Frederic

Tiptronic can be useful if you have a sluggish auto gearbox. I remember on Vanessa her Pajero that gearbox was always up and down shifting at the most inappropriate times and I see same behavior on my Y61 patrol. As I came from driving manual i still prefer it. Except for Newbie level or Overlanding drives of course that’s where “D” does it for me

Trip Update: Date: 26 July 2023 Country: Oman Region: Dhofar - Salalah to Duqm As we were not keen on taking the same road as to where we came from, we decided to take the coastal route which is longer but far more scenic. We left around 11am in Salalah today and arrived around 7pm in Duqm. A coastal city where a lot of economic development is currently ongoing, mostly related to oil and gas. The road from Salalah to Duqm is absolutely amazing as it alternates between mountains and driving next to the beach itself. There’s so many pristine beaches and hardly any development as of now. Due to the Khareef it was very windy and the weather was extremely pleasant. Some highlights: Sadah Beach: https://maps.app.goo.gl/vbH26P7ZNPuwTXWB8?g_st=ic Wadi Al Nakheel: https://maps.app.goo.gl/g5ejCFrPvn2225TR8?g_st=ic Manji Beach: https://maps.app.goo.gl/31Cush9EynNLJVbf6?g_st=ic Out of the mountains and into the sea: https://maps.app.goo.gl/bJBTsViDpbbeuTWG7?g_st=ic Photo from Google: Along the way:

70/30 on road vs off-road I’d take the Prado as you have lots more comfort and options on board. The 4Runner is more rudimentary and drives more truck-like. It looks more Off-road capable as well as it provides a bit more ground clearance especially in the front. Trimming the bumper or getting a lift in the Prado would solve that issue. I have a friend that drives a US spec Tundra and often complains he’s waiting for parts to come from the US, so like @Gaurav mentioned this might be a bit of an issue. As it’s US specs you won’t be able to get full comprehensive insurance I think (not sure though). My 5 cents: keep the Prado and modify to your own personal likings. It has fantastic resale value and parts are easily available.

It is, and the Patrol shines in this kind of trips.

Thanks @Varun Mehndiratta! Camping is perfectly possible here in Salalah and even encouraged with many camping stuff for sale in the super markets. In our case we had booked a small villa for 7 days in Salalah and didn’t bring the camping gear along. After visiting the places we’ve seen so far I kinda wished we brought the stuff along. On the other hand it rains practically every night so that has to be taken into account. Our hiking boots needed two days to dry out so we had to alternate between wadi hiking and beaches. Lulu Hypermarket had nice camping stuff on sale, and we went to visit this store as well as we were passing by: https://goo.gl/maps/doh1pxuyTSKVh14E6 Small shop but some nice items. They even sell the Golden Camel compressors Overall I’d recommend taking some camping gear along and setting it up when you have the occasion and feel like camping, but there are plenty hotels for each budget in Salalah and we were happy taking that option as we spend a lot of time on the road as well during the day.

Some Photos Continued: Wadi Darbat Bottom: Becoming more challenging here: Wadi Darbat Hike and Wadi Trail: https://goo.gl/maps/MnAjvjHvznTCvrM79 Thumrait to Rakhyut Canyon Road: Unforgettable.... Fazayah Beach: https://goo.gl/maps/8EkfwGxVaM4XxAQm6 Ain Khor Waterfalls:

Trip Update: Date: 19-23 July 2023 Country: Oman Region: Salalah Places visited: Ain Khor Waterfall: https://maps.app.goo.gl/VhkiroCBds1aboVBA?g_st=ic Ain Athum Waterfall: https://goo.gl/maps/vRFZeT5bW3RALAzQA (nice but busy) Unknown Sinkhole: https://goo.gl/maps/eCxEbE7WMFtLzi2J8 (very nice) Tawi Attair Sinkhole: https://goo.gl/maps/oYu7mPJpbUQz4h7x6 (not that great due to limited visibility) Baobab Forest: https://goo.gl/maps/GHma7FRiF6fJNviL6 (nice little hike with manmade pool in the forest). Gravity Hill: https://goo.gl/maps/XPCmajKSpWNJaK4a8 (realized too late we were driving on the opposite side of the road). Ifalqoot Beach: https://goo.gl/maps/pyDuPvTHgvc5GuFs9 nice cliff with viewpoint (no beach). Shipwreck: https://goo.gl/maps/ECr9jsxYju41XFHH9 unfortunately the trail became inaccessible halfway due to the mud and big rocks. Wadi Darbat Hike and Wadi Trail (approaching from the North, as we tried from the regular entry from the south but there were long queues with too many visitors) start here: https://goo.gl/maps/KeEJDYrvWNXXVKx28 park here: https://goo.gl/maps/MnAjvjHvznTCvrM79 you can hike further down up to the viewpoint: https://goo.gl/maps/eoaLijXZQcdVE3gt5 unfortunately, there was no waterfall to be seen but the hike is really fun. Wadi Darbat Bottom Hike: https://goo.gl/maps/LFhn1gRFtUHJuZkU6 Leave the car at the parking and start the hike. Challenging at some places but real good fun ! Ain Razat: Cave, botanical garden, and picnic area. Nothing special and too busy: https://goo.gl/maps/6eXnjqo4yTZ7XXiv9 Mughsail Beach: https://goo.gl/maps/rQ5dBJFvpWf2z192A no swimming was allowed due to very rough sea. Mughsail blowholes: https://goo.gl/maps/SJTAKqRxrJXUWXDa9 (nice to visit but very busy). Mahsood hidden beach: https://goo.gl/maps/V9mCCsLU1FwhWjji7 (definitely recommended). Start from here and follow the wadi trail: https://goo.gl/maps/E7DgL75BkKjALY5A8 Fazayah Beach: https://goo.gl/maps/8EkfwGxVaM4XxAQm6 Start from here and follow the dirt track: https://goo.gl/maps/gFeLnckfS6iBZKcp6 Thumrait to Rakhyut Canyon Road: This was a stunning Route 66 experience which takes you to the middle of nowhere, apart from some tiny villages and beautiful out of this world canyons. There are a couple of military areas and checkpoints as this is not too far from the Yemen border so stay on the existing track. 50% of it is tarmac while the other 50% is a gatch track. Start from Thumrait and follow road 45 all the way down to Rakhyut. There are stunning beaches in that area. We were not able to reach them as it was getting late and extremely foggy. Absolutely amazing drive... Some photos: Up in the mountains: Baobab Forest: https://goo.gl/maps/GHma7FRiF6fJNviL6 In need of a car wash.... Along Road 47: https://goo.gl/maps/aGvtdXSrMW6YDWgH7 Mahsood Hidden Beach: https://goo.gl/maps/V9mCCsLU1FwhWjji7 Wadi Darbat Bottom Hike, the easy part: https://goo.gl/maps/LFhn1gRFtUHJuZkU6

Trip Update: Date: 18 July 2023 Country: Oman Border crossing at Al-Ain Meyzad: https://goo.gl/maps/dfTBdaLyCXjAiZ1P6 Do not bring drones, two-way radios, alcohol, or any other illegal items! We sorted out our e-visas beforehand online (29A for sponsor and 29B for dependents), 5 OMR per person. The border official told me there’s a free visa for GCC residents somehow. Not sure if he meant online or on arrival. Crossing the border was very smooth and a matter of minutes only with a short visual check of the car. Make sure to get car insurance coverage for Oman and get the “orange card”’ from your insurer. This is just a piece of paper in Arabic that states your car is insured for Oman. Make sure the vehicle is under your name. I’ve seen an occasion where the guy was barred from entering because the car was under his wife’s name, and she was not with the group. Vehicle on car loan will need clearance from the bank I heard in the past. Not sure if this is true or still valid. Region: Nizwa - https://goo.gl/maps/EVo2Gx8e5fuGmots8 Known for: its fort and adjacent souk, a beautiful palm tree-lined city nearby the majestic Al Hajar mountains. Somehow it felt a bit cooler here than Dubai already. View from Jebel Hatt (2000m elevation): You can follow the tarmac road and climb all the way until this viewpoint: https://goo.gl/maps/NzuvpEsNyG6QX9rz6 If you fancy some decent off-roading trails, you can go from here all the way to Rustaq via Snake Canyon. https://goo.gl/maps/SXnWP6YEKvRWkrz19 We skipped this due to lack of time and the unpleasant weather (40+ degrees C). Courtyard of Al Bustan Inn, a cosy small hotel which we booked for one night: https://goo.gl/maps/PpKW2dpNavRXctSw5

