February 2009 - Tony Walsh توني والش

Rub Al Khali Desert Oman

enjoyed by us on a holiday in Oman

Taking advantage of the cooler months I took a small group into one of great natural features of Oman – the Rub Al Khali.

Exploring the vastness of the Empty Quarter we walked through a landscape full of deafening silence and with no visible occupants

until I came up against this Agama Lizard – catching the last rays of the sun before the chill of night set in.

Responsible Tourism for Oman

I enjoyed a stimulating overview of responsible tourism by Harold Goodwin

Dr Harold Goodwin of Leeds University gave a talk to the Environment Society of Oman about Responsible Tourism.

This was his first visit into Oman but he was able to give very interesting examples from other countries about how tourism can impact, positively and negatively on people’s lives. He implied that New Zealand was probably the country most successful in branding itself in the field of responsible tourism. Interestingly he also felt Gambia and South Africa were two other countries with a very good approach in the field.

Bag for our guest - Sally — Bag for our guests – Jean & Sally

I try and act in a positive way within the Oman community – in a way that also adds value for our guests. Each person on a holiday with us is given a bag, hand created by the Sidab Ladies Sewing Group – and where possible we have the name of our guest sewn in Arabic.

Empty Quarter Desert, Oman

A chilly night in the Empty Quarter of Oman

The Empty Quarter / Rub al Khali offers a great chance to sleep under the stars . On my way to Salalah in Oman , I drove through the Empty Quarter (Rub Al Khali ) to spend the night there . The coldest I have ever been in a desert was a couple of years ago when the thermometer dropped to 2c . Fortunately, though cold, at about 10c, my night this time wasn’t so bad. However, perhaps because of the chill or because the Moon had set – I woke at about 2pm. Above was a black sky set with diamonds of stars – wonderful.

Needless to say a dawn climb up an Omani Desert Dune was called for and though not as extraordinary as the night sky – the view at dawn from the top is also breathtaking .

The next day I arrived in Salalah and amongst other things came face to face with a friend’s Omani Bees . He had moved his hives from the mountains because of the cold and wind – I could understand why.