Sama Al Wasil Desert Camp

We had a wonderful time in this desert camp. It feels cosy and peaceful. Staff is nice always looking out for you. WiFi is only in some areas and not in rooms. Food is nice, we even had camel meet BBQ. Everything was perfect. We enjoyed the sitting areas outside the big one in the circle but also the private one in front of our room

A bit of a resort, but then the clue is in the name. Spotless and comfortable ( we paid extra for a sultan tent which was worth it). It’s at the base of a good dune, which we liked. Food had a good range, including camel bbq. Outdoor movie is a bit odd but stopped at 21.00 and was not intrusive

The rooms are small as is the bathroom, although acceptable taken in consideration that is in the desert. The shower has very weak power, but it is functional. The camp is nicely set up in the common areas and the dinner and breakfast are acceptable but nothing to write home about. We were not bothered by insects and the premises were clean.

A fabulous location although I would recommend a large 4x4 rather than our Kia Sportage which gamely made it into the desert and back. We booked to stay on the 22nd January 2024 however during the day I ran out of mobile data and was not able to confirm. We arrived and were greeted by the wonderful reception staff who made sure we had a superior room to stay in at the original price. The food was great and there was plenty of variety for my wife who is vegetarian and my gluten free requirements. The staff were so professional and friendly with nothing too much bother. Our room had all the usual facilities and was first rate. The whole premises was in top condition with a very high standard of cleanliness everywhere. Very thoughtfully laid out for a relaxing magical stay.

Booking was good and the team were happy to answer any questions. I booked a transfer but the team forgot to arrange it. I waited at the petrol station for an hour and couldn’t get through to the camp. In the end some friendly locals who seemed to know all of the transfer drivers helped by calling them. This meant I missed the cut off time to do the sunset dune bashing which I had wanted to do. The reception team didn’t seem overly bothered when I told them. The hut was ok but the bed was very hard. The bathroom was simple and clean but the towels were stained. The buffet for dinner and breakfast was ok. But take snacks and drinks if you want them for the evening. There is a fridge in the room although the electricity was a little hit and miss as to when it would work. Mainly due to the slightly dodgy socket. The rope to help you climb the big dune next to the camp is super helpful, but it’s a tough walk up in the heat. I managed to do sunrise dune bashing which was great, but it did mean a 5am start! All in all it was ok for the price but be prepared for some minor gripes.

Sama Al Wasil Desert Camp I had read lots of reviews before booking this accommodation and it took me some some to work out how we were going to get there because there was such differences in the reviews as to whether you needed a 4 wheel drive and what sort etc. Now we have been there, I understand the different views/experiences etc. I contacted the camp sometime before we left for our trip and wanted to know if we could meet at the Al Maha petrol station on the main road if they had a transfer to do, and follow them in with our 4 wheel drive. We did not get a definitive answer, so went to the station anyway, paid a small amount of money to have them take some air out of our tyres and a representative turned up. The turnoff the main road is reasonably well sign posted and the road to the camp, is good, some spots the sand is a little thick and requires keeping the speed up, but generally it was pretty easy. I had enquired about doing some dune bashing and camel riding, but the info was a little slow in coming so decided to do all of that with the next place we were going, which was just a few kms away from the Desert Camp. The camp did not have many chalets rented out and discovered that the camp had been closed for renovations. Unfortunately the renovations were still in mid flight and during the day, there was a big digger operating right next to the chalets. All the other chalets not being used, were stripped of furniture and this was piled up in the central dining area. So this area could not be used. So they used the tables outside our cabins and this did the job. I did ask about the digger and noise and suggested hat they kept closed for business while renovating etc. and was told they had been closed but a tour operator asked them to open for them. In the area between the cabins being used, they had an endless supply of coffee, tea and dates which was nice. It was here also that we ate our meals- dinner and breakfast included. Dinner was OK. Indian influenced but breakfast was better. Our cabin was done in Omani style. It had a good sized bathroom and enough room to sleep 3 people. The problem was the beds were as hard as rocks and I spent the whole night waking up and turning as my hips were so sore. Air conditioning was great and effective. My husband was sick here. He had the flu so the next day we had until 4pm to fill in and did not want to be waiting in the heat so I asked if we could have a late check out. Initially they said no, so we organized to drive out of the desert and go to Wadi Bin Khalid again so as to keep cool. Then they changed their mind and said it was ok to stay. It was a kind gesture but we had already made the plans to go for a swim. It was reasonably peaceful- just ruined buy the digger. We were a bit lost to start with and then realized it was safe and ok to wander around the dunes and on the flat where the cars drive where we found camels to watch and enjoyed what the desert had to offer. It would have h