Je pars en Iran dans quelques jours, pour 20 / 25 jours, seul. Jamais été avant, j'ai pas mal voyagé mais jamais dans cette région du monde.
J'arriverai à Téhéran, j'avais envie d'aller vers le sud, avec une idée d'itinéraire mais sans trop de timing.
Ma première idée était de faire Téhéran, Isfahan, Shiraz (par les Zagros mountains), Bandar e Abbas puis de là traverser le détroit d'Ormuz (liaison par bateau jusqu'à Sharjah) et prendre mon vol retour de Dubai.
J'essaie pas de faire un max de km mais j'aime bien l'idée d'avoir un but (inventé, certes) et d'aller d'un point A à un point B, et les endroits traversés entre ces étapes sont aussi importants que les "villes étapes" elles mêmes. Et j'adore la route (voiture, bus, train), ca fait pour moi partie intégrante du voyage. J'essaie de trouver le bon compromis entre ça et le plaisir de flaner, s'attarder quelques jours de plus dans un endroit, de prendre le temps.
Que pensez vous de l'itinéraire décrit ci dessus ? J'avais aussi pensé passer par Kerman plutôt que par Shiraz, possible de faire les deux mais ca risque de faire un peu beaucoup. Suggestions bienvenus sur les endroits à décrouvrir entre ces étapes, les détours à faire, les routes secondaires à privilégier, etc...
Oui, très peu d'Iraniens parlent l'anglais, et ceux qui le parlent n'en connaissent en fait majoritairement que quelques mots/phrases de base (How do you do, Where do you come from, What is your name, ... -- j'ai corrigé la grammaire !!), donc les dialogues sont très vite limités... Et c'est diablement frustrant ! Yc dans de nombreux hôtels, restos etc. (de fait, j'avais fait rédiger en farsi une petite liste de plats/mets courants, à montrer aux serveurs selon mon appétit du jour... !).
Il m'est donc souvent arrivé d'essayer de trouver des Iraniens arabophones (ceux de la région d'Abadan etc.) avec lesquels il était enfin possible d'échanger, malgré mon mauvais arabe.
Bon voyage, l'Iran est un pays fabuleux ! Par contre, plus vous descendrez au sud, vers Bandar notamment, plus vous allez littéralement crever de chaud et du taux d'humidité, a fortiori en plein Ramadan ... Donc, si vous avez le temps/l'envie, n'hésitez pas à aller vers les montagnes du Kurdistan iranien, région de Sanandaj etc., c'est magnifique, et il y fera plus frais (et les contraintes du Ramadan y sont peut-être moins strictement observées qu'ailleurs !).
le dilemne de ton plan c est de choisir apres shiraz: route de jahrom ou route de kerman?
kerman vaut evidemment la visite (verifier dans http://inthegapbetween.free.fr/pierre/cities-of-iran/),
meme si ensuite, la route de jiroft est probablement particulierement desertique.
on dit le plus grand bien du sud de shiraz... les lacs constituent une reserve immense a visiter.
perso j ai une preference pour yazd, a mon avis un must a ne pas manquer...
En lisant un peu le me rends compte que pas mal de gens font Espahan - Shiraz - Kerman - Yazd sur des voyages de 15 jours.
Et comme tout ca est bien desservi en bus, y a peut-etre moyen de faire les Shiraz - Yazd - Kerman - Bandar e Abbas sans se presser.
J'ai entendu le plus grand bien de la route qui passe par les Zagros mountains : Esfahan - Shahrekord - Farsan - Yasuj - Shiraz. Mais ca m'étonnerait qu'il y ait des bus
A partir de Kerman, Le LP donne 2h00 pour Kerman => Bam puis 4h00 pour Bam => Minab donc depuis Kerman c'est possible de rejoindre assez vite le detroit d'Ormuz, même en s'arrétant à Bam.
De toute façon faudra que je compose avec la chaleur et avec le ramadan. Peut etre faire les trajets en bus la nuit (lu plusieurs recommandations là dessus), visiter le matin, faire une sieste pendant les heures les plus chaudes, et profiter des soirées.
Franchement aller en Iran sans visiter Ispahan 😇🤪 ... trouver un concept c'est bien mais se passer de ce qu'il y a de + beau dans le pays, c'est étonnant 😮
Vazyvite > ma question c'est après Esfahan....
