Nous sommes un couple qui partons à Oman tout bientôt 🙂. Auriez-vous des suggestions concernant notre itinéraire prévu (ci-dessous) ?
Il nous semble difficile d'estimer les temps de visites / déplacements.
Pour info, nous avons loué un petit 4x4 (Prado) pour les déplacements et nous comptons au maximum faire du camping.
J1 : Carrefour Mascate et départ en direction de Jabrin et Bahla avec visite des forts. Puis direction Misfat Al Abbriyyin pour bivouac.
J2 : Visite Misfat Al Abbriyyin + plantation Walk (seulement la moitié de la rando pour pouvoir retourner à la voiture). Puis bivouac au même endroit que la veille.
J3 : Jabal Shams et bivouac au Juniper trees.
J4 : Wadi bani awf, dépôt de la voiture à Az Zammah puis randonnée du Snake canyon et bivouac à cet endroit.
J5 : Retour a Az Zammah pour récupérer la voiture (Est-ce que la suite du wadi est faisable pour un novice du 4x4 ?) puis direction nizwa pour y dormir.
J6 : Marché aux bestiaux et visite de Nizwa. Découverte du wadi Al Muaydin bivouac à Al Muaydin.
J7 : Randonnée Sayq Plateau et Wukan à Hadash (le tout pour faire une boucle d'une 20ene de km) et bivouac à Hail Al Yemen.
J8 : Départ pour les sugars dunes par la route 32. Visite de Al Khaluf et Barr Al Hikman. Bivouac aux sugar dunes.
J9 : Retour par la même route en direction de wahiba sands puis de Al Mintarib jusqu'aux 1001 nights camp, (histoire de voir un peu le désert sans prendre de risques), visite d'une camel farm et bivouac dans le desert.
J10 : Wadi Bani Khalid et bivouac à quelques km de Miqil.
J11 : Wadi Tiwi puis Wadi Al Abbriyyin et bivouac au Wadi Al Abbriyyin.
J12 : Fin du Wadi Al Abbriyyin et Wadi Dayqah et retour sur Mascate pour y dormir.
J13 : Plongée et plage.
J14 : Visite de Mascate.
Merci pour toutes vos suggestions et renseignements 😉
Ainsi que je le disais auparavant, votre parcours est la boucle classique, très bien pour découvrir Oman. Il y a malgré tout quelques incohérences mais qui sont peut-être dues à votre J6 qui doit tomber le vendredi pour le marché de Nizwa, est-ce bien cela?
- Nizwa, Jabrin, Bahla et Misfat sont situés dans un rayon de 50km et toutes du même côté de la montagne. Il vaut mieux donc s'arranger pour les faire à suivre. Il faut compter 2h pour faire Muscat-Nizwa, 2h30 pour pousser jusqu'à Misfat. A Misfat, la balade dans la palmeraie ne prend pas la journée. Je pense qu'1/2 journée est suffisant pour découvrir le village et la palmeraie. Les forts ferment à 16h (et à 11h le vendredi). Attention donc au timing.
- Wadi Bani Awf est de "l'autre côté" de la montagne. Si j'ai bien compris votre parcours, vous feriez un aller-retour pour aller voir le snake canyon. Pourquoi pas, les paysages sont splendides. Du col de Sharaf à Az Zammah est la partie la plus accidentée du wadi (pente très raide à flanc de montagne) mais la piste est bonne et très empruntée. Ca ne devrait pas poser de probleme même pour un novice, a condition de maitriser la boite courte pour la descente afin d'utiliser le frein moteur: entrainez-vous avant sur une route ou piste sans danger avant d'attaquer le wadi bani awf.
Attention quand même: le snake canyon se rapproche plus du canyoning que de la rando et on ne peut pas rebrousser chemin une fois engagé. Prévoyez une corde au cas ou si vous partez seuls (ce qui est qd même un peu risqué car une entorse dans le canyon se transforme vite en gros probleme). A la sortie du canyon, il vous faudra trouver une voiture pour retourner au départ (ou remonter la piste à pied).
