I just finished a tour with Khalifa and can't say enough good things about him. I was a solo female traveler looking for an honorable guide at a fair price and felt very fortunate to connect with him while weighing a few different options. He is everything you're likely searching for in a guide, too: a person who will prepare a perfect itinerary, but is flexible to accommodate on the spot changes, a person who can share historical information as well as local, cultural, and theological info, as well, and most of all, someone patient, with a friendly attitude, and a great sense of humor. The roads can be very treacherous in the hills and he is a careful driver who doesn't take any unnecessary risks, which is important. He is also respectful of privacy, and any woman traveling alone can feel very comfortable and safe in his company. His English is excellent and it is very easy to communicate with him both in writing and in person. Just tell him what you want/need and he is happy to oblige. He is also upfront about all costs (and very competitively priced) so there is no mystery about what is and what isn't included. The thing I loved about traveling with Khalifa the most is that you feel strongly that this isn't just a job for him - he loves sharing his culture and ensuring that you see the best face of his beautiful and hospitable country. He can take you to cultural locations like the souks, historical places like the forts, and he knows many many hikes through gorgeous and lush wadis - tell him your interests and he will tailor make an itinerary just for you. He will also introduce you all the best local snacks! (omani bread, chips, dates, juices, etc.) In short, I couldn't have asked for a better host, consider him among the best I've had in all my world travels, and recommend him very warmly to any others looking for the perfect guide to have a wonderful experience in Oman. In the end, I felt like I was traveling with a friend, not a guide, which made the experience truly memorable.

His contact details are as follows: Kh_h_113@hotmail.com & whatsapp/phone: 0096892027378

It's great to read your report as I'm booked with Khalifa next month, also a solo female traveller.

As you say his planning, up front attitude about costs and interests in what the client wants to do and see, plus his perfect English is second to none ... can't wait to arrive in Oman and immerse myself in the culture and landscape.

I'm here to add yet another positive recommendation for Khalifa. I know, looks unusual, but what can I do - the guy was just great. :-)

We are a family with two small kids and the two days that we spent with Khalifa in Oman in August were perfect. We spent one day sightseeing the ancient forts of Nizwa and Bahla and the other in Muscat as well as on a nice boat cruise along the shores.

Khalifa is the kind of guide that you always wanted to have, but never really did. He is everything you could expect from a guide, especially when you are going to a new country of unfamiliar culture with children. He is great with kids and our kids loved him! His fantastic skills helped a lot when we were walking around the sights under the scorching sun of Oman and his comfortable Land Cruiser has screens to keep the kids busy during the drives.

Everything checks out with Khalifa: responsiveness, professionalism and clear communication, flexibility (we had a late night departure from Oman and he was able to accommodate that), great English and his vast knowledge of Oman's geography and history.

We were very thankful to have met him, he is a wonderful person and a great ambassador of Oman, its people and culture. He can be contacted by email: kh_h_113@hotmail.com.

I can certainly recommend Khalifa to be your professional guide in Oman!

We, a family of 2, were accompanied by Khalifa whilst staying in Oman; Together we've visited 5000 years old Nomad Beehive Tombs (Bat and Al Ayn), Bahla Fort, Al Jabal al Akhder mountains and it's villages and many other beautiful spots...And I can tell without an exaggeration that Khalifa is a hidden gem in the deserts of Oman, a true value for money!

The reasons are:

- he has a huge knowledge about Oman, it's history and traditions

- Khalifa is prepared to go out of his way to deliver his customers the best outcome

- can guide you confidently both in the mountains, deserts and even in the sea on his own boat

- we have contacted different private tour guides and companies, and found out that Khalifa has quite reasonable quotes, whilst unlike many others delivers superb quality service

- he will make you feel as a king/queen of any situation: for example I do not recall too many tour guides for my 10 years of traveling who would agree to travel with you without lunch in order to fit one extra point of destination which we were keen to see and otherwise wouldn't be able to fit in our schedule due to the time restrictions we had; moreover he shared with us some of his own fresh Oman dates so we could somehow feel better and survive during this exhausting "marathon" across mountains and deserts of Oman.

Khalifa can be reached at Kh_h_113@hotmail.com phone/whatsapp. 0096892027378.

"Guide" is not really a fitting word for Khalifa. I think "host" is much more apt. We found him through TripAdvisor thanks to all the glowing reviews on TripAdvisor. It was our last day in Muscat, and to be honest we'd not been having the best experience up until then. We had booked two very expensive day trips through Oman Tours - one to Wahiba Sands and the other to Wadi Shab - and they were a big letdown. We had the same guide both days and he barely talked to us. Of course, Wadi Shab is still a spectacular sight to see. But we could have just paid a taxi to drive us for much much less money. At that point, we were more than $600 poorer, and our spirits and views of Oman were low.