Téhéran => Esfahan c'est sûr, après c'est soit Shiraz puis Ormuz, soit Shiraz puis Yazd, Kerman, Bam et Ormuz.
Je suppose que tu sais que Bam a été complétement détruite par un tremblement de terre en 2003 et qu'il n'y a plus rien à voir ... 😕
Pas de nouvelles depuis !
j ai fait le troncon esfahan ->>>shahr e kord->>>farsan
en voiture, c est la mission.
les routes sont un dedale entre esfahan et shahr e kord
(je me suis memem un peu paume au retour)... pas facile
sauf peut etre a prendre l autoroute Sud des Isfahan.
pour atteindre un facteur d instrument a Farsan,
j ai suivi une suite de petites routes de campagne
entre shahr e kord et farsan,
et pas un panneau a l horizon.
Mais le region de shahr e kord, un peu enclavee,
est superbe.Nature magnifique. Farsan est un bourg
atypique, on y croise des bakhtiari en grand habit
et d innombrables echoppes de cassettes locales, incroyable!
a ne pas rater a shahr e kord, la boutique du label Aveye sepehr, au passage Hafez
le label folklorique le plus dynamique du pays!
pour bam, on peut toujours se faire une idee sur le post
http://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=2482072;search_string=bam
tres sollicite ce mois ci... suite a ma visite,
les lieux font mentir nos idees recues (j avais les memes)
Ravi de te lire au sujet de la route des montages entre Esfahan et Shiraz. Mais je ne vais pas conduire moi même, il semble qu'il y a des minibus qui partent d'Esfahan ("Zayandeh Rud terminal") et vont à Shahr-e Kord, j'imagine qu'ils connaissent la route (!) Après j'aviserai, j'essaierai de trouver une voiture qui va vers Farsan, etc...
Je viens de prendre mon billet, un aller simple par AZAL, le retour on verra ! De Kerman j'aimerai prendre le temps d'aller dans le Dasht e Lut, si c'est possible à cette période. Si par hasard tu as un contact d'un bon guide..
je vois que tu vas en iran et je t'envie. Normalment je dois y partir en octobre avecma fille mais j'ai un ami militaire qui me le déconseille, à cause des événements qui pourraient dégénérer avec israel.
Il me tarde de te lire à ton retour pour connaitre tes impressions.
En tout as tu as du bol. Tô chans dârad! (tu as de la chance en farsi)
Bon voyage
Sandrine
Bonjour Finlande, je ne sais que te dire...
En tout cas comme d'ici octobre tu ne peux pas faire grand chose d'autre que de découvrir ce pays par la lecture je te conseille :
L'incontournable "Usage du monde" de Nicolas Bouvier, ce n'est pas sur que sur l'Iran et le bouquin raconte un voyage des années 1953-54, mais c'est d'une grande profondeur et d'une grande humanité.
"L'irresistible ascension de l'Iran", de Robert Baer. Un éclairage passionant qui explique en quoi l'Iran est le seul état stable et puissant de toute la région (avec Israël), et que ses dirigeants poursuivent une politique rationelle (dans le sens où ils jouent leur carte mais en suivant une stratégie et pas en envoyant des avions dans des tours); et que de ce fait c'est possible de discuter (= ca s'appelle la diplomatie). Au passage les "dirigeants" c'est pas seulement Ahmadinejad (qui n'a qu'un role mineur) mais plutot le conseil suprême.
Là j'attaque "The Mantle of the Prophet: Religion and Politics in Iran", de Roy Mottahedeh.
Et j'ai "Dentelles et Tchador" et "Lire Lolita à Téhéran" qui donnent un bon apercu de l'Iran d'aujourd'hui.
Sur la situation politique et ce qu'en disent les journaux :quelques livres de politique étrangères ("Les guerres d'Obama" par exemple, de Woodward) te montrent à quel point on ne sait quasiment rien de ce qui motivent les décisions et les choix en politique extérieure. Autant en politique intérieure c'est assez lisible (visée electorales, etc...), autant en politique extérieure, comme ce n'est pas là dessus que se jouent les elections, on retrouve les manoeuvres qui ont existé de tout temps : les jeux d'alliance, l'intimidation, la poursuite d'intérêts à long terme, les double jeux, la pondération d'intérêts qui nous échappent, etc... Et c'est à peu près impossible d'avoir un avis, et puis comme personne ne nous le demande autant essayer de comprendre plutôt que de juger.
