0:00:00 > 0:00:04Now on BBC News, it's time for The Travel Show.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11This week on The Travel Show, I'm dolphin-watching in Oman.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14About four foot out of the water.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16And travelling Bedouin style across the desert.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Plus we meet the woman who has travelled to more than 190 countries
0:00:26 > 0:00:31in less than 18 months.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Oman is a 1000-mile-long coastal plain at the south-east tip
0:01:12 > 0:01:15of the Arabian Peninsula, lying between the Gulf
0:01:15 > 0:01:19and the Arabian Sea.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23With a population of just over 4 million, it is bordered
0:01:23 > 0:01:28by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34It's a country with a rich history and fascinating culture that dates
0:01:34 > 0:01:37back well over 5000 years.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45But for many travellers, including myself, Oman
0:01:45 > 0:01:50is still a place which is something of an unknown quantity.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02One of the must see places to come to is the Sultan's Palace.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04This place is beautiful.
0:02:04 > 0:02:05It's immense.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08It's not that old, either.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11But it's got that old feel to it.
0:02:15 > 0:02:21This is his humble abode.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25And it's not bad!
0:02:25 > 0:02:28I'm sure you'd be impressed if you were the pizza delivery man.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31You wouldn't know which door to go to!
0:02:31 > 0:02:34It's not a place I have heard much about until now,
0:02:34 > 0:02:39and it's very different to its UAE neighbours, like Dubai
0:02:39 > 0:02:43with its skyscrapers and huge shopping malls.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47You won't find any of that here.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50What you will find, though, are vast mountains, masses of deserts,
0:02:50 > 0:02:56and amazing rugged coastlines.
0:02:56 > 0:03:03That was incredible.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08That was incredible.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12I'm in the lovely, warm, calm waters of the Gulf in Oman.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17I've just been snorkelling, and you can't see, there's loads
0:03:18 > 0:03:21of fish, it is teeming with them, and they are all sorts
0:03:21 > 0:03:29of bright colours.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36The rich plankton and geological position of Oman attracts a wide
0:03:36 > 0:03:41array of marine life, including whale sharks,
0:03:41 > 0:03:42humpbacks and manta rays.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45OK, I've been snorkelling, which was pretty good,
0:03:45 > 0:03:51but now I'm going to enjoy something that Oman is really famous for,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53and that's dolphin watching.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58They've got many types of dolphin out here,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01but the most common type is called the spinner dolphin,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04and that is supposed to be the most athletic type of dolphin,
0:04:04 > 0:04:05just like myself.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08I'm really looking forward to this, but I'm rubbish on boats,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10so I'm hoping for some calm waters.
0:04:10 > 0:04:11Please!
0:04:11 > 0:04:12Can you just hold the back?
0:04:12 > 0:04:13That's fine.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Now, apparently, the spinner dolphins are the smallest dolphins,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31and I thought all dolphins were really athletic,
0:04:31 > 0:04:37but these ones are super athletic, so hopefully they're going to put
0:04:37 > 0:04:41on a show for us.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52About four foot out of the water.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55It is probably very difficult for you to say,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57but what is the population like?
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Is it healthy?
0:04:59 > 0:05:04Are there many?
0:05:04 > 0:05:06Well, I think it is, because there is a 90%
0:05:06 > 0:05:09chance of seeing dolphins if the weather is OK.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12But the fishing hasn't been as good as it was in the past.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15We used to regularly pull in tuna, yellowfin tuna, over 70 kilograms.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17But it's gone off a little bit.
0:05:17 > 0:05:18But who knows?
0:05:18 > 0:05:20Maybe it will improve again.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22The tuna is a real sign of healthy sea, and there
0:05:23 > 0:05:26will be dolphins around, because that is what they feed on.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31Exactly.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34The dolphins are chasing tuna, and that is why the fishing boats,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37they will know where the dolphins are, and that is when
0:05:37 > 0:05:38they catch the tuna.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41And it's the fishing that's putting Oman's dolphin population at risk.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45Last year, a large number of dolphins washed up
0:05:45 > 0:05:50dead on beaches here.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Some had suffocated due to oil spills, but many others got
0:05:53 > 0:05:55tangled up in fishing nets, and that has prompted
0:05:55 > 0:05:58the government to act, because dolphin watching is the top
0:05:58 > 0:06:00tourist activity here, and it contributes millions
0:06:00 > 0:06:02to the local economy.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Back on dry land, I meet with Aida Al Jabri,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08a marine biologist.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12She's been given the job of protecting Oman's dolphins.
