High School Discover Oman

Grade levels 9-12 are mixed on six different trips offered as part of the HS Discover Oman week. The number of students on each trip is between twenty and twelve students.

The Coastal Trip: Discovering Oman's Maritime History and Culture

The Sea Trip provides students with a unique opportunity to study and explore Oman's 5000-year relationship with the sea. From October through January members of this expedition will meet regularly to read and discuss articles pertaining to Oman's maritime history, and to learn basic camping skills. The readings and discussions will provide essential background knowledge and enable students to understand more fully the significance of the sites they will visit during the expedition in February.

The five major topics we shall examine include the following:
1. The Magan Reed Boat Project
2. The Evolution of Omani Dhow Design and Construction Tales of Ancient
Oman by Arab Sailors
3. Archaeological Sites Along Oman's Coasts (From Bronze Age through the
Late Islamic Period)
4. Contemporary Maritime Issues (ex. fishing, pollution, tourism, etc.)

The trip itself will require five days (four nights), and will include visits to important coastal sites including the ancient Islamic city of Qalhat, the new maritime museum and boatyard in Sur, and the Bronze Age archaeological sites at Ras al Jinz, and Ras al Hadd. We shall spend one night camping on the beach at Tiwi and the other nights at the Desert Discovery Camp at Ras al Jinz (which features plentiful food, comfortable
beds and warm showers). Wherever possible, we shall meet with local Omanis and archaeologists who will provide commentaries and insights on the sites and subjects we will be examining.

If you are interested in discovering more about Oman's rich maritime history and fascinating culture, please consider the Sea Trip. The 2006 expedition promises to be the most enriching and exciting trip yet.

Discover Oman Mountain Trip

Wanted: Students who..
Ø Are genuinely interested in learning more about the country of Oman.
Ø Are interested in experiencing one of the most incredible views they will
have in their lifetime.
Ø Have a desire for some physical activity during Discover Oman.
Ø Enjoy or have always wondered what it feels like to be "cold".

The Mountain Trip provides students with the unique opportunity to explore one of the most beautiful and culturally interesting regions of Oman - its mountains. The first two days of the week are spent in Muscat, exploring the local mountains and villages. The adventure reveals itself as the group travels on the third day to Jebel Shams, the highest mountain range in the country. On the way to Jebel Shams, students will visit the ancient city of Bahla and view pottery making there. They will also visit the famous fort/castle of Jabrin.

Once at the top of Jebel Shams students settle into the camp located there. The highlight of the excursion is the hike along the "rim" of the mountain range, over 3000 meters up! The hike is very challenging as it takes about 2 hours one-way. The view, however, is a great reward. The destination of the hike is an ancient abandoned village where students view and discuss the history of the people who lived in that remote location. One of the projects on the trip will be a "reconstruction" of the village, envisioning what it may have looked like long ago, and giving reasons why people chose to live there. After two fun nights of campfires, stories, and group games, the trip returns to TAISM. Along the way, the group stops in the ghost town of Manah. The Mountain Trip provides a terrific opportunity to learn more about the culture, geography and people of Oman.

Discover Oman Ocean Adventure

The week offers a range of experiential learning opportunities taking advantage of Oman's coastal and marine environment. In the months leading up to the trip, students will learn essential camping skills, including menu planning, food preparation, appropriate gear use, and environmentally sensitive use of resources. Students will be placed in groups and together they will plan menus, learn to use equipment, and assign tasks for the week. During the trip, students will camp for four nights on beaches in Bhandar Khayran, a mere hour's drive from TAISM. They will be entirely self-sufficient, maintaining their own camp, cooking all of their own meals, and possibly eating some of the fish they catch. On the water, students will learn basic sea kayaking, fishing, and snorkeling skills. We will have the chance to observe a variety of marine life, including dolphins and maybe even whales.

The trip itinerary promises to be full and exciting. We have almost no "down time" as we only have to travel one hour by car before reaching our destination, thus maximizing the time we spend on our activities.

The school will provide kayaks, paddles, lifejackets, boat, fishing gear, masks and snorkels, etc. Most camping equipment will be provided, but students will have to bring their own sleeping bags.

The Desert Trip

Students on the desert trip spend three nights in the Wahiba desert. They spend the first night in a prepared desert camp called the Thousand Nights Camp. It has set up tents and beds but no electricity. The second day the group heads off by 4x4 across the desert until they reach the coast at Ras Al Ruwais. They set up their own camp on the huge dunes of Ras Al Ruwais overlooking the Indian Ocean. Ras Al Ruwais is one of the most beautiful spots in Oman. The next day they drive back across they drive back across the desert to the Thousand Nights camp along a different track. During the full three days in the desert the students are unlikely to meet more than three other cars,if any. The third night is spent in the Thousand Nights camp. From the camp the students are able to visit traditional bedu settlement to better understand how the desert people are able to survive and even thrive in the harsh desert environment. The Desert trip is a trip into the pure desert. The night skies are amazing and the sense of isolation and freedom of the desert are something the students do not forget for a long time.

The Oasis trip

Students on the Oasis trip visit four different Oasis settlements in the area around the town of Nizwa. They study the traditional agricultural and irrigation methods used in different desert settings. Al Misfa is a rocky mountain Oasis. The Oasis of Adam is right on the edge of the desert and is witness to the overlap between nomadic and sedentary oasis life. The Oasises of Bahlah and Nizwa have a long tradition of traditional crafts. The students study the traditional crafts of indigo dying, coppersmithing and silversmithing. In the ghost town of Manah they are able to study the urban layout of a mudbrick oasis town unchanged by the arrival of piped water and electricity. The first night the students stay in a hotel designed to showcase traditional crafts just outside Bahlah. The second night they stay in a hotel on the way between Nizwa and the desert oasis of Adam. The focus of this trip is to learn how oasis people were able to work together to creates gardens of peace and culture within the harsh desert setting.