Bonjour à tous,
Bien que mon voyage ne sois pas pour cette année, (mai 2013) je profite de ce post, pour poser quelques questions générales.
Le voyage envisagé est à moto, il sera la poursuite vers l'est , une route de la soie par étape..
Quel est l'état du réseau secondaire (route en iran)?
par exemple , apres Shiraz la route vers Sarvestan puis Fasa puis piste qui passe par Zahedan pour Jahrom?
Trouve ton des stations services (ou ravitaillement au bidon) régulierement en dehors des grands axe ?
le logement en dehors des itinéraires classiques pose t'il un soucis? habitant, hotel, bivouac?
Politiquement peux ton allez partout, bien sur sans jouer aux apprentis sorciesr(...)
Donc je ne connais pas l'Iran, vos conseil et infos sont les bien venus.
Tiger
je suis d accord avec turbi Yazd vaut vraiment le coup. je le mettrais en numéro 2 après Ispahan
en 25 jours tu peux faire tout ce que tu as prévu. très bon systeme de bus.
à kerman il faut essayer d aller voir les kaluts dans le desert. je peux te donner les coordonnées d un guide.
Yazd est sur mon parcours, de toute façon j'ai pas de vol retour donc si j'ai mon extension de visa à Shiraz j'aurai le temps de remonter tranquillement vers Yazd puis redescendre sur Kerman.
Pour l'instant je suis à Esfahan, ensuite Shahr-e-khord puis descente sur Shiraz par les Zagros (Farsan, Yasuj).
A côté de Yazd j'aimerai bien voir Chak Chak (le lieu saint de Zoroastriens), tout à côté. D'ailleurs je lis le bouquin de Paul Kriwacek's "In Search of Zarathustra: Across Iran and Central Asia to Find the World's First Prophet", c'est passionant.
Pour le Dasht-e Lut : en fait j'aurai bien aimé faire un tour Kerman - Bam par les pistes du désert. Vu la géolocalisation des photos sur google map il semble y en avoir. Je suis en contact avec www.kalout.com (merci turbi) mais ils n'organisent rien avant septembre. Ils peuvent monter un tour pour moi mais c'est vraiment pas l'idée. Donc je sais pas, si c'est pas du tout la saison et que personne n'y va du fait de la chaleur bah tant pis, j'essaie de pas être le touriste qui veut à tout prix tout faire. Mais ton contact m'intéresse, bien sûr.
quand je parle des kaluts ce n est pas sur la route de Bam mais au nord est de kerman.
nous ne sommes pas allés à Bam mais seulement à Rayen. on a bien aimé.
pour le guide je ne peux faire de la pub sur le site je crois donc contact sur mon adresse privée si tu veux.
si tu es passionné des zoroastriens tu dois aller voir les tours du silence à Yazd ( taxi ) très interessant pour le décor également ; attention à la chaleur et à l Ateshkadeh ( temple du feu ) à Yazd aussi .
chak chak je ne connais pas.
erreur j ai trouvé chak chak à 72 km de yazd mais n étant pas un spécialiste des zoroastriens je n y suis pas allé.
j avais oublié de te conseiller de voir un spectacle partagé entre la danse la musique et la gymnastique-sport don j ai oublié le nom ( les spécialistes vont le trouver ) dans une petite ruelle près du célèbre monument de Yazd Amir chakhmaq. on a adoré.... mais les gouts et les couleurs....
le musée de l eau vaut le coup aussi mais il ne faut pas hésiter à se perdre dans les ruelles c est tout le charme de cette ville.
c est le zurkhaneh (litt. maison de force)
pas vraiment un spectacle
mais un entrainement sportif traditionnel impressionnant
a l origine c etait l entrainement
notamment de la corporations des coursiers-messagers .
google t en dira plus et mieux en tapant
comme le LP l indique pour yazd
ils sont dans un des grands reservoirs coniques
contigue de la place amir chashmaq.
on les trouve aussi dans d autres villes (tehran, kerman, ...)
Je suis à Kerman, en suivant un itinéraire Tehran => Qazvin (pour Alamut Valley, nuit passé à Gazor Khan) => Esfahan => Sahrh-e-kord (principalement pour descendre à Shiraz par la route des montagnes) => Shiraz => Yazd => Kerman.
