A sandy desert flirting with the sea, named after the tribe (the Wahiba, long the customary name given to the Sharqiya Sands) that populated it, a pocket-sized enclave (150 km long by 90 km wide) that has all the makings of a large one: mirages, magisterial dunes (some over 100 metres high), vastness with no horizon. It's also an ocean of colors, with ochre and orange gradations that the sun's luminosity can change. Every moment is a painting: dawn, when the morning mist hesitantly dissipates; midday, when the blue of the sky contrasts with the red of the sand; sunset, when the sun streaks pink and purplish-purple; and finally, night, pure, deep, so silent as to be unsettling, almost heavy... so luminous as to transcend.To fully enjoy this adventure, a few hours are not enough - you have to spend the night. Nothing could be simpler at Sharqiya, where a number of well-equipped fixed campsites await overnight travellers, offering a range of activities adapted to this unique biotope: camel rides, quad biking, 4x4 safaris, tobogganing or sand skiing, dawn and sunset walks to soak up the immensity... Discovering the Sharqiya Sands is also an opportunity to get a glimpse of the culture and way of life of the Bedouin, originally nomadic but now semi-sedentary. Gone are the days of ancient caravans! The new Bedouins live in hard-built houses at the gateway to the desert, or in encampments scaffolded with large sections of canvas, pieces of wood and wire fencing. Large 4x4s are parked nearby, and satellite dishes are a common sight. Because of the desert's proximity to the sea and oases, the Sharqiyas tribes subsist not only on livestock farming, but also on fishing and date harvesting, and rarely on nomadic trade. Nevertheless, the women come down to the Ibra market quite often to sell their weavings: handmade carpets above all, but also key-rings, bags and bracelets made from sheep's wool... all local souvenirs to be acquired at reasonable prices when visiting a Bedouin family - an activity systematically proposed when spending the night in the middle of the sands.

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Les dunes de Wahiba (Wahiba Sands). Sylvie LIGON

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