Name: Sama Al Wasil Desert Camp
Address: Al Wasil Village, Al Ghabbi, Al Ghabbi, Al Ghabbi, 0000, Oman
Rating: 8

Air conditioning

Smoking areas

Smoke-free property

Security guard

Ticket assistance

Gift shop

Express check-in/check-out

Garden

Reception desk

General

Non-smoking rooms

Room service

Family room

Indoor Fireplace

Toiletries

Rooms

Accessibility features

Accessibility

Luggage storage

Services and amenities

Breakfast

Restaurant

Bottled water

Meals

Internet

Transfer services

Transfer

English

Arabic

Languages Spoken

Tour assistance

Tourist services

Barbecue grill(s)

Barbeque

Ping-Pong

Recreation

Parking

Parking nearby

Darts

Table Tennis

Sports

First Aid Kit

Beauty and wellness

Children's playground

Family/Kid Friendly

Kids

Temperature control for staff

Personal protection equipment for staff

Extra decontamination measures

Temperature control for guests

Personal protection equipment for guests

Contactless check-in and/or check-out

Additional measures against COVID-19

Health and Safety Measures

Location

At the hotel

Sama Al Wasil Desert Camp

Al Ghabbi

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

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king-bed

queen-bed

limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

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not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

A fabulous location although I would recommend a large 4x4 rather than our Kia Sportage which gamely made it into the desert and back. We booked to stay on the 22nd January 2024 however during the day I ran out of mobile data and was not able to confirm. We arrived and were greeted by the wonderful reception staff who made sure we had a superior room to stay in at the original price. The food was great and there was plenty of variety for my wife who is vegetarian and my gluten free requirements. The staff were so professional and friendly with nothing too much bother. Our room had all the usual facilities and was first rate. The whole premises was in top condition with a very high standard of cleanliness everywhere. Very thoughtfully laid out for a relaxing magical stay.

Wonderful Location and Really Professional friendly staff

The location is very nice...around 13 kms inside the desert. The pickup from the meeting point was on time.

The check in was smooth and the guys at rhe reception were cheerful and friendly. Our rooms were ready when we arrived. Mr. Khalid who took us for dune bashing was a very nice guy and made extra effort to make our trip an enjoyable one!!

The surprise thing was the movie which they show on the projector accompnied by popcorn and tea!!! 

The dinner buffet was good and included chicken and camel meat grill apart from other itens! The breakfast was a bit dissapointing..but everything else made up for it.

The bed in the room was comfortable and we had a sound sleep.

Definitely a recommended place to stay if you are planning a trip to Wahiba Sands

Nice comfortable room!!

We stayed two nights in the Sama Al Wasil Desert camp which have been great. Staff was exceptional nice and helpful. Stargazing a bit limited because of the full moon and some light from the camps around. We tried camel riding and 4x4 car dune bashing. Great experience. The cabins were clean and comfortable, good beds to sleep in.
Noor, the acting resort manager, was just perfect.
We went for strolls at sunrise and sundown on the huge dunes just behind the camp, helped by a row which was nice. Open air cinema offered a nice entertainment in the evening.

Desert delight stay

Nice clean huts with AC and real decent toilet/shower. Dinner (followed by watching the Lion King under the stars) was great, lots to choose from. Complimentary coffee and water in multiple places in the camp. Surprisingly good breakfast with more options than at least we had anticipated for a place out in the desert. Very friendly staff who worked diligently keeping the place clean (not the easiest of tasks when there's sand everywhere...) and in top shape. All in all a very well kept camp!

Alas only had time to stay for one night - would have loved to spend another day/night here. Will for sure pick this place if (when) returning to the desert in Oman.

Sunny, sandy and really great a stay!

The staff were excellent throughout our stay. That included frequent communications in the build up to our overnight stay. We didn't have a 4x4 but one was arranged for us from Al Maha petrol station as highlighted in their accommodation details. If you have a 4x4, it's pretty easy to find. Point the car down between the two sets of dunes for 20 minutes and you'll come to it no problem. We left our car next door to the petrol station where there was plenty of room. It was pretty hot when we returned but no surprises there. 

During our stay we took advantage of the complimentary coffee, water and fruit including dates and these were set out in the communal area. After that we settled into our tent which was number 7 Sultan tent and this was right on the very perimeter by the dune. That gave us an additional sense of isolation. The room was spacious and had a good shower and air con. The mosquitos were soon on us though so be prepared to be pestered. 