Je prends mon temps, quand j'arrive dans une ville je ne sais pas trop à l'avance combien de temps je vais y rester. A part Gazor Khan, j'ai à chaque fois passé 2 nuits ou plus dans les villes où je suis passé, histoire que le voyage devienne pas un marathon.
Ce soir je dors dans les Kaluts, retour en principe à Kerman demain pour prendre la route vers Minab (via Bam) mais j'espère pouvoir rejoindre Bam par le désert plutôt que de revenir à Kerman, on verra ce qui est possible. Après Minab : Bandar e Abbas (j'essaierai d'aller voir la forteresse portugaise sur Ormuz island) puis Shirjah par bateau pour rejoindre l'aéroport de Dubai.
Hello Fellow Travelers,
I’ve just returned from a week-long trip to Azerbaijan, covering both Baku and the country’s main sights.
Contrary to what the "Travel Advisory" from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says, you can travel everywhere safely—the Azerbaijanis are lovely to foreigners, and the police are absolutely helpful.
Just follow the local laws, as you would anywhere, to avoid any trouble.
I highly recommend visiting this stunning country.
Antoine
Hi,
We’re supposed to go to Oman from October 17th to 30th for a 4x4 road trip. We’d already bought our flight tickets before the war started... We’re looking for recent traveler feedback from anyone who’s been there lately. Obviously, we plan to avoid areas around American military bases as well as the Salalah, Duqm, Musandam regions, and the border with Yemen.
Thanks in advance for your input.
lili
Hello, we’re two senior couples who often travel with a guide and driver. For this trip to Oman, though, we’d like (for various reasons) to have a fixed base and visit the must-sees with a local guide but on a hub-and-spoke basis. Do you think that’s possible, and what would be the best place to stay?
We’ll be in Oman for 7 days in March 2026.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
Hi there,
This year we want to go to Georgia. We have a ticket to Istanbul and would prefer to avoid an Istanbul/Tbilisi flight to see a bit of Turkey, which I love.
I found a train from Ankara to Kars (25h): why not?
But how do we cross the border: which town? Is it easy (or not)?
I’m leaning toward Batumi, but I’m not sure about anything—thanks for your tips!
Thanks for your insights
I’m planning a two-week trip to Iran in September and I’m reaching out for some valuable tips....
After doing a bit of research, I’ve sketched out a rough itinerary.
I plan to spend 2–3 days in Tehran, then head down to Isfahan for 4–5 days with an overnight stop in Kashan. After that, I’m thinking of going to Shiraz for 2–3 days, including a visit to Persepolis.
Then back to Tehran with a 2-day stop in Yazd.
What do you think? Is this doable? Are there any other must-see spots?
The north, with Tabriz and Masuleh, also caught my eye, but what should I cut to fit them in?
If you have any recommendations for high-quality, authentic hotels, I’d love to hear them.
And one last (silly) question—I’m a smoker (unfortunately!), so is it allowed for women to smoke in Iran? If so, under what conditions?
Thanks in advance for your help, and I’m all ears for any advice!
hi,
do we absolutely have to get the ETA before traveling to Israel these days?
some people say it’s not mandatory, others say it is.
any feedback, please?
thanks
Hey everyone!
A comeback after so many years... but my question is simple:
"Has anyone wandered around these two countries recently? (The posts and travel journals I’ve read are a bit dated.) I’m planning a trip for late spring—one I had mapped out for 2023 but never got to do.
For any info on transportation, border crossings, cost of living, and interesting hostel/GH addresses, thanks in advance! 😉
Hi,
We’ve got flight tickets for a two-week trip to Georgia from April 8th to 23rd.
Should we go ahead with our trip or postpone it to September, given what’s been happening in the Persian Gulf since late February 2026?
Are there any impacts in Georgia?
Thanks for your help
Hi there, I’d like to spend a few days in these two countries. How many days do you recommend? Any ideas for things to see? Which airline should I take to go from one to the other? I think there are no more direct flights? Thanks
Hi,
We’re heading to Asia this summer, and to avoid arriving in the middle of the night, we’ve decided to stop over in Dubai for a day and a half on the way there and back. Any ideas for activities during this super-hot period? Bonus points if they’re reasonably priced 🙂 Which neighborhood is best to stay in?
Thanks in advance, and have a great day!
Bruno
We visited the northern/northeast part of Oman, the most touristy area, last February over 11 days there. It’s a great time to go because the temperatures are pleasant and there aren’t too many tourists, even though the country is only just starting to develop its image. 11 days was enough for us to see the essentials, but you can always extend your stay depending on what you want.