0:06:12 > 0:06:18We are raising a lot of awareness for visitors
0:06:18 > 0:06:21and for the local community.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25There have been stories of dolphins dying here.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28There is a lot, and last year, because of fishing, by accident.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Because they usually like to swim with tuna.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35The government has outlawed the use of certain types of fishing nets
0:06:35 > 0:06:43to protect dolphins and whales, but a total ban on all nets isn't
0:06:43 > 0:06:46to protect dolphins and whales, but a total ban on all nets isn't
0:06:46 > 0:06:51on the cards, because a large percentage of the population rely
0:06:51 > 0:06:55on fishing to make ends meet.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00It's also an issue globally.
0:07:00 > 0:07:05Last year, an unusually high number of dolphins became stranded
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Last year, an unusually high number of dolphins became stranded
0:07:13 > 0:07:17on the beaches here.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Aida and her team of biologists now run monthly workshops to train
0:07:22 > 0:07:25locals in how to deal with stranded dolphins, by recreating
0:07:25 > 0:07:32real-life scenarios.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39Fortunately with a rubber replica called Flipper.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47I'm told this is what normally happens when
0:07:47 > 0:07:51a dolphin gets stranded.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Crowds gather along the beach to take pictures, which wastes
0:07:54 > 0:07:57valuable time in what is a life or death situation for the dolphin.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01The aim of the role-play is to show locals they can do something far
0:08:01 > 0:08:06more useful with training than just taking photographs.
0:08:06 > 0:08:13More than 40 dolphins washed up along beaches in Oman last year,
0:08:13 > 0:08:14and that's too many.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17This is a first time for us to train them,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20and of course this is a basic, and then we will have another
0:08:21 > 0:08:24workshop is an advanced to show them exactly how to check,
0:08:25 > 0:08:29and if it is stranded and dead, how to open the dolphin
0:08:29 > 0:08:34with a veterinarian.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36So this is a very new process?
0:08:36 > 0:08:44Yes, it is not that new, but before it was without practical.
0:08:44 > 0:08:49But this is a first time for them as a practical.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53And although campaigners want to see a total ban on all fishing nets,
0:08:53 > 0:08:58the government has set up an office, and will continue to run public
0:08:58 > 0:09:04education programmes like these, which will help to ensure dolphins
0:09:04 > 0:09:08have a much safer home in the waters of the Gulf.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Still to come on the Travel Show: We meet the slackliners
0:09:29 > 0:09:33taking their tightrope walking to some of the world's
0:09:33 > 0:09:38most stunning locations.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42And I head to the desert here in Oman to spend
0:09:42 > 0:09:46a night under the stars.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57The Travel Show, your essential guide wherever you are heading.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06It's time now for trending travel, your monthly mash up of the best
0:10:06 > 0:10:11travel related stories, snaps and videos online.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Cassie De Pecol is on track to visit an estimated 196 countries
0:10:14 > 0:10:18in less than 18 months.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22That should make her the fastest person to travel the world.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25It's part of Expedition 196, a campaign promoting peace
0:10:26 > 0:10:29and responsible tourism.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32I love showing people the beauty of these countries all over
0:10:32 > 0:10:34the world, including Afghanistan, including Somalia.