- Wadi Muaydin: très bien, facile. Allez jusqu'au bout: branche de gauche au premier village, garez la voiture et suivez le falaj à pied jusqu'à un barrage. Vue superbe, baignade possible, attention aux sangsues (ne pas rester immobile dans l'eau).
- Plateau du Jebel Akhdar: c'est un cul de sac, vous y monterez et en descendrez par la même route. Randonnée Sayq plateau OK mais pas possible d'aller a Wukan ou Hadash: ces villages sont accessibles en voiture à partir du Wadi Mistal qui est de "l'autre côté" de la montagne. Petit parenthèse: la rando Wukan à Hadash est une rando de 6h pour de bons marcheurs avec 800m de dénivelé positif. 2h pour faire Hadash Wukan par le bas pour terminer la boucle.
Si vous voulez faire une autre rando sur le Jebel Akhdar, je vous conseille d'aller jusqu'à l'hotel Alila et de demander les infos sur les randos à la réception de l'hotel: il y a plusieurs randos bien balisées partent non loin de la et qui sont plus faciles (avec des vues magnifiques).
Bivouac a Hail al Yemen: pourquoi pas mais je pense que le bivouac derrière les jardins du Sultan (Al Jabal Farm, p108 du Oman OffRoad) serait mieux.
- La suite de l'itinéraire est coherente sauf que je ne pense pas que vous pourrez faire Barr Al Hikman et Khaluf dans la même journée. Barr Al Hikman est plus difficile d'accès, il ne vaut mieux pas y aller seul et de Khaluf, il faut probablement autour de 3h pour y aller car c'est un grand détour. A mon avis, profitez pleinement de Sugar Dune, ce sera déjà bien.
Et un ordre de grandeur des temps de trajet, si vous souhaitez modifier votre parcours:
- Muscat-Nizwa: 2h
- Nizwa -> Bahla, ou Jabrin, ou Misfat (Al Hamra), comptez 30min
- Al Hamra -> Jebel Shams (juniper trees): 2h
- Al Hamra -> Sharaf 45min
- Sharaf -> Hat ou Bilad Sayt (fond du wadi bani awf) 1h voire 1h30
- Hat -> entrée du snake canyon, environ 1h
- Snake Canyon à pied: 3h
- Nizwa - Wadi Muaydin: 30 min + 30 min de conduite dans le wadi
- Montée au Jebel Akhdar: 45 min
- Route 32 jusqu'a Khaluf: 3h
- Khaluf - Mintarib: 2h30, puis 45 min jusqu'au 1000 nights
- Mintarib - Wadi Bani Khalid: 1h
- Wadi Bani Khalid - Wadi Tiwi (par Sur): 2h30
- Sur-Quryat: 1h
- Quryat-Muscat: 1h (un peu plus)
J1 : Carrefour Mascate et départ en direction de Misfat Al Abbriyyin + plantation Walk.
Puis bivouac sur place.
J2 : Jabal Shams et bivouac au Juniper trees.
J3 : Wadi bani awf en entier, on oublie la randonnée du snake canyon. Et bivouac juste avant Al Hutah.
J4 : Jabrin, Bahla et Nizwa avec visite des forts. Puis bivouac au Wadi Al Muaydin derrière les jardins du Sultan.
J5 : Wadi Al Muaydin avec randonnée proche de l'hotel Alila comme conseillé.
Nuit à Nizwa.
J6 : Marché aux bestiaux et visite de Nizwa. Départ pour les Sugar Dunes par la route 32.
J7 : Sugar Dunes et Al Khalif. Bivouac aux Sugar Dunes
J8 : Sugar Dunes le matin puis départ en direction de Wahibas sands pour bivouaquer sur place.
J9 : Aller retour jusqu'aux 1001 nights camp, visite d'une camel farm.
Est ce possible de faire un tour de dromadaire dans n'importe quelle Camel Farm ?
