We escaped to the Hajar Mountains in Oman and I find it difficult to put into words the raw beauty of the place. So I will use dd's words (her's above - borin' explorin') and my photos to give you a feel.
Here is a sand castle (the ruins of the Al Sulaif Fortress town near Ibri which date back to the 11th century)
A brief stop in the the fortress town of Bahla and on through Nizwa to reach our hotel, the Jabal Akhdar Hotel, up some 2000 plus metres on the Sayq Plateau. According to dd it has very comfortable beds!
The following morning saw us heading to the abandoned village of Bani Habib. Nothing quite prepares you for the stunning beauty of it and the wadi it sits above. Cherry blossoms were in the bloom and the wildly noisy murmuring of the bees intruding on the silence. (first 2 photos here are ds1's)