0:10:34 > 0:10:40I think we hear too much negativity we too often, and as a woman,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42as a young American woman, I really want to show
0:10:42 > 0:10:43people want peace.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46The quest for that perfect selfie leads people to some
0:10:46 > 0:10:48pretty crazy places.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Sometimes with tragic consequences.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Selfies have been responsible for over 120 deaths since 2014
0:10:55 > 0:10:58according to a team of developers with a unique solution
0:10:58 > 0:10:59to the problem.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03They are working on an app that can identify when a user
0:11:03 > 0:11:10is in a dangerous location.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Then the app will switch off the phone's camera.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Until then, the Icelandic tourist board shared this video,
0:11:15 > 0:11:16offering some safety advice.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20I know you want to look hot in a selfie, but some hot springs
0:11:20 > 0:11:21and geysers can be over 100 Celsius, so please admire it from a distance.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Us travellers do love our smartphones.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27And conservation experts are hoping to repeat the success of popular
0:11:27 > 0:11:29apps like Pokemon Go.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32That app used augmented reality to encourage millions of users
0:11:32 > 0:11:37to get out and explore new areas.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39Experts suggest similar technology might be fitted to zoos
0:11:39 > 0:11:42and natural habitats, trading Pokemon for
0:11:42 > 0:11:44real-life creatures.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Augmented reality has also been used in Britain to restore the ruin
0:12:01 > 0:12:03of Coventry Cathedral to its former glory.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06The cathedral was destroyed during the Blitz, a bombing campaign
0:12:06 > 0:12:09that obliterated large areas of the UK during World War II.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13But now the Rising Peace forum has teamed up with a local university
0:12:13 > 0:12:21to digitally rebuild the site.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23If you fancy exploring the cathedral, the Apple will be
0:12:23 > 0:12:41available on Google Play and the App Store.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44Using the device, it allows me to hold up the device
0:12:44 > 0:12:47against the ruins as they are now, and actually see what they looked
0:12:47 > 0:12:48like before the Blitz.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51As I turn the device, it moves with me.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53It's spatially aware, as well, so I don't need
0:12:53 > 0:12:55to be stood in one point.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59It really is like stepping back in time.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Thanks to everyone who sent us their pictures using
0:13:01 > 0:13:02the hashtag #traveltuesday.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Here are some of my favourites.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Fatima Ali was in Hatta, where she captured this view
0:13:06 > 0:13:08of the Hajar mountains in Dubai.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11And Ben Elmirez sent us these stunners from the Big Apple.
0:13:11 > 0:13:12The great work, Ben.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Don't forget to check out our Twitter and Facebook ages
0:13:15 > 0:13:17for loads of extra special Travel Show content that
0:13:17 > 0:13:18you won't see anywhere else.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22Now let's look at the travel videos clocking up the views online.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Turn away now if you've not got a head for heights.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27For six years, Valentin Rapp and friends have been slacklining,
0:13:28 > 0:13:29that's tightrope walking on a looser rope.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33You can setup a new high line anywhere, and the first step
0:13:33 > 0:13:35you take on it is always scary.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37And then from time to time, you get more confident,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41and then you learn how you can enjoy the height, you can really
0:13:41 > 0:13:43play with the line.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47And if you see anything you think we should know about,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49because I can't keep on top of everything, you know,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51don't forget to get in touch.
0:13:51 > 0:13:52It's @bbctravelshow.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01And to end this week in Oman, I've taken a three-hour car
0:14:01 > 0:14:03ride from the capital, Muscat, to the Wahiba Sands
0:14:03 > 0:14:05for the second part of our journey here.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09Right, we've just pulled over to get the tyres deflated on our 4x4,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11which I was quite surprised that, but apparently, softer tyres
0:14:11 > 0:14:14and enable the car to travel across the dunes easier.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18Now, we are going to be spending the night with a Bedouin family,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21and they are one of the oldest Bedouin families in Oman.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24I'm not sure how my tyres are going to handle the sand dunes,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27but it is going to be a genuine nomadic experience
0:14:27 > 0:14:28just for one night.
0:14:28 > 0:14:37Let's do it!
0:14:39 > 0:14:42We are heading to rereading of the desert which is home
0:14:42 > 0:14:43to the Bani Wahiba tribe.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47They're Omani Bedouins, and getting to their home is no easy feat.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50You need a 4x4 and an experienced driver to handle the dunes.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52The bumpy journey feels more like a funfair ride.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55The camp offers overnight stays to visitors who want a taste
0:14:55 > 0:15:16of life as a Bedouin.
0:15:16 > 0:15:17Here we are.
0:15:17 > 0:15:18Hello, salaam alaikum.
0:15:18 > 0:15:19Welcome to nomadic desert camp.
0:15:19 > 0:15:20Welcome to us.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22You are in room number 12.
0:15:22 > 0:15:22Over there?
0:15:22 > 0:15:23This way, please.
0:15:23 > 0:15:24Thank you.
0:15:24 > 0:15:25Welcome.
0:15:25 > 0:15:26Let's go this way.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28The Bedouin culture stretches back thousands of years throughout
0:15:29 > 0:15:30the Arabian Peninsular, the Middle East and
0:15:30 > 0:15:40parts of North Africa.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43But today, their mainly nomadic lifestyle is under threat, making
0:15:43 > 0:15:44this an extra special experience.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48The Bedouin have used camels to get around for thousands of years.
0:15:48 > 0:15:49It's their oldest mode of transport.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53And these are really hardy beasts, because they can go up to two months
0:15:53 > 0:15:58without any food and water.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00I wouldn't last two minutes!