Bivouac à Miqil au Wadi Bani Khalid.
J10 : Journée au Wadi Bani Khalid et de nouveau bivouac au même endroit.
J11 : Wadi Tiwi puis Wadi Al Abbriyyin et bivouac au Wadi Al Abbriyyin.
J12 : Fin du Wadi Al Abbriyyin et Wadi Dayqah et retour sur Mascate pour y dormir.
J13 : Plongée et plage.
J14 : Visite de Mascate.
Merci encore pour toutes vos infos, sans quoi on aurait perdu beaucoup de temps !
Oui ca parait plus raisonnable.
J3: faites alors le détour pour voir Bilad Sayt, et la rando dans Little Snake Canyon est elle beaucoup plus abordable.
J4-J5: je pense que vous parlez du plateau du Jebel Akhdar (en haut). Le wadi Muaydin est au pied du plateau (en bas). 2000m de dénivellé entre les deux: ca depend si vous voulez bivouaquer au chaud ou au frais :). En hiver, il fait froid en haut, ca peut descendre en dessous de 10 degres. Idem pour Jebel Shams, au passage. A quelle époque partez vous?
Bien sûr, on peut faire un tour de dromadaire dans n'importe quel camp.
J10: vous trouverez peut-être wadi Bani Khalid un peu surfait pour y passer une journée entière, sauf à explorer aussi la partie Sud du wadi. Mais vous verrez bien sur place.
Hello everyone. After a dozen 4x4 trips to this country before COVID, I’m planning another departure at the end of 2026 and early 2027—around three weeks starting December 27th. Main goal: Merzouga to Chegaga, sand, sand, and more sand. Mostly camping and a few campgrounds here and there.
After 40 years of traveling in Morocco, I want to explore a new area by 4x4—the Western Moroccan Sahara, which I don’t know very well.
I have plenty of tracks and itineraries, but I’d love some info to help me decide on the best route:
Part 1:
I want to do the ASSA - SMARA crossing. Basically, I have two options: the first follows the Draa River and goes through M’SIED, and the second is much further south, passing through LABOUIRAT and heading straight to SMARA.
If you have any details on road conditions, driving restrictions, etc., I’d really appreciate it.
Part 2:
SMARA - BIR ANZERANE - DAKHLA – here, I also have two routes.
The first heads west from Smara toward Sidi Kathari.
The second goes east from SMARA and gets pretty close to the border at one point (about 10 km away).
Both routes meet up about 150 km later and are nearly identical from there to BIR ANZERANE and DAKHLA.
Hi,
For next summer’s vacation, I’m thinking of returning to the Sahara after visiting Tamanrasset and the Hoggar, which was stunning—not to mention the Tuareg hospitality.
I’d like to explore the sandy desert this time since the Hoggar was 80% rocky.
So, I’m wondering which city I should prioritize if I want to go there in late July–early August for the landscapes, extreme heat, and guides offering 4x4 and camel treks. Also, if there are any recommended guides for those in the know and a decent hotel.
I’m torn between Djanet, In Salah, Adrar, Ghardaïa, and Timimoun.
I’m of Algerian origin, so no visa or other formalities to worry about.
Thanks.
Hello, I’m preparing for a Tunisia-Algeria road trip.
I need to know if we can cross the Sahara to reach Djanet and Tamanrasset by road freely,
After that, obviously off-road in the desert with a guide.
What do the authorities say?
My trip: northern and southern Tunisia, a stroll in the desert.
Crossing the Tunisia-Algeria border via the Taleb Larbi customs.
I’ve already done this route through an agency, but this time we want to do it on our own.
Then heading down to Djanet for eight to fifteen days in the desert with Mouloud, a local guide.
Direction Tamanrasset: road and tracks, the mountains of the Assekrem, the Hermitage of Père de Foucauld.
Return via the Trans-Saharan Highway.
Visit to northern Algeria, then back by boat from Oran to Spain.
Dates: late December to mid-February.
We’ve got plenty of time.
