from $4,925* per person	8 Days	Year-round
Boutique accommodations		Exertion level: 4
Operator: Geographic Expeditions		18 people max

Oman is a bastion of peace and desert beauty, unexpectedly soaring moun¬tains, and spotless beaches. We begin in Muscat, by common assent the most charm¬ing city in the Persian Gulf region. We’ll visit the old, mountain-girded port and its traditional souk. Then south, along the Ara¬bian Sea, to the dhow building town of Sur, and inland to Nizwa, a city considered too dangerous for outsiders to visit as little as 50 years ago, now home to a lively but pacific Friday market. Outside of town, nestled in lovely forest-clad gorges, are several cliff-top villages into which we’ll amble. From here we delve into the Wahiba Sands, whose soaring dunes form the eastern edge of the fabled Empty Quarter. Enjoy taking advantage of Oman’s wondrously varied landscapes, with opportunities to get out on foot and explore, via simple village walks, through lush wadis, or just wandering through sand dunes at sunrise.

Opt to fly south to the lush region of Dhofar, where you’ll explore its capital, Salalah, former nexus of the ancient Frankincense Route before heading out into the great sand sea where you’ll explore Oman’s Empty Quarter by camel back, stretch your legs over shifting dunes, traverse desert wadis, overnight in a private Bedouin tented camp, and stargaze like you’ve never done before. All with the expert guidance and assistance of our local staff.

Alternatively, a restful and beautiful contrast, Zanzibar. A flight south, along the Indian Ocean, takes you to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and on to the island of Zanzibar (for a short time in the early 1960s an inde-pendent nation, before it joined with Tan-ganyika to form Tanzania, of which it is a highly autonomous part). You’ll spend four days rambling about in this wonderful place, roaming through Stone Town, an eclectic example of Swahili architecture, featuring Persian, Indian, European, Arab, and African building styles, deservedly a longtime World Heritage Site. You’ll pay a visit to a Swahili village, more lively testimony to the power¬ful cultural currents that have washed over Zanizibar, and make an excursion to a spice plantation, reminding us that this was the original, ancient, and fragrant Spice Island. And the perfect end to your stay at the luxurious Kilindi Resort in Northern Zanzibar for proper rest, relaxation, and well deserved pampering.