Enter Khalifa. Fortunately, he was available to take us on a city tour our last full day. From the moment I reached out to him, things changed dramatically for the better. He was very responsive and articulate over email, and after he picked us up, he did everything in his power to make us feel welcome and ensure our comfort and satisfaction. He brought cold waters for us and other refreshments for us to try. He also went out of his way to schedule things so we were not outside during the hottest part of the day, which we truly appreciated. He was warm, friendly, clearly very proud of Muscat and Oman, and extremely enthusiastic about sharing his deep knowledge of his culture and history with us (essentially, everything our first guide from Oman Tours was not). He was also incredibly flexible and genuinely interested in customising our experience to our tastes. Just as one example, my friend is a foodie and had read about a certain type of local dessert that she wanted to try, and he made sure to fit that in.

Khalifa singlehandedly salvaged our Oman trip, and I cannot recommend him enough. I strongly urge everyone to go with him over any of the big companies. I wish we had booked with him for our entire stay, and if ever I go back, you can bet that that's what I'll be doing. My friend and I are both very well traveled - I've been to over 50 countries and she's been to many more than I have - and we both agreed on the plane when reflecting on our trip that Khalifa is the best local host (guide) that we have ever had the good fortune to come across. Pricing is beyond reasonable, especially when compared to the prices being charged by the large tour companies.

I recently arranged a day trip with Khalifa to Nizwa and surrounding historical sites. Khalifa was a fantastic guide. He speaks perfect English and is very knowledgeable about local history and culture. Khalifa will go above and beyond to make you feel welcome and show you true Omani hospitality. A British couple on my tour asked if we could go to Jebel Shams (which was not on our program) and Khalifa gladly obliged. We still managed to see everything else on the itinerary.

Khalifa is available for day trips or longer, customized tours. You can reach him at Kh_h_113@hotmail.com.

Mr Khalifa Awladthani has organised for us a 2-week stay in Oman in October/ November 2017. While we were based in Muscat, we have made several trips to locations across eastern Oman, including Nizwa, Ras Al Haad, Rustaq and several valleys (wadis), mountains and historical villages of the region. Khalifa has planned the itinerary for us, driven us around the locations as well as provided assistance with locating suitable lodging and eating opportunities along the way. He also organised for us a private trip in the Gulf of Oman, using his own boat.

We were impressed by Khalifa’s responsiveness, competence and attention to detail. He has prepared a programme combing historical and natural attractions in a balanced and enjoyable manner, and always tended to our needs, making us feel well cared for each day of our stay.

We would like to highlight the attention that Khalifa paid to the well-being of our 3-year old daughter that has accompanied us on the way. She enjoyed the trip as well as we did thanks to Khalifa’s efforts.

We would like to recommend Khalifa’s services to anyone interested in visiting Oman and getting to know this beautiful country from the best side.

Not that Khalifa needs anymore praise, but here is my experience with, what can only be described as, a humble host.

Our decision to visit Oman from Kuwait was quite last minute. Finding a tour guide with the right price and attitude was not easy. Eventually we came across Khalifa's contact details on TripAdvisor. I requested to have a talk to him over the phone before making any agreements, and he kindly agreed.

Based on our three days spent in Oman, I'd whole-heartedly recommend Khalifa to anyone interested in an authentic Omani adventure. He went out of his way to make sure we ticked everything off our to-do list and more! We saw way more than we anticipated making it a truly unforgettable trip. He is extremely knowledgable and will answer ALL your questions about Oman, the Gulf, and Islam no matter how controversial you might think they are. At no point did we feel like he was insincere, put-off, or dishonest throughout the trip. On the contrary, he is extremely humble, personal, friendly, patient, trust-worthy and accommodates to your needs.

I visited Oman for 12 days as a middle aged solo female traveller last month, hiring Khalifa for 9 days as my guide/driver, and I can’t recommend him enough.

Honest, respectful, cheerful, reliable and trustworthy are just some words that come to mind when describing Khalifa, and with perfect English and an impressive knowledge of Omani history and culture he was the perfect guide.

We had originally planned a mix of camping and hotels, though changed our minds about camping at Jebel Shams as it was blowing a gale and cold! Khalifa has all the camping gear; large stand-up tent for me, complete with stretcher bed, mattress, pillow, blankets, toilet tent, comfy chair, lighting etc etc and I enjoyed some fabulous views from high up in the mountains as well as the desert.

He was happy to change our itinerary on the run to suit me, which was great, and drives an excellent Prado. I also enjoyed an afternoon out on his boat, picnicking and swimming at a deserted beach and snorkeling with turtles.

I enjoyed dinner one night at Khalifa’s home, meeting his mum, wife and children, as well as visiting his sister’s farm and having lunch at her house. It’s these experiences, a peek into local lives, that makes travelling with an Omani guide so much fun.

I have no hesitation in recommending Khalifa and his contact details are:

kh_h_113@hotmail.com

+968 9923 2645

Hi -Please could you send me the contact details for your guide, Khalifa. Please also tell me the daily rate. Thanks