If another crew is interested, we’re already two vehicles.
Looking forward to your replies.
Hi there,
I’m planning a trip to Russia and Mongolia, starting from France.
Crossing the border at Poland/Belarus or Georgia/Russia—other borders seem either closed or complicated.
Tourist visas for 3 months with multiple entries.
Do you have any info on Russian companies that cover a 4x4 vehicle for 3 months, and what prices in rubles or euros you’ve paid?
Which bank did you use for expenses? (EuroMastercard and Visa cards no longer work.)
Regarding Russian SIM cards, a new system called "Gosuslugi" has been introduced. How long did it take you to get one, and what steps did you follow?
Hi there,
We’ll be traveling in January 2027 in a 4x4 with a rooftop tent with our three kids, from Johannesburg to Cape Town. We’ve already booked several campsites in national parks (Golden Gate / Mountain Zebra / Addo Elephant / Garden Route).
We still need to reserve the stretch between De Hoop Nature Reserve and Cape Town. Any suggestions?
We’d love to stay around Cape Town for 5 days to explore the wine route, the peninsula, and do some hikes in Table Mountain.
Any camping recommendations? Or, on the contrary, places to avoid?
Also, we have 2 nights left near Wilderness National Park / Knysna. Any recommendations?
Thanks so much for your help!
For my 60th birthday (yes, I’m jumping the gun a bit!), I’m starting to plan a self-drive trip to Tanzania (in June).
I also considered Zimbabwe but I’m worried it might be a bit chilly at night in June.
I’ve revisited an itinerary I’d thought about before, tweaking it since I’ll have more days to dedicate to this trip. Still no big northern classics for the same reasons as before (too expensive, too crowded, too many tour operators).
Here’s what I’ve got so far:
(Arrival/departure from Kilimanjaro Airport)
Night 1: Arusha
Night 2: Arusha
Night 3: Lake Manyara
Night 4: On the way to Iringa (any ideas???)
Night 5: Iringa
Nights 6–8: Ruaha NP
Nights 9–10: Mikumi NP
Night 11: Bagamoyo
Nights 12–15: Beach
Nights 16–17: Lushoto
Nights 18–19: Mkomazi NP
Night 20: Toward Marangu – eastern Kilimanjaro
Night 21: Western Kilimanjaro
End of trip
All your ideas, tweaks, info, and suggestions on this route are welcome!
I could move one beach night somewhere else if needed.
Also, if you have a car rental company to recommend or thoughts on the bandas rented in the parks, I’m all ears!
Finally, what are the roads like in Ruaha in June? The rental company I’m looking at seems to allow this park with a small 4x4. (Off-limits: Serengeti and Natron)
We’re planning a long-term trip starting in April with our 4x4, beginning in the USA.
We’re still looking for car insurance that covers Canada and the USA.
We’ve read quite a few forums, but we’re hoping for some help (from fellow travelers).
Hi,
we’re planning to visit a park again.
Could you point us toward the camps in Gonarezhou Park?
>We’re traveling completely self-sufficiently.
We love wildlife.
Thanks for any tips you can share!
JP
Hi there, we’ll be in Mozambique in early December 2026 and we’d like to travel from Vilanculos to Beira by car or bus to reach Beira airport. After that, we’re planning to visit Gorongosa National Park before flying back to France from Beira. From what we’ve heard, the road to Beira is tricky, especially at this time of year (start of the rainy season). Could anyone share their thoughts or suggest a solution? Thanks so much for your help!
Anne
Hi there,
I’m heading to Lesotho in a few days and I’m struggling to find info on the best route between Katse Dam and Sehlathebe National Park. There’s a fairly "direct" route from Thaba Tseka, but the roads seem rough, and we’re not exactly 4x4 pros. Anyone have any tips to share? Thanks!
Hi everyone,
We’re heading to Mozambique in October and are looking for either a 4x4 or 4x2 rental in Maputo, or a driver transfer option to reach:
- Ponta Do Ouro
- Tofo
- Vilankulos
The idea is to be self-sufficient for sightseeing and stops while still being able to access certain lodges or beaches that require a 4x2.
