Oman's outdoor landscape is among the most dramatic in the Middle East. Wadi Ghul — the 'Grand Canyon of Arabia' — drops 1,000 metres from the Jebel Akhdar plateau rim to the wadi floor, and the village of Misfat al Abriyeen clings to the cliff above an ancient falaj-irrigated oasis below; the rim trail at dawn, before the heat arrives, is one of the great brief viewpoint walks in the Arab world. Jebel Akhdar and Jebel Shams (3,009 metres, Oman's highest peak) deliver highland hiking through rose terraces, juniper woodland, and rock villages above the clouds. The Wahiba Sands — a genuine erg of large red and white dunes extending 180 kilometres — is accessible for overnight camel trekking from the northern margin. The fjord-coast of Musandam (an Omani exclave north of the UAE border) carries dhow cruises through limestone inlets where dolphins are a near-daily sighting. Tours by locals who know the landscape beyond the obvious map pins reveal the hidden gems. It really hits differently.