2 days in Muscat, 2 days in the desert—we would’ve happily stayed longer—2 days in the mountains, 3 days in the wadis, and the rest for the cities, villages, and the coast.
Oman offers stunning landscapes and a genuinely warm welcome. We always felt safe, never experienced any malicious looks or gestures.
As usual for our trips, we chose to organize everything ourselves but with a guide to better explore and soak up the local culture.
The point of my post isn’t to recount our journey but to encourage and reassure anyone considering this destination.
If I can be of help, I’m happy to answer your questions based on what I know.
Living in Amman, Jordan, I’d like to visit Jerusalem and the surrounding areas during the Christmas season.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on:
- the security conditions in Israel/Palestine,
- sightseeing in Jerusalem during the Christmas period.
Hi! If anyone has been to Georgia recently and could tell me if it's feasible to travel around the country using public transport. My itinerary would be Kutaisi (my arrival airport), Tbilisi, Mestia, Ushguli, Batumi, and back to Kutaisi (departure airport) in ten days. My flight arrives late at night, around 1 AM—would it be possible to take a taxi to get to the city center?
Any advice is welcome, and regarding the language, can you get by with English? Thanks in advance.
Hi everyone, I’m married to a Kurd from Iraq, and we’re heading to Kurdistan in November with our two-and-a-half-year-old son. Even though I’m really excited about this trip and happy to go, I’m a bit nervous because as a European woman, I feel like there’s nothing to do and I have this image of a dangerous country… To put my mind at ease, I’d love to chat with other Europeans who’ve been there. Thanks! !
Hi there
Does anyone know if it's allowed to use a drone (under 250 g) in Oman?
If so, is there any registration required for the device?
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Laurent
Hi there,
We’re traveling from 12/23/2025 to 1/9/2025 in Oman.
However, our flight lands in Dubai.
So I’m looking for a car rental company that allows crossing the border into the Sultanate of Oman.
Thanks for your recommendations!
I think I saw there’s also the option of vehicles with rooftop tents…
Hello... nothing new for several
years now...
Can you go there independently from the rest of the country? Any recent experiences, either in Kurdistan or the rest of Iraq?
Thanks a lot
Hi, we’re traveling to Georgia soon and want to go to Azerbaijan. I’m having trouble finding info on crossing the border.
Is it possible to do it by car or train? Are the land borders between the two countries open? Or do we have to fly?
Thanks in advance
Since I had trouble finding up-to-date info, here’s an update on some key points for Jordan/Egypt ferries as of August 2025.
Right now, AB Maritime is the only company still operating ferries. Other companies sometimes mentioned (Jordan Sinaï Hotel and Tour, Sinaï Ferry, etc.) have stopped running (no response by phone or email, and confirmed on-site).
On the Jordanian side, the fast ferry doesn’t leave from the port of Aqaba but from Tala Bay (20 km further south). There’s supposedly a slow ferry that departs in the evening from Aqaba port (according to a taxi driver), but I couldn’t find any info about it.
Currently, there’s one ferry per day in each direction for Aqaba/Taba and another for Aqaba/Nuweiba. But the schedules aren’t great for backpackers—and they’re not the same every day.
On the Jordanian side at Tala Bay, you access the port by walking through a large resort, go through border control before boarding the ferry (+ luggage check). You have to pay the exit tax of 10 JOD (12 €) to "someone sitting on a bench in front"!!! It’s true—you need to ask who to pay, or customs won’t let you through without the magic coupon.
Oddly, I arrived early and managed to take a different ferry than the one I’d booked online by insisting (it wasn’t open for online reservations).
I bought the ticket on the AB Maritime website. Confirmation by email was brief. Then you have to find another person outside the port who has the passenger list and will give you the actual ticket. (What a joy this organization is!) Luckily, everyone’s really friendly with tourists.
On the Egyptian side, arrival in Taba isn’t in Taba itself but at Taba Heights (20 km further south), in a hotel zone. Immigration can be more or less quick depending on your place in the queue at the single office... (free Sinai visa or paid Egypt visa). And outside... nothing. Nothing: no exchange bureau, no ATM, no drink or SIM vendor... A nightmare. No bus station. One or two taxis at prohibitive prices. Personally, I walked about fifteen minutes to the Strand Hotel to find someone who could actually help me (ATM out of service in that big resort). From there, two bus companies currently operate: Webus in small vans but you have to book at least 2 days in advance (frequent, fast, reasonable prices) or GoBus with large buses (only one per day, even cheaper). They head south to Nuweiba, Sharm El Sheikh, etc. A taxi from Taba to Sharm was quoted at 120 USD at the port exit!