We did the one excursion that following afternoon  and that was the Sunset including the dunes which involved us bashing some dunes in a 4x4 with a guide. He knew his way around and handled the car amazingly. He stopped along the way for us to take a few snaps Abs then it was the sun setting itself. An hour for all of this. Expensive but we shared the cost between the 2 of us. 

Climbed up the dune once back at the camp and there's a rope to help you but my god, was it hard and I consider myself quite strong. A good workout but good views. 

The evening consisted of a buffet dinner served between 7-9 but the food quickly depleted so probably should have gotten there before 8 in hindsight. We were there for dinner after 8 due to the outdoor cinema playing the remake of the Jungle Book....was kind of hoping for Raiders or the Lost Ark :)

All in all a very good and memorable experience.

Desert isolation 

We stayed here for a night and we really enjoyed our stay!

The staff was kind, the room was clean, spacey, and authentic Omani and in general, it was an oasis in the desert.

The breakfast and the dinner were great and we had the opportunity to climb up the hill tp watch the sunset which was great.

If you go by car, there’s someone before entering the desert to guide you for 20 OMR which we didn’t do after recommendation from orher traveller and indeed, it worked totally fine for us as the resort is not far away and the road was mostly ”normal”.

However, a 4wd is required and make sure you take out air from your car, down to 1 bar.

2 things that we thought could be better is the variety of drinks (only water), and that it was too many lights to be able to watch the stars.

Since the road is great around the resort, we took the car and drove 2-3km further away and it worked perfectly!

Great stay in the middle of the desert!

A cool little desert camp in the Wahiba sands. A sultan tent with a view of the dunes was lovely.  The food was basic but good. Camel meat was unexpected after riding camels in the morning.  Took some courage.  The staff were friendly and helpful. Not 5 star - more like glamping.

Glamping Wahiba

We had a great overnight stay at the Sama Al Wasil camp. Great setting for the camp, nestled right into the edge of the golden sand dunes. The drive out to the camp is really easy, about 15km from town on a good sand road. I don’t think you’d even need a 4WD or need to deflate your tires – easy drive, and fun roaring along the sand road and spotting the camels. We received a warm reception from the camp staff and were quickly shown to our room for the night, a sultan’s tent. While all of the stone units (20 or so) were built facing each other in a big circle, the tents are out back facing the dunes, so great dune views right from the front patio of the tent. It’s about a 5min climb to the top of the dune there and they’ve placed a rope there to help you out. Great place to watch sunrise and sunset. The room was pretty standard for a tent – almost no windows and natural light inside – but very clean and comfortable. The ensuite bathroom was a bit on the small side but still fully functional. The AC worked very well, thankfully. There was no outdoor furniture so we just moved our indoor chairs outside. They really should look at investing in some outdoor furniture for the tents as it’s such a grand view. The dinner was great – Omani/Arabic food (buffet) accompanied by some live Omani music. Unfortunately there were a couple of big groups staying in the camp while we were there which really detracted from the whole ambience, as one of the groups was particularly noisy. So we retreated back to our patio and enjoyed a quiet evening under the stars. The breakfast was decent as well. The camp offers activities like dune bashing and camel riding, but we didn’t partake, choosing rather to walk by ourselves through the dunes at sunset. Note: there is no Wifi and no phone reception in the camp, but if you climb to the top of the dune you will get a decent 4G connection. Overall we had a great stay and would recommend it to other travelers. 

Beautiful desert accommodation.

The rooms are small as is the bathroom, although acceptable taken in consideration that is in the desert.  The shower has very weak power, but it is functional. The camp is nicely set up in the common areas and the dinner and breakfast are acceptable but nothing to write home about. We were not bothered by insects and the premises were clean.

Clean premises

Booking was good and the team were happy to answer any questions. I booked a transfer but the team forgot to arrange it. I waited at the petrol station for an hour and couldn’t get through to the camp. In the end some friendly locals who seemed to know all of the transfer drivers helped by calling them. This meant I missed the cut off time to do the sunset dune bashing which I had wanted to do. The reception team didn’t seem overly bothered when I told them. The hut was ok but the bed was very hard. The bathroom was simple and clean but the towels were stained. The buffet for dinner and breakfast was ok. But take snacks and drinks if you want them for the evening. There is a fridge in the room although the electricity was a little hit and miss as to when it would work. Mainly due to the slightly dodgy socket. The rope to help you climb the big dune next to the camp is super helpful, but it’s a tough walk up in the heat. I managed to do sunrise dune bashing which was great, but it did mean a 5am start! All in all it was ok for the price but be prepared for some minor gripes.

Sama Al Wasil Desert Camp

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