0:16:00 > 0:16:08Now, over there is the oldest Bedouin camp in Oman,
0:16:08 > 0:16:23and I am going to be spending the night there.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25It has got no mod cons, no regular running water,
0:16:25 > 0:16:39no electricity, no Wi-Fi!
0:16:39 > 0:16:42So tonight it's going to be just me, the camel and some starlight.
0:16:42 > 0:16:43He's playing.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46The midday heat is intense, and temperatures here in the summer
0:16:46 > 0:16:57can often top 40 degrees.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Life out here is tough, and so are the people.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03This camp is one of the last remaining in Oman that actually run
0:17:03 > 0:17:11by Bedouins themselves.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13It's seriously no frills, and gives a good insight
0:17:13 > 0:17:16into the everyday lives of these seminomadic people.
0:17:16 > 0:17:17It's taken me ages to get here.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21It's just like I thought my chair is not going to cope with this sad.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24So it's time to switch to the sticks.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28It's lucky I brought these beauties!
0:17:28 > 0:17:30It's actually roasting in this place.
0:17:30 > 0:17:31It's really cosy.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35There's no mod cons, but it's what I was a bit,
0:17:35 > 0:17:37because they are trying to recreate an authentic Bedouin experience.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40I do get a bright towel, a lamp and a torch,
0:17:40 > 0:17:44but there's no toilet, and it gets very dark at night here.
0:17:44 > 0:17:58But the question is, how long can this unique lifestyle survive?
0:17:58 > 0:18:01There are many things changing, and also if you look
0:18:01 > 0:18:04for the people from here, from the desert, they move out
0:18:04 > 0:18:07from the desert to the town, to the city, because of school,
0:18:07 > 0:18:08hospital and jobs are.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12Young people left and the old people died, and very few people
0:18:12 > 0:18:13will be left behind.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Or somebody still who love the desert, and he don't
0:18:15 > 0:18:18want to move, because the life is so basically.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20But the Bedouin culture will continue?
0:18:20 > 0:18:24I hope so.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27One thing Bedouins are known for is their generosity and hospitality,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30and although the facilities are basic, food plays a big part
0:18:30 > 0:18:31in the whole experience.
0:18:31 > 0:18:32It tastes really nice.
0:18:32 > 0:18:47It's just tastes like good bread.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50The thing I like about this is normally if I have bread,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53I have to put some condiment on it, jam or something.
0:18:53 > 0:19:02But I could just eat this on its own.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06As the day begins to draw to a close, I'm invited to watch
0:19:06 > 0:19:16the sun setting from up high on the dunes.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19It's an amazing experience, and because of the lack of light
0:19:19 > 0:19:22pollution, I really am going to have a night beneath
0:19:22 > 0:19:29the stars out here in the desert.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Back at camp, preparations are under way for dinner.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34The food is cooked in the traditional way, using hot stones.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39On the menu tonight is lamb.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Meat is usually only on the menu here for special occasions,
0:19:42 > 0:19:47and it looks like tonight I'm in luck.
0:19:47 > 0:19:47Yes!
0:19:47 > 0:19:49They've cooked me up a proper feast here,
0:19:49 > 0:19:53and I've got some lamb which was cooked on the open fire,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56and the traditional Bedouin way of eating this is with a little
0:19:56 > 0:20:05bit of honey.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Let's have a go.
0:20:07 > 0:20:08A bit of rice on there.
0:20:08 > 0:20:08Whoops.
0:20:09 > 0:20:09Oh, yeah.
0:20:09 > 0:20:09That's good.
0:20:09 > 0:20:10That's really good.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13After dinner, we are treated to some Bedouin entertainment.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15These songs and dances date back hundreds of years.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18And as I sit back and enjoy the experience, it will be
0:20:19 > 0:20:22interesting to see what their future holds, as many of the younger
0:20:22 > 0:20:25generation are tempted to leave the desert in search of the bright
0:20:25 > 0:20:44lights in the big city.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Well, that's it on what's been a brilliant day here in Oman.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48I'm tired, so I'm off to bed.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52But coming up next week: 50 years after it ceased publication,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55we're in New York to learn more about the Green Book, a travel guide
0:20:55 > 0:21:13used by African-Americans during the days of segregation.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15My grandmother owned the only hotel in Charlottesville, Virginia,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18that black people could stay in in the 1940s, 50s and 60s.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21The Green Book listing was very important to the business,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24because people travelling through the South and even places
0:21:24 > 0:21:27in the North really relied on that book to figure out
0:21:27 > 0:21:39where they were going to stop.
0:21:39 > 0:21:40So enjoy that if you can.