For me, the ferry and GoBus schedules didn’t align at all. If I’d known about Webus earlier, I could’ve saved 6 hours of waiting...
On another note, a Taiwanese traveler I met also mentioned that the Hurghada-Sharm El Sheikh ferry is no longer running.
Basically, these border crossings and ferries are more suited to organized tours than backpackers, but it’s still doable.
Hello everyone,
We’re just back from a wonderful adventure exploring Wadi Rum.
We spent 3 days and 2 unforgettable nights there. Our guide, Mohamad, introduced us to the desert—its beauty, its mysteries—with rare skill, kindness, and generosity. We hiked through breathtakingly beautiful places, slept in a Bedouin tent and under the stars, enjoyed delicious meals, and shared moments of incredible quality.
Mohamad honored us by sharing songs, poems, and stories, and introducing us to his family. His humor, life philosophy, and empathy will stay with us forever.
Without a doubt, one of the most beautiful experiences we’ve ever had.
Mohamad’s contact details can be shared via private message.
I’m also happy to provide any info about this unforgettable trip.
Michèle
So happy to be back with you all that I’m rushing to share my trip report!
We chose to stay exactly 14 days to avoid paying for a visa. As a result, we didn’t have time to explore the south—we’ll be back because Oman is a great destination in January. Temperatures were a perfect 25–27°C during the day. No rain for us, but it can happen.
We bought the *Évasion Oman* guidebook. We started with the Jebels (the mountains), abandoned villages, then the desert, wadis along the coast, and finished in the capital. For us, it was easier to go from cold (2,000 meters, after all) to hot before returning to our freezing Normandy in January.
The people were incredibly welcoming and lovely. We camped in natural camping areas where you can make a fire (free, no facilities or water). Easy to find—just search "camping" on Google Maps (an essential app). We traveled as a group of five and rented a 4x4 seven-seater from Europcar before leaving (price included our insurance): 800 euros for 14 days. Essential for getting everywhere, as there are lots of dirt tracks. We brought our camping gear from France since the baggage allowance is 30 kg. Oh, and also two liters of rum and a box of white wine—also essential.
Food was tricky if you don’t like spicy dishes or just chicken. You have to eat at international restaurants, which cost about the same as back home. We’d packed vacuum-sealed meat for the first three days and a few cans. For beaches, stick to the ones marked on Google for swimming—otherwise, they can be dirty and full of oil.
We arrived at 6:30 AM, bought a SIM card (make sure to remove yours before arriving and tape it to the back of your phone), exchanged money (not great rates at the airport—better in malls or souks; no exchanges in banks), and picked up the car. Then we headed to a Carrefour supermarket, but it was closed. We drove to Jebel Al Akhdar, the Sayq Plateau, where we found markets along the way. There are also bazaar shops where you can get gas bottles—they’re everywhere in mid-sized towns. There are even hypermarkets.
We hiked the well-marked old Sayq trail (red and white markings). Our return was improvised. We camped on the plateau and got cold—bring 0°C sleeping bags! The next day, we visited the abandoned villages of Wadi Bani Habib: juniper forests, canyon viewpoints. Then Birkat Al Maws on the way down—a beautiful palm grove. Next, Nizwa Hotel. The beds were really hard there—ask to see the rooms and test the beds before booking. There’s always availability, with prices starting at 35 euros for two.
On the third day, we went to Jebel Shams. Hiked along the canyon starting from Ghul, then descended. Camped on the road to Balha Fortress, which we visited the next morning (stunning!). Then we explored Nizwa before heading to the Wahiba Desert. Camped along the way, then drove to our accommodation: two days in the desert. We found the Thousand Nights Camp 40% cheaper a month before. Note: you have to leave by 1 PM in a convoy to reach the hotel.
On the sixth day, we hiked in the desert on our own because the activity prices were outrageous.
On the seventh day, we headed to a wadi, Bani Khalid, then to Sur, a seaside hotel. We booked just one room for five of us—hotel apartments are huge, and since we had our camping mattresses, it wasn’t a problem to set up in the living room. There’s even a kitchen. In cities, camping spots are poorly located—near intersections, etc.
