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May 01, 2012 Issue 218the next day was clear - drive to the north, deeper between RamlatHashman and reach the bigger and higher sand dunes. My friend,who was experiencing it for the first time, was happy and fullyconvinced that Oman is really a special place.Next day was a bit different. The weather changed and the sky wascovered with thin clouds, reducing the temperature slightly. At thatmoment we were exactly 120km from the Shisr where we refuelledthe cars. The gravel track, very often, was covered by sand and wehad to drive as per the GPS locator. Before the trip I had prepared aprecision map and marked all significant points on the map. Often,we had to cross the dunes, which needed time; it was also a littlerisky, especially for someone who was driving to the Empty Quarterfor the first time. After noon the next day, we reached the giant sanddunes that dominated the entire area. GPS locator displayed thatwe had stopped exactly 167km from Shisr. It was our deepest pointduring this expedition. It was also a fantastic place for some goodlandscape photography.During the last two days, we had used 50 percent of our fueland we decided to return back the next day to the main graveltrack connecting Shisr with a small town called Mitan. So, thenext day in the morning, we set-off slowly towards the south butchose a route alternative to the one by which we had arrived.Late afternoon, tired, overheated, and dusty, but full of positiveimpressions, we came back to Shisr about 900kms from Muscat.The impressions following an expedition such as this areunforgettable. Even if this trip was extremely expensive incomparison to standard vacations under the palm trees on thebeach in some exotic resort, it did not matter considering thewealth of experiences we returned with. I am certain, many visitors,planning to come to the Sultanate of Oman, would like to experiencesomething unusual and original along the lines of such a trip.THE EMPTY QUARTER TRIP ADVICE:I have visited Empty Quarter several times since 2007. This placeis really dangerous for anyone who ignores desert conditions or isnot well prepared for the trip. There are some basic rules that wefollowed to ensure our safety, which are applicable to not only theEmpty Quarter but every kind of desert.First of all, never ever go there alone or just in one car; two cars areabsolutely the minimum. During the last trip to Ramlat Hashman, wehad driven in two cars only, which limited our journey to few days andless than 200kms. More cars with more drivers make the trip saferand the distance better. Only good condition 4x4 cars with goodtyres, and one spare tyre, are needed. I have had the experienceof losing three tyres in one day at the Empty Quarter. If you arenot an experienced off-roader, hire a guide and drive following hisinstructions. You may need more fuel so jerry cans are required.Do not forget food, water, basic medical set and communicationequipment. Mostly, in deep desert, the phone reception is nonexistentso a satellite phone is needed.Communication between the cars is also vital so try to use walkietalkie,if possible. If you are seriously planning to go to the EmptyQuarter, choose the coolest time of the year. In the summer thetemperature is more than 50Cº and driving and other activities canmake it an extremely harsh affair.29