Arabian Nights Resort & Spa

If you’re after a proper desert escape, Arabian Nights Resort is worth the drive. It sits about 200km from Muscat — roughly two and a half hours — in the Al Sharqiya Sands, and you’ll need a 4WD for the last 27km through the dunes to get there. The resort is made up of individual villas, all with private terraces looking out over the desert, plus a pool, spa, and Rimaal restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Activities on site include camel rides, dune bashing, quad biking, sandboarding, and glamping under the stars. It’s a good option if you want to get out of Muscat for a long weekend and see a completely different side of Oman.