Beach time and sightseeing on the eighth day, then we drove to the white sand beach in Fins, where we stayed for two nights (we left the tents set up but empty). This was our favorite campsite—go all the way to the end of the road, there’s a small cove and a stunning spot.
On the ninth day, we visited Wadi Shab and the Salma Plateau to find the tombs. The hike up from Fins was way too long—probably better to take the route suggested in the guidebook for a round trip. Meh, no one really enjoyed it.
On the tenth day, we went to Wadi Al Arbiyyin and drove to Seeb Al Mouj to book a diving trip. Stayed at Al Ferdous Hotel Apartments until the end—well-located for visiting Muscat and a great value. Just make sure to check the room first, as some beds are very hard and others aren’t.
Eleventh day: diving and beach time.
Twelfth day: visited the Grand Mosque (unlucky—first day it became paid, and not just a little: 8 OMR). Then explored the old city.
Thirteenth day: the Grand Opera and beach at The Village, where we found a great pizzeria: pizzawifi.com.
Fourteenth day: And that’s it—back home, thrilled to have discovered this magical country. We’ll be back!
Hi everyone!
I’m giving this a shot, hoping to get some answers that can help clear things up.
We’re planning a trip to Oman in February and want to rent a car.
The catch is we probably won’t have received our international driving permits in time.
After some research, we still can’t figure out if there are any rental companies that only require a French license...
or possibly a certified translation of it.
Given that the French license is recognized in Oman, we’re hoping for some advice.
Any tips would be hugely appreciated, and thanks in advance to those who can help!
Best regards,
Olyana
Hi there, 😄
my friend and I are leaving in 15 days for Kurdistan, by road, in our little converted van... The only thing we're sure of (well, the only thing we've actually thought about! The adventures will take care of the rest!) is that we're planning to take a month to get there, 15 days on site to visit my sister-in-law who's been living there as a teacher for a year! and 15 days to rush back, because my boyfriend has to go back to work on November 3rd!! After that, the itinerary isn't set yet—I've just bought a map of Europe... and still haven't found one of Kurdistan! or Iraq! I just finished work yesterday... and until now, this trip felt so far away... I didn't imagine much about it... I kept telling myself, "You'll see when you're done working, your brain will be more available!" Well, now my brain is in "gooo go go!" mode 😮 and it's going fast! I've got tons of questions popping up all at once!
- The itinerary... (we're thinking of lingering a bit in Greece on the way there... and taking a more direct route back). I don't think we've fully grasped what it's going to be like to cover at least 5,000 km in such a short time! Bibi's tinkering with the van (a Peugeot Expert that goes anywhere) and I'm the tour guide!
- Camping in the van... where? Under what conditions? Areas to avoid? Places not to miss?
- The borders... especially the Iraqi one! What are the formalities? Visa or no visa?
- The political situation in the countries we'll cross... (with our entourage putting pressure on us—they're right, of course! How many times have we heard, "You're crazy! Oh, you're really going? We've been hearing about this for a year but didn't think it was so soon... and with everything going on right now, isn't it risky? Aren't you afraid of getting kidnapped?" 🤪 To be honest, we don't know much, we've been a bit out of the loop, working hard... and just craving adventure! But I admit, sometimes I get little waves of panic 😕 when I check official websites... then I go back to daydreaming!
- Why not Couchsurfing?
- Oh crap, the most annoying part... the paperwork, insurance, health stuff, blablabla...
- Will the van hold up? 😐
- Should we prepare for the possibility of not making it all the way, and accept that not as a failure but as a different kind of adventure? Well, there you have it—a little peek into the chaos in my brain! 🤪/😎
So if any of this resonates with you... if you feel like sharing ideas, advice, or stories... we're all ears! Well, I am, and I'll pass it on to Bibi, the fearless warrior, wrench in hand, new tires at the ready, changing the oil and fine-tuning the beast! When I ask him what he expects, what he thinks, what his fears are (with me being the eternal scaredy-cat about wild camping in places I can't picture when we arrive at night—apparently a typical female fear, according to my surveys!—and the wonder of waking up to discover our surroundings... we made the right choice!), his desires... he just says, "Well, we'll start the car, go straight ahead, and see what happens. What do you think could go wrong?!" We complement each other well!
