What an experience we had. Spending 24 hours in this beautiful desert with dunes alone in the world. Truly amazing. We slept under the stars with our guide. Thank you for this experience. Solitude, calm, a real luxury

Our trip here was part of a Full-Day Wahiba Desert and Wadi Bani Khalid Group Tour. We returned to the car and drove a short distance to Bidiyah to get the tyres deflated ready for the desert. There then followed some driving to show us what angles the 4*4 could drive out and how to take the steep ridges without launching over the top. We passed several small camp sites, some hobbled camels and a few other 4*4s before stopping so we could get out and have a wander. The sand was amazingly fine but a lot easier to walk on than expected and it was beautiful to see actual sand dunes. It was also rather hot! We spent maybe 15 minutes walking up and down dunes and taking photos before returning to the car. After reinflating the tires we drove back to Muscat. It was a long way to go for 15 minutes but the overnight options were very expensive and it gave me the photos I wanted.

Most, if not all, desert camps organize what they call "dune bashing" trips to observe the sunset. So every day, late afternoon, convoys of white 4WD's are moving through these stunning landscapes. I was privileged to have my own private driver, who was not only extremely skilled, but more than adventurous, so he left all other vehicles and seriously went off track. This was an unorthodox, but thrilling experience. The combination of this idyllic landscape, the picturesque sunset and the adrenaline-pumping drive will remain with me for a lifetime.

An ideal starting point to explore the desert on your own is Bidiyya. There are different slopes and many of them are visible on maps.me. Driving through the sand may scare some people off. Those who feel insecure are accompanied by helpful guides for a fee or can take part in a guided tour. We spent many years in Africa and have some experience. Maps.me shows the routes easily. Reduce air pressure in the tires so that the contact surface becomes larger. Driving in the sand is similar to driving in the snow, gently accelerating, braking gently, not stopping in troughs, driving uphill with start-up and momentum, driving carefully over confusing hills so that you can stop at half visibility. Always take a small supply of water and food. When you stop somewhere, people keep asking you if you need help. We were invited by Bedouins to their tent for coffee. There it was strikingly tidy and very clean. We must assume that tourists are responsible for the waste, especially plastic waste, which lies all over the desert.