For many, Oman is tucked away somewhere in a corner of the Middle East, and even though you might have heard abouts its beauty, its hospitality, and its variety, it is quite large and takes a bit of preparation to explore. We decided to take a road trip over the last couple of weeks in Oman and it was no coincidence as to why we chose July. Every year, the Khareef (monsoon) blesses the Salalah region with clouds, rains, and turn the region into a green paradise. That includes daily temperatures around 26 degrees, and a lot of fog. As we were trying to escape the Dubai summer heat, we reckoned this was a great trip worth taking as we talked about it for years but kept postponing due to COVID and other issues. The main plan looks like this: Dubai to Nizwa: 420km to cover in Day One. Enjoy Nizwa old town, and Jebel Hatt/Akhdar. Nizwa to Salalah: 876km to cover in Day Two. 7 days exploration around entire Dhofar-Salalah region. (wadis, trails, beaches, etc..) Salalah to Duqm: 676km to cover on the 10th day, following coastal road and few stops in-between. Duqm to Sur: 518km on the 11th day, mostly along the coastal road, with planned stop at the Sugar Dunes. Sur to Dubai: 654 km on the 12th day, along Muscat, stopping on the occasional sinkhole but no wadis. (we explored those in 2019) Important Notes: 1. As we were traveling with one vehicle only, we were careful with off-roading and stuck to gatch tracks and existing trails as much as possible. 2. The drive from Nizwa to Salalah is long and boring (not scenic). You'll find petrol stations along the way where i recommend keeping your car always topped up. The temperature was +40 degrees, and you don't want your car to breakdown on this road so make sure it's serviced and fully inspected before embarking on this trip. 3. The main road that goes through Salalah is the Route 47, also called Sultan Qaboos Road. Although this is a stunning road and perhaps even one of the most beautiful roads in the world, the fog made the visibility in many places almost impossible to drive. Especially once the elevation exceeded 350m it became very difficult to drive, and the cows crossing the streets on the mountain villages did not help either. This also meant that some of the waypoints we wanted to visit closer towards the Yemen border took hours to reach and we even had to skip a couple of them. 4. Military checkpoints. The Dhofar region has a couple of military checkpoints. We did not face any issues but needed to carry our ID's at all time. 5. Rain, and lots of it. I was happy we got new tires installed two weeks before the trip, and the car underwent a full inspection as well. At times we could not even distinguish the color of the car anymore as it got so dirty from all the mud. Luckily carwashes were easy to find. 6. The Salalah region is predominantly Sunni, while the rest of Oman is mostly Ibadi. Throughout Oman we were advised to dress modestly and even then, we got a lot of curious stares and looks It felt like being back in Saudi in many cases (restaurants with family section, etc..). But overall, the people are very friendly and helpful. Further in this topic i will shortly describe the areas / waypoints we visited, with some photos to visualize the experience (although difficult). Stay tuned for more trip updates!

You’re the Pajero Master @Stumpy Paj ! Have a look at the Australian Pajero forums, I noticed they had some articles about it.

Very good topic @Looper ! I agree that desert-driving photography is a bit tricky. I use full frame Canon EF with 24-105mm L series which is a good overall range but quite heavy to carry along. The fact that it has optical stabilization is a must in my opinion if you start to zoom in completely, and on a 300mm that would be definitely even more the case. (we are using it handheld and not on tripod). The Sigma 70-300mm with IS is a better and more cost-effective option and also less bulky. Aperture is indeed lesser of an issue as there is plenty of light available. Even too much at times. I've seen plenty of your photos on the forum, and how you nail them every time is impressive as my camera is quite old and is not that great for the quick shots (5D mk2). It takes time to get focus right and there's never enough time when cars are zooming past

@babaski@BIBIN THOMAS@Pierre de Maigret@Glenn W@Thejas Uthran@topgear@Bashar Beasha@Dorian Zissi@Rajiv Sam@DTG@Arun Menon@Haneef Thayyil@Harshal@Abhilash Kottakkal @Chaitanya D @DP1011 Thanks to everyone for joining yesterday! I hope you enjoyed the laidback atmosphere and had a safe trip back home. Great support as usual from @DP1011, @Chaitanya D and @Rajiv Sam ! You’ll find some nice pics in the drive gallery ! See you soon in the sands again !

Relive video: https://www.relive.cc/view/vYvrVzEEExv GPS Track: Check out this trail from @Wikiloc! https://www.wikiloc.com/offroading-trails/shj-scenic-drive-3-emirates-140635213 (SHJ- Scenic Drive 3 Emirates)