Desert, one-day tour: in- and outgoing

This tour fits perfectly in the ‘Frankincense trail’ of Dhofar, when caravans over land did their incense trade with the outside world. First we cross through the ‘Al Qara Mountain,’ agricultural area with cows, goats and camels as companions. Photospots are inevitable. We proceed to ‘Wadi Dawkah,’ a big open wadi with beautiful scenery. Beside the wild trees, more than 5000 Frankincense trees are planted. And still the idea is to double them. This fenced nature reserve forms one of the Land of Frankincense UNESCO World Heritage Sites…Here you understand the true meaning of ‘Boswellia Sacre.’

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By passing ‘Thumrait’ from earlier times a gateway, we are heading to the desert the ‘Rub al Khali, the Empty Quarter.’  That’s why bedouin live at the edge of the desert. Beside the brown-coloured camels you will also see camels with dark, black coloured coats. But before going into a part of the Rub al Khali, into ‘Ramlet Khadif,’ we take a close look at the lost city of ‘Shishr/Ubar,’ another Land of Frankincense UNESCO World Heritage Site. Researchers found Shishr by tracing ancient desert roads detected in pictures taken from several spacecraft, including radar and optical cameras.Shishr also called Ubar was not only the last waterpost before the caravan headed into the desert. The city was also a key trading centre of Frankincense. Recently the site has been renovated. Leaving Shishr/Ubar behind us, we proceed to the sandy hills of the majestic Rub al Khali…..

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Desert, one day-tour, in- and outgoing, only by 4-wheel-drive.

 

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