family members online, under section 29B.
The main applicant’s approved Visa copy will have to be uploaded online, while applying for the family Visa.
Good Morning,
We will leave Salalah on the 26th on our return journey to Dubai.
On the night of the 26/27 August, we can break the journey either at Nizwa or at Muscat, to keep it easy and safe.
The distance from Salalah to Nizwa is around 875 km. which will require 9 hours of driving with Lunch breaks etc.
The distance from Salalah to Muscat is 1,000 Km., which can be covered in about 10 Hrs. of easy driving.
The driving distance from both Nizwa/ Muscat to Dubai is similar, requiring about 4Hrs. 30 mins. of driving with 30-60 mins. required for border crossing.
The exit from UAE is drive-through and very fast if one already has the Oman Visa in hand.
The exit from Oman, on the way back, takes longer and requires a visit to the immigration building on the border.
I have left the option of the 26/27th night open as Room availability is not a major issue at either Nizwa or Muscat and we can decide with common consensus if we want to break the journey at Nizwa or Muscat.
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