Ever pushed it to the limits flower smellers?
I did recently thanks to Dubai based Gargash enterprises, Mercedes-Benz for hosting the SUV Driving event in Oman recently. The test drive event was over 70 hours covering 700km and an exhilarating journey across a variety of terrain of Majestic Muscat from road to gravel tracks, rocky plateaus to running wadis and through various grades of both slope and sand.

Mercedes M Class
Performance meets specification
Starting from the Al Mouj golf club at the luxurious Wave development managed by Dubai Golf we meandered off in a 12 strong convoy to the Wahiba Sands. Think again when you think ‘empty desert’ with an area of 12,500 square kilometers!

The venue was like Mercedes – Far more than meets the eye
The desert has been of scientific interest since a 1986 expedition by the Royal Geographical Society documented the diversity of the terrain, the flora and fauna, noting 16,000 invertebrates as well as 200 species of other wildlife, including avifauna. They also documented 150 species of native flora so plenty of time to GO! Smell the flowers.
Evening was spent relaxing at the luxury Bedouin desert experience 1,000 night camp which was:
- Complemented by the warmth of the Omani people
- Welcomed by all the group after a long and eventful drive
Our 12 strong ‘SUVenture’ convoy included the Middle East launch of the flagship new seven-seater GL, the highly dynamic all-purpose compact GLK, launch of the iconic new G 500, and first off-road driving experience for the spearhead of the Mercedes-Benz regional SUV strategy – the M-Class.
Taking centre stage was the media launch of the flagship new Mercedes-Benz GL. The award winning large size SUV occupies the top position amongst luxury off-road vehicles with its seven seats, best in class engines, powerful performance, space, refinement and cutting edge technologies.
Through Wahiba Sands we meandered sometimes gliding effortlessly and at other times through gritted teeth that pushed both driver and car to the limits! Then onto Yiti and checking in at the impressive Sifawy Boutique Hotel.

We all got the chance to experience each model as both driver and passenger to gain a first-hand understanding of what ‘The Best or Nothing’ really means when it comes to Mercedes-Benz SUVs. I didn’t appreciate they had an off-road heritage of over 100 years, and now boasts an unrivalled SUV family offering the widest range in the market, delivering peerless performance, fascinating technology, space and refinement across any terrain.
Having swapped our stories from the day we rested well before the final leg of the journey taking in coffee, croissants and of course the stunning views overlooking the capital, before concluding at the Almouj Golf Club. It was a road trip of a lifetime and one I was very privileged to attend.
That’s another tick off the bucket list as the flower smelling continues!
Comments welcomed and I wonder what’s next as the ethos of ’One journey, Many discoveries’ lives on.
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