Do you have any contacts, addresses, or ideas to share?
Thanks in advance,
Hello,
We're hitting the road again in 2027 to discover new countries and cultures.
Could anyone give me some tips on driving from Ulaanbaatar to Lake Baikal and the route to take?
Thanks, and safe travels to those who are setting off!
We’re planning a 4x4 trip from Belgium to Central Asia, passing through Georgia, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
For these countries, our national insurance obviously doesn’t cover the vehicle, so we’ll need to get local insurance.
Will it be a problem if the vehicle is registered under person A and the national insurance is under person B? Both A and B will be in the vehicle, and both will be listed as drivers on the insurance.
When we get the local insurance, if we again list A and B as drivers, does the order matter? Could we get stuck at the border for this reason?
Hi,
For those who’ve driven on Iceland’s gravel roads in their own or a rented Duster, could you tell me what tires were fitted on the vehicle?
Were they All Terrain tires or more "standard" ones like all-season tires, for example?
Follow-up question: if they were "standard" tires, did that cause any issues on the gravel roads and rough terrain?
Thanks so much for any info you can share.
Best,
Marc
Hi there,
I'm planning a 4x4 road trip from Darwin to Broome with a rooftop tent in July 2026.
I'd like to know if I need to book overnight stops in advance or if I can just wing it and stop wherever I feel like it?
Some evenings, we'd like to stop and make use of campsite facilities (restaurant, shop, showers, toilets).
What do you recommend?
Do I need a permit?
My rough itinerary looks like this:
Darwin - Kakadu
Kakadu - Nitmiluk
Nitmiluk - Kununurra
Kununurra - Purnululu
Purnululu - El Questro
El Questro - Mt Elizabeth - Bell Gorge - Broome
I’m planning a trip to Iceland for next July-August, with a car and tent, and I’m wondering about booking campsites.
From your experience, is it necessary or even essential to book campsites in advance, or do you always manage to find a spot to pitch your tent?
We’ll also have the option to sleep in the car without pitching the tent.
Does that give us the flexibility to stay outside a campsite for a night here and there?
Hi,
I’m planning a road trip in the Middle Atlas, starting and ending in Fez and heading down to the south of Midelt, the Assoul Massif.... We’ll be traveling with two small 4x4s.
I’m looking for detailed maps of this region that include small roads and tracks.
Last year, we had a fantastic road trip in the Anti-Atlas and High Atlas using Erfahren maps, but unfortunately, they don’t cover the area we’re interested in this year.
Thanks for your suggestions!
Dominique
We’re planning a 13-day family road trip in Morocco this July, with six people in a Toyota Prado 4x4 (renting in Marrakech).
We’ll alternate between bivouacking and small hotels/riads depending on the stops.
Here’s the planned route (in this order):
Marrakech
→ Ouarzazate
→ Draa Valley
→ Zagora
→ Erg Chegaga
→ Lake Iriki
→ Foum Zguid
→ Tata
→ Tafraoute
→ Aït Mansour
→ Tiznit
→ Mirleft
→ Taroudant
→ Back to Marrakech
Our goal:
Atlas Mountains + desert + dunes + plateaus + valleys + a bit of coastline.
We’ll cover about 1,700 km in total.
We’re planning:
Bivouacking in the Chegaga/Iriki area
Flexible for the rest (booking the day before or same day)
Sand gear: traction plates, compressor, tow strap, roof rack
Questions:
Is the Zagora → Chegaga → Iriki → Foum Zguid crossing in July doable on our own (single vehicle, no guide)?
Are there any truly technical or risky sections between Chegaga and Iriki?
Does the overall itinerary seem manageable in 13 days without rushing?
Any suggestions for great bivouac spots or particularly interesting stops along this route?
The points on the route are provisional overnight stops. Some spots will include two nights in the same area.
