Al Salam Desert Camp

The sunset on the dunes was such a special part of our one-night stay at Al Salam Camp (Bidiya Al Salam Desert Camp). We also had a lot of fun during the dune bashing, with a powerful car, exciting driving, and plenty of laughs. The guides were friendly, professional, and fun to spend time with. Our tent was spotless, spacious, and comfortable, and dinner and the other food were very good. A great desert stay with warm hospitality and adventure.

We stayed two nights in the Royal Tent, which had plenty of room for all five of us. The resort is straightforward to reach from the main road: the first 10 km are paved, and the last 2 km are on a hard surface. A 2WD car is fine. There were lots of activities to choose from. We went to Wadi Bani Khalid in the morning, tried sandboarding behind the resort in the evening, then took the Night Safari and Stargazing option. Mr. Abdulla drove skilfully and explained the stars, the local area, and Oman’s history. There were so many stars. The good breakfast and dinner helped make it a memorable trip.

The staff made our stay at Al Salam Desert Camp especially pleasant. Sawdeep at reception helped us more than once, including with a problem on the camel ride, which I’d avoid. He was always smiling despite working very long hours. Abdullah, our Bedouin guide for a half-day safari, was knowledgeable, friendly, funny, knew everyone in the desert, and drove fantastically. Ask for him if you book a trip. The tents were roomy and comfortable, with en suite bathrooms. We liked the surprisingly good dinner buffet, the live music in the common area each night, and even having WiFi. The location was convenient for a desert camp, easy to find after dark, and close enough to the highway that we could go back for an ATM. We also took a trip farther into the desert. I highly recommend staying here.

The location of Al Salam desert camp is good, but our room hadn’t been cleaned before we arrived. The food was badly overcooked, and it would have been nice if the staff had switched on the AC a couple of hours before check-in. I wouldn’t recommend it.