This mild morning found me and my friend Max sleeping inside a ruined house on the beach of Salalah city. It was the third day of our exploring the area around Salalah. After having devoted the first two days to Mughsail Beach and Al Fazayah Beach respectively, for today we had planned on heading east to Wadi Darbat canyon and Taqah town. We packed the tents, went over to the … [Read more...]
Exploring Al Fazayah Beach – Salalah Trip Pt. #2
The advent of this day found me and my friend Max camping on Mughsail Beach, some 40 km west from Salalah. We got up early in the morning, had a dip in the Arabian Sea, yesterday's pasta for breakfast, packed everything, and headed for the road. Mohamed, a local man we'd met on the previous evening, as promised, was waiting there for us to drive on a trip together. Our … [Read more...]
Camping at Mughsail Beach – Salalah Trip Pt. #1
After having completed a trekking trip in Jebel Akhdar Mountain and a road trip along Oman's northeastern coast, I found myself back in Muscat with a few last days to spare before my visa expires. I decided to use these days up to undertake a short trip to Salalah and the west of the country. I was at Burj Sahwa bus station a bit more than an hour before the scheduled departure … [Read more...]
Hiking in Wadi Bani Khalid – Oman Road Trip Pt. 10
On the last day of this road trip in Oman, we left Jalan Bani Bu Ali and drove north towards Muscat via highway 35. We were scheduled to return to the city by the next day in the afternoon and deliver the car back. Before that, however, we had reserved a last adventure for our trip. Our imminent destination was the headwaters of Wadi Bani Khalid at the foot of Jebel Khadar … [Read more...]
In Jalan Bani Bu Ali & Wahiba Sands – Oman Road Trip Pt. 9
It was a lovely morning ride down the coast from Ras Al Jinz Beach: nearly 100 km of alternating bleak plains, endless white beaches, picturesque fishing villages, and constant views of vast oceanic extents. Eventually, we reached a little town named Al Ashkirah. There we had to bid farewell to the ocean. We parked the car and went for a stroll along the town's scenic coast. We … [Read more...]
Camping and watching turtles at Ras Al Jinz Beach – Oman Road Trip Pt. 8
So on this sunny morning, after the surprising storm of the previous night had finally settled, we left Khawr Al Jaramah and started driving towards the easternmost tip of the Arabian peninsula: the Ras Al Jinz turtle beach. Before heading to the turtle beach, we first drove to the nearby village of Al Hadd. That was a typical Omani village: a few houses here and there and wide … [Read more...]
In Sur & Khawr Al Jaramah – Oman Road Trip Pt. 7
Having spent an exceptionally pleasant day in Wadi Shab, we then arrived in Sur shortly before sunset. We parked the car by the coast and took advantage of the remaining light for a nice stroll along the beach. Many of the locals did the same. Others were sitting on the sand. Others were playing football beside the waves. We soon got back in the car and drove to the opposite … [Read more...]
Hiking & Swimming Adventures in Wadi Shab – Oman Road Trip Pt. 6
A new brilliant sun rose over the eastern coast of Oman. It found us camping at the beach by the north end of Tiwi village, right before the entrance of Wadi Shab. Upon exiting the tent, I witnessed a herd of goats in the business of clearing our dinner leftovers. They ran away in terror. We prepared a good breakfast, packed a few essentials in the backpack, tossed the rest of … [Read more...]
Camping at Tiwi Village Beach – Oman Road Trip Pt. 5
So we left the Bimmah Sinkhole and headed further south to Tiwi Village where we were intent on camping for the night at the beach.Soon afterwards we were entering Tiwi from the south coastal road. Right before the village, we drove past the mouth of Wadi Tiwi. A stretch of highway spanned the wide estuary upheld by an array of soaring pillars. Staring at the obscure interior … [Read more...]
Swimming & Cliff Jumping in Bimmah Sinkhole – Oman Road Trip Pt. 4
On the third day of the road trip in Oman, we had just left Wadi Dayqah canyon and were heading to one of Oman's most renown sights: the Bimmah Sinkhole. We got back on highway 17 and drove for about 30 km southwards until we reached our desired exit at 23.0264 / 59.0739, a few km after Thibab village. We then drove down to the coast and followed the signs to Bimmah Sinkhole. … [Read more...]
