Arabian adventure: swim-trekking in Oman

Ella Foote joined SwimTrek in the Middle East and enjoyed so much more than she ever imagined…

“That doesn’t sound like much of a holiday,” was the most common response to my recent trip to Oman with SwimTrek. To non-swimming fanatics, spending a week swimming 25k over five days doesn’t sound very relaxing and, to be honest, as much as I love to swim, it wasn’t my idea of a ‘proper’ holiday either. But I couldn’t have been more wrong.

I’ve been lucky to go on some amazing swimming trips over the years – some organised by friends, some self-planned, some I’ve guided, and some hosted by brilliant companies like SwimTrek. My first SwimTrek was a long weekend in the Lake District almost 20 years ago, and until recently, it was the only one I had taken part in. The concept sounds ideal to many swimmers, including me, but whenever I considered a trip like it, I was full of self doubt. What if my swimming wasn’t good enough? What if I didn’t fit in? Like any holiday, a SwimTrek trip is an investment of time and money – and a leap of faith.

If you’ve ever thought about a swimming holiday, you’ve probably asked yourself the same questions: Can I swim the distance? Is it worth the cost? Will I embarrass myself? Is it strange to holiday with strangers? Will the water be too cold (or too hot)? And yes… what about the other ‘things’ in the water?

Picking a destination

The world is vast and covered in beautiful water to swim, so picking a single destination for a swim adventure is tough. Next year, SwimTrek is offering 87 different trips across 27 different countries. There is everything from short swims, long weekends, training camps and Channel crossings. The options are all inspiring and appealing, so how do you even choose? I narrowed it down by distance: I can comfortably swim three kilometres, but up to five kilometres a day would give me a challenge and a chance to develop. Then I factored in cost, time zones, and timing around work and family. I settled on the Oman Fjords, which surprised friends and family. Travelling to the Middle East right now, and as a woman, raised questions. But I wasn’t alone. I’d be in a group, guided by people familiar with local culture and rules. And the swimming looked very different from anything I’d done before. It was a little scary, but also exciting.

Arriving in Oman

I travelled to Oman via Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where SwimTrek arranged a transfer to Khasab, on the Musandam Peninsula. Khasab is a fishing town tucked between rugged mountains and has fjord-like inlets, often called the ‘Norway of Arabia’ for its labyrinth of khors, blue waters, and abundant wildlife.

The transfer takes about three hours, including a border crossing and two passport checks. It’s the first chance to meet fellow swimmers, nap, and watch the scenery shift: Dubai’s lush, manicured modernity giving way to Oman’s stark mountains, sand, and sparse vegetation. The coastal road passes white sandy beaches, turquoise waters, and villages with impressive mosques. Khasab is developing rapidly, popular with UAE residents, and likely to change dramatically in a few years.

The swimmers

Each SwimTrek starts with a welcome meeting where you meet fellow swimmers and guides, get an itinerary overview, and a safety briefing. Our guides, John Lester and Hannah Lowther, offered a warm welcome with authority and humour. John has been guiding this trip for ten years and knows the area, history, locals, and culture inside out.The group included swimmers from Canada, Germany, the USA, Switzerland, and the UK.

Some were seasoned SwimTrek veterans; others, were first-timers. We shared nervous laughs, swim stories, and personal anecdotes. Despite our differences, we shared a love of swimming – a strong enough bond to connect us instantly.

The swimming

After a long day of travel, it was a relief to plunge into the warm Arabian water. In November, I had braced for cold water but slipped seamlessly into 30ºC salty sea. With air temperatures around 35-38ºC, I expected fatigue from heat, but swimming in warm water was surprisingly easy. Our first swim was short and fun, letting the guides gauge speed and capability. We swam off Bassa Beach, where the locals (only men) gathered in groups to enjoy the last of the light. They seemed intrigued and amused by us; we were the only people in the water!

The itinerary was simple: swim. Each day followed a rhythm: three kilometres in the morning, lunch on our beautiful dhow (a traditional wooden boat), then two kilometres in the afternoon. Swimmers were picked up from the hotel and taken to the harbour. Packing was minimal: swimsuits, suncream, a few personal items. Everything else – towels, food, tea, coffee, snacks, water, hydration mix, and sweets – was provided. And the food! This is where the trip delivers real value. After morning swims, hot meals appeared as if by magic. Freshly prepared dishes, soft drinks, dates, biscuits and fresh fruit kept everyone nourished and happy. Before each swim, the guides would prepare hydration mix to feed during our swims, sweets would be handed out to battle the salt-mouth. It felt like a swimming version of an ideal package holiday.

The swim distances felt a little daunting before the trip. While I love to swim long-distance, I would never normally swim five kilometres daily, even in the height of the season. The group was split into three pods by speed, each with a coloured swim cap. Swimmers watched out for each other, while two guides monitored from a motorboat and kayak, and a third motorboat ensured safety from traffic. The dhow was always nearby.

My first three kilometres swim felt messy; it was like the start of an event swim, feeling the need to keep up with other swimmers and losing all technique. But on top of this, as a swimmer who likes to pause and take it all in and snap some photos, I was often lagging behind my group and trying to catch up. I felt a burden to my pod, but equally wanted to absorb every moment, so I switched to a slower pod. Simple. It is a holiday after all, not a training camp. This is another thing to remember – it is a holiday! If you wanted to only swim each morning and then relax on the boat each afternoon, you could do. If you got half-way through a swim and you weren’t feeling it, you could get out. There was no pressure, at all, to do anything you didn’t want to do and the rest of the group respected each swimmer to swim their own swim in their own way.

Once I found the right pod to swim with, everything else fell into place. I found my swimming stroke improved and benefited from the daily distances and at a pace that I could switch depending on conditions and instruction from the guides. Each swim, though similar, offered unique experiences: looming cliffs, changing wildlife, and different perspectives of the khors. Dolphins played nearby, rays zipped past, and blue angel fish, green coral, sand dollars, and parrot fish appeared daily. We swam around islands and across channels, the guides never far away pointing out other things to see, to witness. Swimming five kilometres daily was so easy, so simple, when that is all you have to do. As the week went on, we all fell into a daily rhythm and routine. The trip out to the khor each day gave us the opportunity as a group to get to know each other, share stories, swim tips and joy. After lunch a peace settled across the boat with rest, reading and chatter before the next swim.

Everything you want from a holiday

When you think about a holiday, what is it you want exactly? To visit and discover somewhere new. Enjoy different food, culture and meet new people. Get a different perspective on life, on how other people live. Connect with a place and people. Step out of familiar surroundings and routine, develop skills and grow as a person. Laugh, be happy and joyful. Rest, reset and reflect – be part of something bigger? I got all these things and more from this trip.

I was reminded of how far my swimming, strength and skills had developed – it made me feel good about myself and what I was capable of. I had time and space to myself while swimming to properly switch off from everything else. Swimming three-four hours every day did wonders for my mind as well as my physical health. Being with warm people who have very different lives was absorbing, entertaining and interesting. If you have ever wondered if you would enjoy a SwimTrek, wonder no more. There really is something for every swimmer. It is like any other holiday, a brilliant escape that offers rest and reflection through swimming.

SwimTrek have nine tours to Oman in 2026. The tour costs £1,640pp and includes:

• Fully guided swimming holiday
• Professional swim guides and full safety escort on all swims
• Six nights’ accommodation
• All breakfasts
• All lunches
• ABTOT Protection
• Technique advice & coaching

Visit swimtrek.com to book your 2026 adventure