We’re used to off-road driving, but not yet in the Moroccan desert.
Thanks in advance for your feedback and tips! 😊
Good evening
I could use some advice 🙂
Our trip to Namibia is planned for June/July 2026.
We’re struggling a bit with timing and choosing activities for the part of the trip between Sesriem and Brandberg.
Day 1: Sesriem to Mirabib
Day 2: Mirabib to Swakopmund – visit Swakopmund, overnight in Swakopmund
Day 3: Sandwich Harbour – overnight in Swakopmund
Day 4: Kayaking with the seals + the living dunes – overnight in Swakopmund
Day 5: Moon Landscape, Henties Bay + Cape Cross – overnight at White Lady Lodge in Brandberg
Does this itinerary seem realistic to you? Is Cape Cross really worth the trip? If I had to choose between Cape Cross and kayaking with the seals, which would you recommend?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Hélix
My son and I are heading to Georgia this summer to explore the High Caucasus (Svaneti, Kazbek, and Tusheti regions). For this, we’re planning to rent a 4x4.
However, the rental agencies we’ve found prohibit driving on the tracks to Omalo (Tusheti) and/or Ushguli (Svaneti).
Do you know of any agencies in Tbilisi (local and reliable) that allow rented 4x4s to drive on these tracks? If so, which ones?
Hi everyone,
I’m starting to plan an itinerary for September 2027 focused on Zimbabwe and Zambia. I’d love to visit Gonarezhou National Park—I see there are two sectors: the Mwenezi Region in the south and the area around the Runde River in the north. Should I cover both sectors or just focus on the northern region?
For the parks along the Zambezi River, is it better to visit Mana Pools on the Zimbabwe side or Lower Zambezi on the Zambia side?
Thanks in advance for any tips on the parks in these two countries.
Have a great day, everyone.
We’re spending 18 days in New Zealand from 05/04 to 05/21, arriving in QUEENSTOWN and leaving from AUCKLAND.
Any ideas for a road trip that covers the highlights of both islands but only changes hotels every 3–4 nights?
Thanks.
For our trip to Georgia in July, I’d like to rent a 4x4 starting from Tbilisi.
Do you have any rental companies to recommend?
The traditional rentals like Hertz, Avis, etc. seem way overpriced compared to local companies—what do you think? Are they properly insured?
Has anyone here tried Geo Rent Car, Auto 4 Rental, or Sur Price?
Also, I’m looking for info on the condition of the Ushguli–Lentekhi track—is it passable?
Hi everyone,
A well-prepped 4x4, a travel plan across Africa in stages since I’ve got kids to see regularly and work to earn a living.
I’m leaving in November for about a month with the goal of reaching Senegal via Mauritania. I’d love to share this trip with someone who wants to discover Mauritania and a bit of Senegal... and also experience life on board a 4x4 in the desert or bush, sometimes sleeping in the vehicle or in hostels/small hotels for comfort. I want to share this rediscovery because two’s better than one!
Just traveling, exploring, and living! !
I’m planning to explore Argentine and Chilean Patagonia for a month in December 2019.
I’m looking for a rental company (or several) that offers single-cab 4x4 pick-ups with a fitted camper cell for two people. I’m specifically after a vehicle with an indoor shower for extra comfort ;)
So, no vans—at least not from the rental companies I’ve seen so far.
While browsing the forum, I came across the Chilean rental company Holiday Rent. But do you have any recommendations for Argentine rentals?
Because, if I can’t return the vehicle in the same city as pickup, I’d prefer—and it’d likely be cheaper—to at least return it in the same country.
I’m traveling through Argentina and Chile (as well as Paraguay and Uruguay) with a 2019 Toyota Hilux Euro 6. Could anyone tell me if the local diesel is suitable for its engine, or if I need to take any special precautions (like adding an additive, for example) for these countries?
I’d also like to know if driving at high altitudes is possible, and up to what elevation—or if I should worry about the vehicle going into limp mode?
If that happens, what should I do?
