The Wahiba Sands of Oman, also called the Sharqiyah Sands, are a geological and ecological wonder. This 12,500-square-kilometre carpet of rolling and shifting dunes is home to an astonishing 16,000 species of invertebrates, flora and fauna, and a rich mix of nomadic Bedouin people, all of which had adapted to living in the desert, a seemingly inhospitable place. Experience these wonders through desert camps, which offer travellers a daytime of adventure and a nighttime of comfort.

If you too are still a little peeved by the summer washout and aren’t yet ready to batten down the hatches in preparation for another gruelling winter, fear not! There are still plenty of places to replenish that flagging vitamin D. And better yet, you won’t have to break the bank or fight tooth and nail for your patch of sand. Bliss! Here we check out which whl.travel (www.whl.travel) destinations have the best beach-break ability to blow away those autumn cobwebs.

Enigmatic, unspoiled and replete with smiling locals, Oman is an ideal destination for the intrepid traveller. Stretching across its perch at the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, the changing terrain of endless sand dunes, unique villages integrated into canyon walls and breathtaking beaches make Oman’s variety of attractions and distractions seem almost infinite. Even…